TRAVELism Edition #5: Todos Santos, Baja Sur, Mexico

ism / ˈizəm / noun
a distinctive practice, system, or philosophy, typically a political ideology or an artistic movement.

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

— Robert Frost (The Road Not Taken)

Hotel San Cristobal: Confirmed — there’s real magic waiting at the end of the dirt road.

What makes it cool
🧿 Desert soul meets modern design. Vintage surfboards lean against whitewashed walls, playlists drift between cumbia and Crosby, and guests move slow — sunrise swims, mezcal at dusk, and starlit conversations by the fireplaces.

👙 Pool vibes
Sun-soaked serenity — turquoise pool, palms swaying, mezcal spritz in hand, and the Pacific glittering just beyond. Baja perfection framed in white and gold.

🍽️ Food & drink game: soulful simplicity
Benno = Baja’s bounty with Mediterranean rhythm — octopus, local greens, and plates kissed by the sea breeze. Do not pass up on the grilled oysters! 🌊

Cosecha = A garden-to-table, open-air restaurant where guests walk through herbs and harvests to family-style dishes, whole fish, and wood-fired meats inspired by Baja’s landscape. The molé with short rib is just perfection!

Pool Bar = Ceviche that is hand delivered daily by local fisherman, palomas, and golden-hour lounging that turns into “just one more.” 🍸

Breakfast (served at Benno) = Chilaquiles, fresh baked breads, and that perfect local coffee ritual. ☕ Pro tip: stay cozy in the Mexican robe stocked in your room.

🌅 Rooms with a view
Minimal, sun-bleached, and framed by the horizon — where desert meets ocean. Hammocks sway outside rooms with private balconies and mornings start with waves instead of alarms.

TL;DR: Come for the design, stay for the desert calm, mezcal sunsets, and barefoot magic that feels like nowhere else on Earth. ✨

Todos Santos’ food scene blends Baja’s raw beauty with global flair — farm-to-table gardens, beachfront seafood bars, mezcal-forward cocktails, and chefs turning local produce into art. Every meal feels like sunset in edible form.

🦪 Oystera
Oystera is Todos Santos’ seaside cool — raw bar meets art gallery. Think ice-cold mezcal martinis, Baja oysters shucked tableside, surf-town energy, and that salty, sun-drenched magic only Mexico nails.
📍 Calle Benito Juárez, at Ignacio Zaragoza & Santos E. Degollado, Centro, 23300 Todos Santos, B.C.S., Mexico

What to Order: Start with the half-dozen Baja oysters — cold, briny, and kissed by the Pacific. Served with cocktail sauce, mignonette, and a citrusy Baja-style ponzu that hits just right.

🌅 Benno
Benno is luxury done right — dinner overlooking the ocean, mezcal in hand, and waves crashing in the distance. Mediterranean-Mexican plates glow under lantern light, where desert meets sea in slow, golden magic.
📍 Carretera Federal No. 19 KM 54+800, Playa Punta Lobos, 23300 Todos Santos, Baja California Sur, Mexico

What to Order: Go for the pesca en mole verde — the local catch of the day draped in a silky, herb-and-pumpkin-seed green mole that tastes like the desert dreaming of the sea.

🥖Jazamango
Meet Baja farm-to-table perfection — open-air garden vibes, wood-fired everything, and chef Javier Plascencia turning local produce into pure desert magic.
📍 Calle Naranjos s/n (esquina Jardín), Fracc. Las Huertas, Todos Santos, B.C.S., 23300, Mexico

What to Order: Go for the roasted beet salad with goat cheese and honey vinaigrette, followed by the wood-fired octopus — smoky, tender, and kissed with Baja herbs. Pair it with a garden-fresh margarita infused with local basil.

