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The farming community of El Pescadero
is 8 miles south of Todos Santos in Baja California Sur
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My second home is the little town of El Pescadero, meaning “The Fishinghole” (locals just say “Pescadero” and expats call themselves “Peskies”). Really, this Baja Mexican village is a farming community and the town proper sits inland from Highway 19. On the Pacific side of the pavement is fertile farmland reaching just about to the sandy shoreline of Playa Pescadero. Cardon, choya and yucca-covered hills surround lines of chilies and strawberries that fill the valley floor, while gradually, more and more houses pop up on the gentle hills that face the ocean sunsets. There are also mango orchards and palm groves that give a verdant glow and shade to the valley, and attract countless species of colorful birdlife.
Pescadero just happens to sit near the best surf breaks on the Baja California Sur Pacific coast.
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| View from Pescadero town to Punta San Pedro |
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| Sierra La Laguna to the east |
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El
Pescadero town is a small and family-oriented community made up of a handful of dirt roads, cement block houses, playfields, tiendas, loncherias, and a church on the hill. Kids and dogs run around freely, as do bulls, horses, goats and pigs.
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Kilometer 63 roadside shrine marks the way
to the south beach of Playa Pescadero
(the way to Janine's property) |
Seafood is fresh here, and so is the coffee, now that Baja Beans roaster has opened at kilometer 63. How handy for me, as it just happens to be the marker to the farm road leading to my property near the beach. The Playa Pescadero community is a good mix of friendly folk. Once only fields of basil and chilies, now there are a good number of small colorful homes and B&Bs sprinkled here and there along bumpy sandy roads, perched on the hills, and hidden in mango groves.
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| The Sandbar sits at kilometer 63 in Pescadero |
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| Several dirt roads lead to farms and the beach |
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| Rancho Pescadero - the seaside dude ranch for hipsters |
The new Rancho Pescadero (http://www.ranchopescadero.com) is the first ultra-chic getaway along this stretch of beach and gets frequent write-ups in top travel magazines. Just a stroll up the beach from my land, it could become a regular stop one day. Then, the more down to earth and always breezy Los Cardones surf hotel and bar sits on the saddle between my property and the main attraction, Los Cerritos surf break. Another handy addition to the neighborhood.
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| Los Cardones surf hotelito |
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| San Pedrito beach community |
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| Looking south from Pedrito surf break |
The surfing community is thick here, with two-well-known breaks within a few kilometers of each other. Punta San Pedro is a recognizable bluff that marks San Pedrito surf break. There’s a long history of surf camping here. Still funky and laidback, this beachside community is one of the most pleasant to simply stroll through and the long stretch of beach is always gorgeous.
Several small beach hotels are found along this stretch. Whales will breach, spy hop, and play just off the points for weeks on end, sometimes lolling in shallow waters.
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| From The Osprey deck |
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Los Cerritos, a popular break that brings people from near and far is said to be friendly and inviting. This coastline has a long history that is typical of many Baja surf camps of old. Not long ago, finding the break’s location wasn’t easy, and access to the beach was a tough ride. One had to be in the know and willing to sacrifice a tailpipe to get to the secret destination. Surfers would set up camp for weeks or months at a time, live for free, and surf to their heart’s content. In my earliest Cerritos days, there were still RVs and beach campers semi-permanently settled in, one palapa taco stand run by a sweet Mexican family who would offer a beer from a cooler, and nothing else along the vast stretch of pristine sand. The picturesque rocky point was the sunset perch of a lone vaquero, who frequently sat atop his horse and watched until he was silhouetted against the fiery sky. ![]()
Today, development has found Playa Los Cerritos, including an over-priced beachfront restaurant, condos, rental casitas, generators and fences, and a 30,000 square foot Spanish castle that engulfs Cerritos Point. Although the change has happened seemingly overnight, there is still the forever long coastline to the south, and stunning mountain views to the east. Trained lifeguards are now on duty, yoga classes and massages are offered on the beach, and surf lessons are a popular way to spend the morning. Dogs chase the waves, couples enjoy margaritas under umbrellas and on Sunday afternoons the beach club fills up when Daline and Diego play live jazz standards on the beach. This is the party zone, and Los Cerritos invites both novice and experienced surfers to join in.
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| Daline and Diego play every Sunday afternoon at Cerritos Beach Club |
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| New lifeguard station at Playa Cerritos |
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| The Pescadero Surf Camp has a long history at km 64 |
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| San Pedrito community beach access |
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The South Beach of Playa Pescadero is my neighborhood-
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| A 4 minute stroll from my property |
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| My local beach, just north of Cerritos Point |
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| South Pescadero Beach and a neighbor |
More neighbors in the valley...
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| Dennis' and basil fields |
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| David's El Faro |
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| Guillermo's El Pozo Hondo |
More Pescadero and Cerritos images...
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| Sierra La Laguna Biosphere above Pescadero |
El Pescadero town is a small and family-oriented community made up of a handful of dirt roads, cement block houses, playfields, tiendas, loncherias, and a church on the hill. Kids and dogs run around freely, as do bulls, horses, goats and pigs. 
Los Cerritos, a popular break that brings people from near and far is said to be friendly and inviting. This coastline has a long history that is typical of many Baja surf camps of old. Not long ago, finding the break’s location wasn’t easy, and access to the beach was a tough ride. One had to be in the know and willing to sacrifice a tailpipe to get to the secret destination. Surfers would set up camp for weeks or months at a time, live for free, and surf to their heart’s content. In my earliest Cerritos days, there were still RVs and beach campers semi-permanently settled in, one palapa taco stand run by a sweet Mexican family who would offer a beer from a cooler, and nothing else along the vast stretch of pristine sand. The picturesque rocky point was the sunset perch of a lone vaquero, who frequently sat atop his horse and watched until he was silhouetted against the fiery sky. 
Today, development has found Playa Los Cerritos, including an over-priced beachfront restaurant, condos, rental casitas, generators and fences, and a 30,000 square foot Spanish castle that engulfs Cerritos Point. Although the change has happened seemingly overnight, there is still the forever long coastline to the south, and stunning mountain views to the east. Trained lifeguards are now on duty, yoga classes and massages are offered on the beach, and surf lessons are a popular way to spend the morning. Dogs chase the waves, couples enjoy margaritas under umbrellas and on Sunday afternoons the beach club fills up when Daline and Diego play live jazz standards on the beach. This is the party zone, and Los Cerritos invites both novice and experienced surfers to join in. 
