A quaint, tranquil, quiet, relaxing small Mexican town, Todos Santos is another world, only one hour from Cabo San Lucas or La Paz. Todos Santos was officially designated a Pueblo Magico, or Magical Town on June 17, 2006, the official ceremony and appointment from the Tourism Secretary was held on October 23, 2006. The Annual Art Festival is usually held during the first part of February each year.
Todos Santos is nestled above a large huerta, or palm grove, on the Pacific coast, of Baja California Sur midway between Cabo San Lucas and La Paz, but it’s as different from both of these cities as they are from each other.
Founded in 1724, it was a remote, inaccessible outpost until the late 1800s when its vast aquifer was discovered. Sugarcane farmers rushed in and it grew into a booming agricultural community overnight.
Today, all kinds of tropical fruits and vegetables are grown in and around Todos Santos. Not only has it retained its colonial charm; it’s become a bi-cultural oasis—a tropical paradise with a diverse selection of art galleries, shops, a few boutique hotels and several astonishingly good restaurants. You won’t find mega-resorts or cruise ships here, and you won’t find Burger King or McDonald’s either.
Our Lady Pilar of La Paz church
in the downtown historic
district of Todos Santos.
Palo de arco branches, hand-woven into decorative fencing
Highway 19, which runs from La Paz to Cabo San Lucas and passes through Todos Santos, was built in 1986, about the time a pair of well-known artists from New Mexico—Charles Stewart and Ezio Columbo—moved to town. Update April 2013: The highway from Cabo San Lucas to Todos Santos and La Paz is now 98% four-lane. This duo played an integral part in perpetrating the American and Canadian artist migration to this tranquil Mexican town. The surfers came on their own, lured by tales of never-ending, pristine beaches and perfect waves—Endless Summer Baja style. Avid surfer-rocker Chris Isaak recorded a CD (Baja Sessions) here.
The Eagles supposedly sang about the town’s landmark hotel — the Hotel California — back in the ‘70s, but Don Henley vehemently denied any connection. That’s a shame. He should stop by next time he’s in Cabo San Lucas. Once he tours the grounds and samples the gourmet fare served in La Coronela Restaurant, I bet he’ll change his tune. Hotel California’s new owners John and Debbie Stewart have recreated this former eyesore into a one-of-a-kind, one-in-a million architectural, culinary and artistic masterpiece.
Photo on right: Hotel California, on Calle Juarez in downtown Todos Santos, as it looked in February 2005.
Remains of old sugar mill
Todos Santos Art Gallery
Boutique Santa Maria
Gabo Art Gallery
My Favorite Weekend: Todos Santos - Magic envelops this funky artists colony By José Alberto Haro Romero and Ashley Alvarado
Los Cabos Magazine Issue #32, Spring 2013
There’s a saying in Baja: “Nothing bad ever happens in Todos Santos.” While locals may be referring to the sleepy town’s uncanny ability to avoid the effects of hurricanes, the statement holds true on many levels. The 18th-century mission town is a darling of surfers and artists, snowbirds and yogis. Its dusty streets juxtapose old-world charm and New Age thinking, creating a perfect weekend retreat just 45 miles north of Cabo San Lucas. Read on for our quick guide to this haven, tucked neatly in an arroyo between the Sierra de la Laguna Mountains and Pacific Ocean.
History Awaits Journey into the heart of Todos Santos, and it’s like taking a step back in time. Or maybe we should call it a leap. All the way back to the 18th century. The Jesuits played a major role in the development of the Baja Peninsula, and Todos Santos is no exception. When the Jesuits arrived here—to the foothills of the Sierra de la Laguna—and discovered a freshwater source just more than a mile from the ocean, they established what would eventually become the peninsula’s sugarcane capital. Todos Santos and its sugar mills boomed throughout the 19th century and up until about the mid-1900s. That money fed the development of the town and its elegant architecture. Since then, the farmlands once dedicated to sugarcane have been made over and are now the source of much of the produce served in Cabo kitchens. Remnants of the earlier boom remains (you can check out the ruins of the sugar mills), as does much of the Jesuits’ infrastructure.
Continue to read the article about Todos Santos here: http://www.loscabosguide.com/blog/2013/04/my-favorite-weekend-todos-santos/
Todos Santos, Baja California Sur, Mexico - A Pueblo Magico. This quaint, tranquil, quiet, relaxing historic small Mexican town, Todos Santos is another world, only one hour from Cabo San Lucas. Todos Santos Guide has art gallery listings, beach, hotel, restaurant and vacation travel information about this historic area of Baja California Sur, Mexico. www.todossantosguide.com.
