Where to Stay in Todos Santos

Mexico › Best Areas to Stay in Todos Santos
Updated: July 15, 2024

My Favorite Hotels
• Centro: Todos Santos Boutique
• Punta Lobos Beach: San Cristobal
• Cerritos Beach: Cerritos Surf Town
• Budget: Guaycura
• For families: Hacienda
• Couples: Todos Santos Boutique Hotel
• Beach: San Cristobal
• Unique: Paradero
• Sustainability: Desierto Azul

A covered market with a wooden walkway and God's eyes overhead.

The market in Todos Santos.

Best Areas to Stay in Todos Santos

Todos Santos is a coastal town on the Pacific side of Mexico’s Baja peninsula, a little over an hour’s drive from Los Cabos International Airport. The town is a quiet alternative to the busyness of Cabo San Lucas and is relatively small (pop 8,000), though there are several fine-dining restaurants, such as 1890, located in the wonderful Todos Santos Boutique Hotel.

The landscape is lush with cacti, palm trees, and papaya, mango, avocado, and passion fruit trees. Todos Santos was a thriving sugar cane town from the late 1800s until the 1950s. Many of the charming colonial-style buildings in the town center are from that era.

Three miles south of Todos Santos is Punta Lobos, which has a small sandy beach (not for swimming) and hiking trails along the hills.

The Todos Santos area has many beaches that you can drive to and walk the sand for miles. However, most beaches are not swimmable. Cerritos Beach is the exception and offers good swimming and surfing. Rent surf and boogie boards there.

Best Places to Stay in Todos Santos

A blue pool is surrounded by tan lounge chairs.

The pool at Todos Santos Boutique Hotel in centro.

Best Places in Todos Santos for…

  • Best Area for First-Timers: Centro
    A mustard-colored painted church.

    Iglesia Mision Todos Santos.

    The village square, Plaza Centro, is set around the town’s 300-year-old church, Iglesia Mision Todos Santos. Mexican arts and crafts, leather goods, silver jewelry, and clothing boutiques line the streets. Centro is walkable despite uneven sidewalks and roadways. For a place to stay in a great central location, try the charming and historic Guaycura Hotel, which has an espresso bar and rooftop restaurant.

    People sit at a rooftop restaurant with views of tree tops and the Pacific ocean.

    The rooftop restaurant at Guaycura.

  • Best Area for Families: Centro
    The town center is a good choice for exploring the town’s charming streets, colorful markets, and Mexican craft shops. A fun activity for kids of all ages is the turtle release at the local beach (Tortugueros Las Playitas), a 10-minute drive from the town center. A conservation group that operates the turtle release program protects sea turtle nests and helps hatchlings make their way to the ocean. Note: this is seasonal from early December through March.
  • Best Area for Couples: Punta Lobos
    An overhead view of a pool and people lounging around it.

    San Cristobal’s pool and the beach at Punta Lobos.

    Tucked away, Punta Lobos is romantic and provides a great spot for couples to relax. Enjoy long strolls along the quiet and serene beach. Hike the hill on the south end and pack a picnic for epic views over the Pacific Ocean. Hotel San Cristobal is a fantastic beach hotel with private patios and room service.
  • Best Area without a Car: Centro
    A dirt road with holes and a white SUV parked next to the paved sidewalk.

    An unpaved side street.

    Todos Santos is small enough to walk anywhere in the town center within 15 minutes or less. Most of the downtown has paved roads and sidewalks. However, some side streets are unpaved, so expect some dust and a few potholes—your white shoes may not stay white for long. There is no public transport or buses, and taxis are limited.
A long infinity pool sits next to the desert.

The pool at Paradero.

The 3 Best Areas to Stay in Todos Santos

1. Todos Santos – Centro

A colorful Todos Santos sign.

The magical Town Center has bright-colored buildings and wonderful shops. Stroll the streets to browse Mexican-tiled souvenirs, art galleries, and surf and handicraft shops. The village square, Plaza Centro, is set around the town’s 300-year-old church.

A man waits behind a long counter for guest to check in.

The beautiful open-air lobby at Todos Santos Boutique Hotel.

2. Punta Lobos

Birds and people surround fishing boats on a golden-sand beach.

Fishing boats at Punta Lobos and the hiking hills in the distance.

Three miles south of Todos Santos is a secluded and remote coastal area with a long stretch of sandy beach. The wide beach is an excellent spot to relax or for long walks. However, swimming here is not recommended as the currents are strong. At the south end, the locals launch their small fishing boats. You can hike the small hills above the fishing area for great Pacific Ocean views.

A wood planked cover blocks sun from a bar area.

The pool bar at San Cristobal.

A woman walks around an outdoor pool next to a beach.

The pool with views of the Pacific ocean at San Cristobal.

3. Cerritos Beach

Palm trees stand tall on the side of a long beach.

Cerritos Beach.

Ten miles south of Todos Santos (a 20-minute drive) is Cerritos Beach, also known as Playa Los Cerritos. This crescent moon-shaped beach with cliffs at the west end is popular with surfers, especially beginners. It is one of Mexico’s best surf breaks. It’s also one of the few swimmable beaches in the area with golden sand and a sandy bottom. Chairs and umbrellas are available to rent. Barracuda Cantina and Free Souls are a few of the many good restaurants here. Drinks and snacks are also available from vendors on the beach.

The sun shines through the slats of a stick roof over a bar.

The bar at Cerritos Surf Town.

