BAJA CALIFORNIA SUR
I recently took a trip to the tip of Baja California (called “lower California” but it’s actually Mexico) for my 30th birthday, and was surprisingly blown away by its splendor. I’ve never had much of a desire to go to the Cabo area of Mexico because I always just assumed it was a town for college spring breakers, retired all-inclusive resort-goers, and the type of Americans that I generally try to distance myself from on vacation and in my everyday life. Not judgemental or anything, right? WRONG. I mean, sure, you’re going to get those groups of people at pretty much any major tourist destination in Mexico due to its proximity to the sates but Baja California had SO much more to offer than just crappy beach bars and drunk tourists. I actually feel really ignorant and limited in my views for making those assumptions to begin with but hey, that’s the beauty of traveling! You get to experience places beyond the stigmas and stereotypes if you allow yourself to be open to it.
Playa Balandra
Seeing as how I no longer drink and am not into chain resorts, I was looking for an experience that was a bit off the beaten path. I’m the type of traveler that likes to pack my itinerary with sight-seeing and adventure. Therefore, just staying in Cabo for 6 days wasn’t an option. We rented a car so that we could have the freedom to come and go as we pleased and have room for spontaneity if there was a place we wanted to check out that wasn’t originally planned for. This worked out GREAT! I was a bit skeptical at first about driving in Mexico, but it didn’t feel sketchy at all. A little common sense goes a long way so if this is how you like to get down, I would highly recommend having your own set of wheels so you’re not at the mercy of hotel transportation or expensive taxis.
My 5 Day Itinerary:
Day 1:
Todos Santos
“All good things are found at the end of a dirt road.”
We got on a 7am flight from LA to Los Cabos and got there around 10:30am so that we could take full advantage of the day. After arriving, we got our rental car at the airport and headed straight for Todos Santos which was about an hour away. I had been dying to visit Todos Santos for a few years now - mostly because I fell in love with this beautiful boutique hotel that I had seen pictures of called Hotel San Cristobal. Every time I would try to book a room there it was completely full or only the most expensive room would be available! So I felt very lucky to snag a spot for my birthday week. It looks like they’ve had a lot more availability since the pandemic hit due less people traveling. The hotel was everything I had hoped it would be and more! It was so cute, so chic, and so effortlessly cool. When we got there, we were delightfully upgraded to an ocean view room and let me tell you it was a feast as far as the eyes could see. I didn’t even want to leave the room! I could have just died a happy woman in my balcony hammock.
View of the pool and ocean when you walk onto the property.
Once we had settled in, we made our way to the pool so that we could enjoy the warm Mexico sun and order some food. We went a bit overboard with the food ordering, as we tend to do, and got shrimp tacos, ceviche, chips & guacamole with steak chicharrones, AND oysters. My eyes were definitely bigger than my stomach but everything was so fresh and delicious! After spending some time lounging by the pool and checking out the hotel, we got ready to head over to Tortugueros Las Playitas so we could watch sea turtle hatchlings being released to the ocean. I happened to stumble upon this place as I was researching things to do in Todos Santos. They are a non-profit organization whose mission is to “protect, conserve and replenish the fragile marine eco-systems of Baja California Sur, Mexico.” They do this by helping to restore the endangered population of Pacific Leatherback sea turtles. After collecting eggs that are laid in the colder months of the year, they place them in an incubation greenhouse so that the turtles have the best chances of survival. Once they have hatched, they release them to the ocean. Hatchling releases happen everyday at sunset in December and January and then slowly taper off from February to April. They are free to watch as the nonprofit works solely based off of donations! Watching the newly hatched turtles instinctively make their way to the water was one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen. As if that wasn’t amazing enough, 2 humpback whales made an appearance just as the sun was going down. Apparently, January is the start to their mating season and annual migration to Cabo San Lucas!
Day 2:
La Paz &
Todos Santos
We woke up early so that we could make the drive over to Balandra Beach which was about 1.5 hours northeast of Todos Santos. The plan was to get there early enough to enjoy the beach and then head to Playa Pichilingue by 11am for a tour to Isla Espiritu Santoso so that we could go snorkeling and swim with sea lions! Unfortunately, the weather had other plans for us that day. It was too windy to take the boat to the little island so we decided to just hang around at Balandra a little longer which actually ended up working out perfectly because there was more to see than we had anticipated. When we pulled up to the beach, the entrance was blocked off by cones and there were a few people sitting there making people leave. We were super bummed out but decided to turn around and see if it was something that a few pesos couldn’t fix. Our inclination was right. A few pesos always seems to go a long way in Mexico ;) I had seen pictures of this beach online but couldn’t believe that the water was really that turquoise and clear until I saw it for myself! There were a bunch of little palm thatch umbrellas lining the beach that were almost all already taken by 10am so if you want to get one I guess you need to get there even earlier. What’s nice about this beach is that the water is really calm and shallow which makes it ideal for swimming, kayaking, or paddle boarding unlike most of the beaches in Todos Santos and Cabo which are unfit for swimming. Once you’re there, it feels pretty secluded since it’s a natural protected area with no restaurants or shops around. We didn’t stay for the entire day, but if we had we would’ve definitely packed some food & drinks to bring.
