Quintessential Todos Santos

Early Todos Santenos

Todos Santos
(All Saints) in the state of Baja California Sur, Mexico, sits right on the Tropic of Cancer, on the Pacific side of the nearly 1000 mile long Baja Peninsula.



This location is charmed with its proximity to pristine stretches of Pacific Ocean and the Sierra la Laguna peaks to the east. The summer’s hot air temperature is tempered by the Pacific breeze, and remains more comfortable than La Paz on the Sea of Cortez, or even Cabo San Lucas at the tip of the cape. This area of Baja’s southern cape is special as the lush high mountains catch the rare rainfall and supply the lower lands with water for agriculture. Mountains meet fertile farms, and farms meet spectacular beaches.

Mission Nuestra Senora del Pilar

The original pueblo of Santa Rosa de Todos Santos was founded as a Jesuit mission in 1723, with the goal of converting the Pericu, Cochime and Guaycura Indians. Soon rebellions and harsh terrain proved too much for the missionaries. The fertile pueblo grew as a rich, well-cultured town in the 1800s, when the sugar industry was flourishing. Handsome hotels, theaters, municipal offices, and Spanish colonial haciendas were built during this booming era. 

After the pavement of Highway 19 was completed in 1983, travelers from the north began exploring the “undiscovered” Pacific side of the Cape. First the surfers came, then the artists and adventure travelers. Gradually, as more and more expats settled here and new land titles were released by the Mexican government, travel stories began appearing in NY Times, Conde Nast and National Geographic Traveler.

Hotel California's La Coronela bar, named for an historic
Todos Santos female spy in the Mexican Revolution

Nowadays, dirt and cobblestone streets lead to many sophisticated hotels and restaurants, a few colorful boutiques and modern art galleries within restored Spanish brick buildings and traditional palapa roof structures. Remnants of old red brick sugar mill chimneys are still evident today, and some ruins have been integrated into building renovations.
 

Fish and cabeza (head) taco carts are still easily found, horsemen ride through town, and stopping to let a goat cross is not uncommon. Festivals are held in the central plaza, always beginning at sundown when the air cools, and always featuring food and candy carts, and music at high-decibels late into the evening.

La Poza, where fresh spring water meets the sea

There’s no shortage of sport fishing, surfing, kayaking, whale sighting, and sea turtle watching. In the close-by mountains, waterfalls are in hiking distance, and old rancheros still make cheese, pottery and leather goods as they did a century ago.

Walking in town past family businesses the sense of Todos Santeno pride is apparent, and the federally designated “Pueblo Magico” will continue to preserve its rich culture, colorful traditions and authentic architecture for generations to come.

[It's important to make the distinction between Todos Santos and the surfing and agricultural community of El Pescadero, just 8 miles to the south. While Todos Santos has always been the cultural center and attracted high society, El Pescadero remains a down-to-earth farming community that happens to sit near the best surfing beaches on the Baja Sur Pacific coastline. More on El Pescadero in another blog post]

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This is the hot, quiet time of year, when the snowbirds have already headed north, and many businesses close down for the summer. Still, I’m surprised at how much activity I see in the streets and how pleasant the weather is in mid-July. I’ve already checked out the new high-end Santo Vino restaurant and devoured a super fresh yellowtail carpaccio with a white wine and kiwi sangria, under silver tin cut-out lamps, throwing interesting shadows across pistachio green walls. Shut Up Frank’s, the infamous beer hangout, has been cleaned up and given a new life, and another elegant hotel with a pool and La Santena bar is slated to open in October of 2011.

Todos Santos’ church, Mission Nuestra Senora del Pilar faces the town zocalo, or central plaza, along with the historic Manuel Marquez de Leon theater where the annual film festival is held. Across the way is the truly elegant Santa Fe Café with its formal waiters, wine list and romantic garden courtyard, the first fine dining establishment in Todos Santos, opened well before there were tourists coming through town. Down the street is the legendary Hotel California, with its Frida Kahlo colors, tropical setting pool, and bar with live music. The hotel was originally built in 1947 by Antonio “El Chino” Wong Tabasco and featured a Chinese restaurant. In 2003 the property was beautifully renovated and has kept busy with both travelers and locals.

In the past few years, several dirt roads in the Centro have been redone in cobblestone and sidewalks have been improved with “Pueblo Magico” monies. Little by little, Todos Santos is being gussied up to restore her old grandeur.



Santo Vino restaurante



Teatro Manuel Marquez Leon

Historic Todos Santos Inn

Hotel California interior courtyard

La Paloma ice cream shop

La Esquina - the local coffee hang out
(Casa Dracula seen through the front door)





Whales laze around in February and March











  


San Pedro - known as Las Palmas







Wild horses run at Las Palmas







Fisherman's shrine and panga at Punta Lobos



Punta Lobos pelicans



All the saints





Chinese Food buffet







 


 


 


Little Astro Van in Todos Santos



La Pastora break