9 Best Beaches in Todos Santos (Mexico) for Baja Fun

Drive north of Cabo San Lucas in the Mexican state of Baja California Sur for about an hour, and you reach Todos Santos. It’s a funky boho-chic little town on the Pacific Ocean coastline.

Along with exploring the shops, beautiful boutique hotels, art galleries and trendy restaurants in its colonial center, one of the best things to do in Todos Santos is to hit the beach.

Beaches of Todos Santos FAQs

Can you swim in Todos Santos at any of its beaches?

First, let’s answer this question.

You may know that many beaches in Los Cabos aren’t swimmable.

Similarly, most Todos Santos beaches aren’t safe for swimming. They’re known for their strong rip currents and backwash, which have led to tragic drownings.

But there are some beaches in Todos Santos where you can safely swim in the sea. (And we’ll let you know these.)

What are the Todos Santos beaches known for?

Surfing! Playa Los Cerritos (#1 below) is a thriving surfing hotspot.

Depending on the beach, other popular beach activities include fishing, walking, sunbathing, sunset gazing (the sunsets are spectacular here on the west coast!) – and simply soaking up the raw natural beauty of the unspoiled beach.

A couple of beaches also have beach clubs or pools where you can get beach club or pool passes for the day to enjoy the beach in style.

And then there’s whale watching.

Can you safely drive to the beaches around Todos Santos?

Yes. Even though the roads are mainly sandy (and often very bumpy!), it’s okay to drive a rental car along them.

We specifically asked the Hertz car rental agency in Cabo about this when we rented a car for our recent Todos Santos visit.

Just go slow and drive with caution.

(See our guide on renting a car in Los Cabos for more car rental info.)

How do the Km markers work on Highway 19 from Todos Santos to Cabo San Lucas?

Todos Santos is about 47 miles (76 km) north of Cabo San Lucas.

We mentioned many of the beaches are accessed via side roads veering off from Highway 19. It’s the main highway running along the Pacific Ocean coast between Cabo San Lucas and Todos Santos.

Let’s start with Cerritos Beach, which is the furthest beach south of Todos Santos, and work our way up from there.

So if you drive north for about 40 minutes up Highway 19 from Cabo San Lucas – or about 10 to 15 minutes south from Todos Santos – you reach the turn-off for Playa Los Cerritos (Los Cerritos Beach or simply Playa Cerritos).

The turn-off is located at the Km 64 marker.

Technically, Playa Los Cerritos is located in the small farming community of El Pescadero. But it’s such a popular beach for people who visit Todos Santos that we’ve included it here in our list of the best Todos Santos beaches.

It’s everyone’s favorite beach in Todos Santos for surfing. Boasting some of Mexico’s top surf breaks, both novices and pros can find their rhythm among the waves here.

Check out CRT Surf School and Mario Surf School for private or group surf lessons plus board and gear rentals.

(Winter is the best time for surfing at Los Cerritos, with consistent swells ranging from two to 10 feet.)

Prefer to kick back and watch the action? Rent an umbrella and beach chairs and let the day drift away.

When hunger strikes, amble over to the Barracuda Cantina (featured on Netflix’s Taco Chronicles) or Surfside Bar & Grill for fresh fish tacos, guac and frosty beers.

Whether you want to ride the waves or just chill with the sand between your toes, laid-back Cerritos Beach has everything you need for a day well spent by the sea.

El Pescadero is a farming town that’s fast becoming the go-to beach haven for those in the know.

With its laid-back vibes, it attracts a cool crowd of surfers, van lifers and foodies, all blending in to create a welcoming and easy-going atmosphere.

The local beach, Playa San Pedrito (San Pedrito Beach), is tucked away at the end of a dirt road off Highway 19 (at the Km 60 marker).

The beach stretches as far as the eye can see, so once here, it feels like your own private escape from the world.

It’s another one of the best Todos Santos surfing beaches, especially for beginner surfers, and you’ll find surfing schools and equipment rentals nearby.

When you get hungry, check out the funky outdoor Amaya beach bar-and-restaurant. It’s open several days a week and often features live music at sunset.

El Pescadero is known for its yummy farm-to-table eateries, where dishes are a celebration of local fresh goodness. So there are fantastic restos to check out away from the beach too.

Hierbabuena has their own organic garden, where much of their produce is picked. You dine in a breezy indoor/outdoor space – fresh seafood, wood-fired pizzas, local organic chicken and vegetarian-friendly dishes.

Topped with a thatched roof, Siempre Viva is another great pick, nestled in beautiful flower and herb gardens. It has a huge wood-fired hearth, where their Argentinian chef grills steak and veggies to perfection.

And Agricole Cooperativa is the place to stock up on fresh baked bread, organic produce and other groceries. It also has an attached restaurant and bar.

Playa Las Palmas (Palm Beach) is a real gem nestled along the Pacific Ocean. Lined by swaying palm trees, it’s about a quarter of a mile long, sheltered by rocky outcrops at either end.

Getting to this slice of paradise can be a bit of an adventure, with a rugged unpaved access road that tests your driving skills. Just go slow and you’ll reach the parking area a few minutes’ walk from the beach.

The water is sometimes calm enough for swimming.

Where to stay near Playa Las Palmas

• Paradero Todos Santos – Get pampered with exclusive private experiences at this architecturally stunning boutique hotel. It’s just a couple of minutes’ walk from the beach.

If you take the sandy road off Highway 19 at Km 54, it forks as it gets close to the coast. Take the left fork for Playa Punta Lobos.

It’s named for the sea lions sometimes seen at the base of the large rocky point jutting out at the south end of the beach.