☀️ Barracuda Cantina
Barracuda is the barefoot heartbeat of Todos Santos — toes in the sand, reggae humming, fish tacos sizzling, and icy margaritas flowing as the sun melts into the Pacific. Pure Baja bliss.
📍 Playa Los Cerritos

What to Order: Start with the grilled fish or shrimp tacos — smoky, citrusy, and straight off the plancha. Add a ceviche bowl for something bright, or tackle their legendary fried-fish burrito (bring a friend — it’s a beast). Best enjoyed barefoot with a cold Pacifico and the surf rolling in at Playa Los Cerritos.

🌇 Sky Lounge Bar – Guaycura Hotel
Todos Santos’ crown jewel rooftop. Think panoramic desert-meets-sea views, mezcal martinis, and that golden Baja glow painting the whole town in honeyed light.

🍹 Mis Amores Rooftop
Downtown’s chic escape — sushi rolls, craft cocktails, and 360° views that turn every sunset into an art show. Elevated, electric, unforgettable.

🌵 La Copa Bar – Todos Santos Boutique Hotel
Old-world charm with Baja soul — dark wood, soft jazz, candlelight, and cocktails that taste like history with a twist of lime.

🏝️ The Green Room
Barefoot luxury at its finest — waves crashing, ceviche sizzling, and the sun slipping into the Pacific like a slow-burn love story.

🐷 Agricole Tienda de Campo
Agricole is where Baja’s farm culture meets slow luxury. A sun-lit market filled with fresh-baked breads, local produce, and handcrafted goods — part grocery, part café, all heart. Sip espresso under palm shadows, grab organic greens and honey, and feel like you’ve stumbled into Todos Santos’ chic countryside secret.
📍 Carretera a Los Cabos KM 62, El Pescadero, B.C.S., 23310, Mexico

🍓 What to Order: Don’t leave without the strawberries with cream — plump local berries topped with silky, farm-fresh cream. Simple, decadent, and impossibly fresh — the kind of Baja sweetness that makes you linger a little longer at Agricole.

🤠 Horseback Riding Tour
Saddle up straight from Hotel San Cristóbal and ride through golden desert trails to the edge of the Pacific. Horses splash along the surf as the sun drops low — a cinematic blend of Baja wildness and serenity. It’s not just a ride, it’s Todos Santos in motion.

🍹 Mezcal Sessions
Sip your way through Baja’s smoky soul at Hotel San Cristóbal’s Spirit Sessions: Mezcal Tasting. Each pour tells a story — volcanic earth, agave hearts, and desert heat — paired with small, soulful bites from Benno’s kitchen. It’s a slow, golden-hour ritual where mezcal becomes memory, not just drink.

🏄🏻‍♀️ Surf Lessons
Mario’s Surf School is Baja’s wave dojo — friendly locals, perfect beginner breaks, salty smiles, and that pure Los Cerritos surf-town stoke you’ll never forget.

🎨 Gallery Hopping
Todos Santos’ downtown is home to several worthy galleries, but Galería de Todos Santos stands apart — vivid canvases, desert-inspired sculpture, and sunlit rooms pulsing with Baja color. More than a gallery, it’s a portal into the town’s creative soul.

🚲 High-Performance E-Bike Tour
Cruise fat-tire e-bikes right from Hotel San Cristóbal to explore sand to desert trails, wind in your hair and Pacific waves beside you. A Baja adventure, engineered for golden light and grit.

🏄‍♂️ Playa Los Cerritos
Todos Santos’ surf-town heartbeat — golden sand, rolling waves, fish tacos, and sunburnt smiles. Order a margarita; stay ‘til sunset.

🌊 Playa Punta Lobos
Desert cliffs meet deep blue Pacific. Fishermen, sea lions, and cinematic sunsets straight out of a Baja daydream.

🌅 Playa San Pedrito
Wild, raw, and less-discovered — where locals surf reef breaks and van-lifers chase waves. Salt, solitude, and pure Baja freedom.

Todos Santos is where desert meets the Pacific — an artist’s hideaway wrapped in golden light. Here, surfboards lean on vintage trucks, mezcal flows at sunset, and boutique hotels hum with soul. It’s Baja at its best: creative, laid-back, and quietly luxurious. Come for the waves, stay for the magic.

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