A round hot tub sits on the edge of a pool.

The pool at Cerritos Surf Town.

8 Best Hotels in Todos Santos

1. Todos Santos Boutique – Centro

Hotel phone: +52 612 145 0040
A dark-wood hotel room has a orange southwest landscape mural and velvet drapes, red velvet headboard, and green velvet stools.
Elegant New boutique hotel in the town center. Marble-tiled floors and well-appointed guest rooms have a fully stocked mini-bar, Nespresso machine, and Smeg kettle. Luxe touches in the room include velvet drapes and a writing table. Bathrooms have dual sinks, granite counters, and classy wall tile. The hotel boasts a lovely pool and bar and offers double-sized sun loungers and large umbrellas. Their restaurant is upscale and intimate, with dark wood ceilings, half-moon booths, and a gourmet menu. La Copa Bar is their sophisticated cocktail bar with live music.

2. Desierto Azul – Northwest Todos Santos

Hotel phone: +52 612 233 2789
Two beds on a raised concrete platform sit in a hotel room with two woven basket lamps on each side.
Tranquil and simple design, this property offers a zen-like atmosphere with a solar-heated saltwater pool and a gluten-free and dairy-free bakery and coffeehouse. The four suites have rainfall showers, luxury bed sheets, and organic bath & beauty products. The room rate includes a homemade and healthy breakfast with cold-pressed juices and organic coffee. Cooking classes focusing on whole, unprocessed ingredients and nutrition workshops are offered in English and Spanish. It’s two miles north of Todos Santos (an 8-minute drive) and among adobe-styled custom homes. We recommend renting a car for this hotel.

3. San Cristobal – Punta Lobos

Hotel phone: +52 612 175 1530
A bed with a yellow bedspread sits in a hotel room. Secluded beachfront two-story hotel with a beautiful pool and bar, two hot tubs, and ocean views. The 32 guest rooms are bright and sunny with sparkling golden tiled bathrooms, ambient lighting, and natural wood furnishings. Luxe touches include coco-mat mattresses, tailor-made bed linens, Mexican bathrobes, and patio shutters that provide shade and privacy. Benno’s is open for breakfast and dinner, and Cosecha is open for lunch. The hotel is nestled on a wide gold-sand beach and offers private cabanas on Punta Lobos Beach—the perfect spot to watch the sun as it sets over the Pacific Ocean. Adult-only, 15+ years.

4. Hacienda – Centro

Hotel phone: +52 612 145 0547
A blue and green tiled shower with windows to the outside.
In a secluded and quiet corner of town, set among tall palm trees and lush gardens, lies this traditional hacienda-style hotel offering spacious villas and suites with canopied beds and tiled large bathrooms. Suites have a comfortable seating area, cable TV, and a terrace or balcony; some offer a full kitchen. The hotel’s rustic stone pool, surrounded by tall palms, is the oldest swimming pool in town, built in the 1950s. There is no restaurant. However, there are numerous options within a 5-minute walk, including a popular taco stand.

5. Paradero – South of Todos Santos

Hotel phone: +52 557 005 5094
A tan room with a bed.
Unique and unconventional adults-only hotel in a natural landscape. Concrete cylos contain guest suites with a minimalist design. There are desert views of giant cacti, plants, and mountains in every direction. Each suite has a separate bedroom area from the bathroom, and an outdoor patio connects the two rooms. Their open-aired restaurant and bar features an upscale menu. The outdoor Lounge has a variety of seating with bar stools, floor-level cushions and pillows, and a large communal table where guests can order from the restaurant or cocktail menu. Surrounded by desert, the long, narrow infinity pool has poufs and ground-level mattresses for relaxation. There’s an onsite spa, and some excursions are included in the room rate, such as biking or hiking. Surfing, cooking, fitness, meditation, and yoga classes are available for an extra fee.

6. Guaycura – Centro

Hotel phone: +52 612 175 0800
A hotel room with a pink embroidered pillow and throw blanket.On a busy corner in the town center, this 19th-century red-bricked hotel offers spacious traditional rooms with old-style high ceilings and terracotta floor tiles. There’s a coffee shop (espresso only) and a rooftop restaurant with a small pool that offers great sunset views. It has an excellent central location and is steps to boutique shopping, restaurants, and cafes. Affiliated with the hotel is El Faro Beach Club (open to the public), located a 10-minute drive from the hotel featuring an infinity pool, pool bar, and seafood restaurant. Traffic noise at the hotel may be an issue for some.

7. Cerritos Surf Town – Cerritas Beach

Hotel phone: +52 624 160 0881
The balcony of the hotel room.
Casual beachfront property, steps to incredible surfing and swimming, offering studios to two-bedroom villas. For fantastic views, opt for the ocean view suites to watch the surfers and sunsets from your room or patio. The pool has a swim-up bar and two hot tubs close to the sand and surf. The open-aired beachside restaurant almost touches the sand. Cerritos Beach is a 15-minute drive from Todos Santos. We recommend renting a car as only a few restaurants and bars are within walking distance of the hotel.

8. Quinta Santa Rosa – Centro

Hotel phone: +52 612 213 2743
A large hotel room with two bed and a sofa.
Budget hotel located on the periphery of the town’s tourist area. The guest rooms are satisfactory, with only basic amenities. Rooms surround a central pool, lounge area, and pool bar. There’s no restaurant, but several eateries and rustic bars are within a ten-minute walk. The hotel is on a dusty and bumpy dirt road.