Due to rock formations, it’s protected from the surf and waves, making it one of the best Todos Santos swimming beaches.

You can safely swim from the stretch of beach between the rocks and the Hotel San Cristobal. (But we wouldn’t want to stretch our luck and swim further north of the hotel.)

Playa Punta Lobos is also the favorite local beach.

We enjoyed watching the fishermen expertly navigate the waves to land their motorized wooden boats on the beach, yanking their motors up just in time! They’d then use their trucks to tow the boats further up the beach away from the water.

It’s also fun to watch the pelicans swoop in for a share of the scraps as the fishermen clean their catch.

Fancy the freshest of seafood? You can buy some directly from the fishermen.

On weekends, the beach buzzes with local life and laughter. Locals gather for a day of fun and relaxation, sitting underneath beach tents, eating, drinking and enjoying music.

Where to stay at Playa Punta Lobos

• Hotel San Cristobal – This deluxe adults-only beachfront hotel features a fabulous teal blue infinity pool and an excellent Mediterranean-Mexican restaurant (Benno).

The same turn-off road at Km 54 that takes you to Playa Punta Lobos (#4) takes you to El Faro Beach. Just take the right fork at the end of the turn-off road (at the sign for El Faro Beach Club).

The picturesque beach lays out the welcome mat as the best beach in Todos Santos for beach clubbing – at the El Faro Beach Club & Spa.

Don’t think beach clubbing like the Cabo San Lucas beach clubs.

Think super mellow instead.

See the wave action up close when you reserve a beach cabana with a swinging day bed for two or beach lounge chairs. Or relax by the infinity pool under the shade of an umbrella.

The spa offers treatments using organic ingredients like herbs and honey, and you can get massages right on the beach.

And when hunger strikes, the restaurant serves up delicious seafood tacos and other seafood dishes.

Simply put, El Faro Beach Club is the perfect spot for a blissful beach day. We spent two afternoons here – and that still wasn’t enough.

Note: You should make reservations ahead of time to reserve a spot. There’s a fee for the day – about 500 MXN ($30 USD) p.p. to use the lounge chairs around the pool and 650 MXN ($38 USD) for use of the beach hammocks and chairs.

Of course, as all beaches in Mexico are public, you’re free to use the beach at no charge if you don’t want to use the beach club services.

Close to Todos Santos town, Playa La Poza (aka Playa Todos Santos) stands out for its unique 35-acre bird lagoon behind the beach. (Poza is Spanish for “pool” or lagoon.”)

This tranquil oasis, surrounded by tall reeds, is a paradise for birdwatchers. Here, the air is alive with birdsong and the buzzing of insects.

You never know what birds you might spy! Maybe snowy egrets, blue herons, swallows, spotted sandpipers…

Several years ago, when we stayed at the previous version of what is now the La Poza Boutique Hotel & Spa (see below), we loved walking around the salt- and fresh-water lagoon.

So we were delighted to see the lagoon still brimming with birdlife when we dropped by to have a peek at the new La Poza Boutique Hotel recently. (Of course, we just had to photograph the brown pelicans enjoying the lagoon and ocean views.)

7) Playa La Cachora

• Location: About 1½ miles from Todos Santos Town
• Ideal for: Walking, sunbathing and sunset watching

The closest beach to town is Playa La Cachora (Playa Cachora) – about 1½ miles away – and it’s an extension of Playa La Poza (#6 above).

You can walk to it from town, down a sandy access road (though it’s a hot dusty walk) – or drive to reach it.

Backed by sand dunes, Playa Cachora is a wide quiet beach that’s perfect for long walks, especially at sunset.

In winter, waves slam the beach – awesome to watch! But it’s not a swimming beach (except occasionally in summer when there are calm spells).

Playa Los Mangos (aka Playa Los Tunas) is located in the small bedroom community of Las Tunas, just north of town (but it’s still considered part of the Todos Santos area).

It’s also a bit of a sanctuary for sea turtles, thanks to the conservation group, Tortugueros Las Playitas.

Endangered Leatherback, Olive Ridley and Black sea turtles nest on the beaches of Todos. The conservation group relocates the turtle eggs laid on the beach to their safe incubation greenhouse until the eggs hatch.

When the tiny Pacific hatchlings break out of their shells – usually between late-November through February (sometimes through to April) – they’re gently released back to the sea.

You can participate in this touching endeavor, where you’ll help guide these vulnerable baby turtles as they crawl across the sand towards the ocean. The experience is free, but contributions are warmly welcomed.

Another one of the best beaches near Todos Santos town, Playa La Pastora (La Pastora Beach) is a long stretch of golden sand beach. In fact, it seems to stretch forever in both directions.

Occasionally, advanced surfers ride the waves here. We didn’t spot any wave riders – but we did see lots of whales spouting offshore!

You’ll want to reserve a table at The Green Room for lunch or sunset cocktails and appies.

Sit with your feet in the sand as you soak up the ocean vibes and beautiful scenery. The mezcalitos and shrimp tostados are delicious too!

That’s it for our Todos Santos beach guide!

The beaches near Todos Santos and close to the town run the gamut from the surf-ready waves at Los Cerritos to the secluded sands of Playa Las Palmas.

We’ve scrunched our toes in the sand, chased the sunsets and inhaled the salty scent of these untamed shores.

Now it’s your turn.

So grab your sunglasses and a hat – and let the unspoiled beaches of Todos Santos lure you into their magic!

If you want to explore more beaches in the area, head to Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo.

Photos: 8 to 13, 15 to 19, 21, 22 © Janice and George Mucalov, Cabo Visitor