How do you travel?

Are you the fly by the seat of your pants type, or is every detail set in stone before takeoff? I tend to be somewhere in the middle. I love having a plan, especially when heading to a far off place, buttt there’s also something magical about leaving space to wander. Once a destination is set, I like to sink my teeth in and get researching, reading blogs and hitting up IG locations to peep must see spots.

When it came time to plan our last hoorah before baby, we knew we wanted somewhere tropical, preferably that neither of us had visited before. Todos Santos had been on my radar for ages, ever since spotting the to die for Hotel San Cristobal online. After a bit of research I realized this magical little town, about an hour and a half north of Cabo, was chalk fun of everything we were looking for and more. We found some killer airline tickets through google flights and started diving into the fun stuff (for me at least ; )

STAY

While covid restrictions had loosened in California, we knew that we wanted a private space to call home for our weeklong stay. We searched a number of cute hotels, but landed on the perfect airbnb off the beaten path. I’d highly recommend renting an SUV or Jeep for the duration of your stay, it will make your life much more enjoyable : ) The Villas were a short 10 minute drive from town, and provided the most relaxing home base for our stay, not to mention the staff was available at the drop of a hat to answer any questions we had.

Villas La Mar: I spotted this dreamy spot on the No Man Before blog, which was loaded with hot spot+tips for our upcoming trip. I couldn’t believe how affordable the space was, complete with ocean views and a small kitchenette for our day to day needs. We soon realized “off the beaten path” in Todos Santos means something a bit different then back home. Nearly every restaurant and spot we visited took us on an unpaved dirt road, but honestly it made for quite the adventure. 

Paradero: If you’re looking to splurge, this is the place to do it. Paradero is a newly opened compound, focused on experiences. The hotel will cater to your every desire, whether a surf session on a local beach or a garden tour at the hotel’s private nursery. The experiences don’t come cheap, but we’ve all earned a few extras after the year we’ve had, right?!

Image via paraderohotels.com

El Perdido: Another experiential hotel, El Perdido is where I’d like to lie my head on my next visit to Todos Santos. The grounds are impeccable, the staff friendly as all getup and the seven rooms spaced with privacy in mind. Each room comes equipped with everything you need for a relaxing vacation, and not without transportation to boot. Each reservation includes an ATV to get you to and from town, now that’s service!

image via @elperdido.com

EAT

The dining options in Todos Santos are plentiful. Honestly we were shocked at how many amazing restaurants we had to choose from on the daily. Below are a few of our favorites, but exploring the town center, and the local town of Pescadero are highly recommended

*Breakfast 

Las Tunas Coffee Shop: We soon found out that a fair amount of the small coffee shops we had scouted before arriving, double as airbnbs. Many had small casitas on the property providing delicious coffee and yummy treats. This one was nestled in a small garden setting and was the perfect way to start our day.

Palmer Pescadero: This spot was in neighboring Pescadero, about a 15 drive from our Villa in Todos Santos. The food was so scrumptious and the staff could not have been nicer. Similar to Las Tunas, there is a small airbnb on the property, and the cafe is just a short walk from the beach. Don’t miss this spot!

Image via @palmarpescadero

Taller 17: The only coffee and pastry spot you need exists at Taller 17. We each grabbed an iced coffee and a duo of pastries and were in hog heaven! The pastries were fresh, the coffee was strong and the setting was nestled into the cute downtown area, perfection : )

Taller 17 Treats

*Lunch

Santoro: We stumbled upon Santoro while walking around town on our first afternoon in Todos Santos and loved it so back we ended up coming back 2 days later. The staff was so personable and the second we tasted the fresh guacamole we were SOLD. The fish tacos were the best we had on our trip, with the perfect tangy coleslaw and all the fixins’ 

Oystera: This newly opened oyster bar is nothing short of spectacular. The grandiose high ceilings, regal decor and lucious plant life all combine to create quite the sensory experience. Stop by for a quick bite, high class cocktails or a dozen oysters!

Entryway at Oystera

*Dinner

Coyote: Dinner at Coyote at the uber chic El Perdido was our first of the trip, and it set the bar REAL high. The service, food and ambience were all out of this world, and I wish we would have ventured back again (but there’s that vacation guilt that you need to try new things, ya know?!)

Benno: The restaurant at Hotel San Cristobal was a must stop on our list, really if only to check out the stunning hotel grounds. Make sure you book a table outside to take in the views of the pool and the ocean. The hotel is nestled into the perfect little cove and watching the sunset here was dining hanger steak and on (virgin) cocktails was a highlight for sure.

Churros galore at Benno

Paradero: Our meal at the newly opened Paradero was experiential, to say the least. The grounds are uber modern and stoic, reminiscent of Donald Judd’s Chinati in Marfa, with an industrial kitchen plopped right in the middle. No different than any of the other restaurants we visited, a long dirt road takes you to this magical oasis. You won’t find chips and guac on the menu here, but you’ll be in for a treat if you’re up for the outside the box experience.

Dinner at Paradero 

PLAY

There is so much to see and do in Todos Santos and the surrounding area, but below are a few of our favorite spots to check out while you’re in town

*Balandra and Tecolote Beach: During our visit certain locations were still running at 50% capacity. Balandra Beach, the not to be missed white sand+turquoise water destination about an hour and a half north of Todos Santos happened to be one of those places. Only 200 people a day were allowed on the beach, and we were told spots filled up by 8am. We opted for the neighboring beach, Tecolote. In our opinion it was every bit as beautiful, not crowded, and had some food options when hunger crept in : )

Sweet mangos, sweeter views at Tecolote Beach

*Rancho Corazon: While our villa had a beautiful serene pool, we were looking for something with a restaraunt and bar built in. Enter the magical Rancho Corazon. This soon to be wedding venue houses the gorgeous DUM restaurant and views for daysss (plus if you’re lucky they’ll have some baby goats to pet in the neighboring playpen)

Pool at Rancho Corazon

*Explore Downtown: Downtown Todos Santos is full of cute shops selling local goods. Grab a handmade market tote or woven blanket to bring home as the perfect souvenir. Even if you don’t find any must haves, it’s a great way to pass the afternoon

image via nomanbefore.com