After spending a couple of hours at Balandra Beach, we decided to make our way back to Todos Santos. This time we took the scenic route through La Paz so that we could see the waterfront and do a little people watching. The historic city was beautiful and we would love to spend a little more time there if we return in the future. Instead, we continued on so that we could grab lunch at Hierbabuena (which means “spearmint” in Spanish) - a delicious little farm to table restaurant in El Pescadero near Todos Santos. This restaurant was super charming and had a lot of great food options for meat eaters and vegetarians/vegans alike.
That evening, we took a gorgeous sunset hike to an old sugar port in Todos Santos. The trail starts right next to some ruins by the Hotel San Cristobal parking lot. The trailhead was not marked but it was pretty easy to find and the trail itself was well maintained. In total, it’s only 4.3 miles roundtrip and moderate in difficulty. There are several different ways you can take to either get down to the port itself or to a lookout point with a view of the bay. We decided to go up to the viewpoint because we were told that there were sea lions down below that we could see but when we got there, we could only hear them. The view was so incredible that it didn’t even matter though. It took about 40 minutes to get to the top so we timed it out perfectly to watch the sunset when the colors of the sky and water become more and more brilliant with every passing minute. If you’re in Todos Santos and into hiking, nature, or just beautiful things in general - I would not skip out on this. There were also no other people on the trail when we went so we literally had the whole place to ourselves!
The view from the top of the hike
Day 3:
todos santos &
san jose del cabo
On our last day in Todos Santos, we spent a relaxing morning by the beach just taking in the sound of the birds and fisherman as we had our chilaquiles and cafecito. One of the things I loved most about our hotel was that it was the only one on that stretch of the beach so it really felt like we were in a remote spot. We enjoyed watching the pelicans trying to steal fish and hearing the waves crashing on the golden sand. To say it was hard to leave is a bit of an understatement, but we were ready to continue exploring. It’s never been easy for me to sit in one place for too long.
Todos Santos Town
Before driving back to Cabo where we would spend the rest of the trip, we made a pit stop in the main part of Todos Santos. It’s a cute and colorful little town with cobblestone streets lined with art galleries, cafés, souvenir shops, and restaurants. The town of “All Saints” is an unassuming mix of locals, surfers, artists, fishers, and a few tourists looking for something beyond just a party scene. Its quiet charm draws you in and makes you feel like you’ve stumbled upon a gem that hasn’t yet been fully explored (or exploited). The area is so enchanting that in 2006, the Mexican government designated Todos Santos a Pueblo Mágico—one of just 100 or so small towns honored for its natural beauty, cultural riches, or historical relevance.
By early afternoon we had made it back to Cabo…San Jose del Cabo to be exact. Most people probably think of Cabo San Lucas when they think of Cabo, totally overlooking its much more chill (& arguably cooler) next door neighbor San Jose. San Jose has gained more popularity in recent years with the development of some high end resorts and fantastic restaurants. I opted to stay at Hotel El Ganzo which is a boutique hotel on the Marina, instead of one of the beachfront resort properties. “How come?” you might ask. And the reason is simply that it has a really fun, artsy vibe that you really can’t find anywhere else in the area, it’s close to some amazing restaurants, and it didn’t break the bank. The glass jacuzzi over the infinity pool overlooking the water didn’t hurt either! The hotel is full of custom artwork throughout the building and even has a recording studio that’s hidden underground by a trap door near the lobby.
That evening, we went to Flora Farms for dinner which was just about 10 minutes away and it was the best meal of the entire trip. A friend had recommended to go there at sunset (shoutout to Gina - hit her up if you need a real estate agent in LA that has good taste!) and I could not have been more pleased with the experience. Flora Farms is a 25 acre organic farm with a restaurant, bar, shops, cottages, and even a spa! I would strongly recommend to make a reservation in advance and to get there a bit early so that you can have time to walk around the property and soak in all that the grounds have to offer. It is seriously such a beautiful and romantic place! It reminded me of Tuscany but with a Mexican desert flare. Ironically, the food was not Mexican but it was so damn good. Their menu is seasonal and they use organic ingredients that are grown on the farm. I’m still dreaming of this place and this meal!
Day 4:
Cabo San Lucas &
San Jose Del Cabo
For my actual birthday, we decided to check out Medano Beach in Cabo San Lucas. This is is the main beach there where you can swim, take boat tours, jet ski, party, get a message, etc. Basically, you name it and they’ve got it! We started off the day by taking a glass bottom boat to the famous Cabo arch that you see in all the pictures known as “Land’s End.” After seeing the arch, a colorful school of fish, and some lazy sea lions, we got dropped off at “Lover’s Beach” which is basically just a little island with a sandy beach that’s about a 5-10 minute boat ride from Medano Beach. We spent an hour there before getting picked up to go back to Medano to have lunch. There’s no need to worry about having plans or activities lined up in advance of getting there since there are so many tour operators you can choose to do activities with at pretty much any hour of the day. There are also plenty of resorts, bars, & restaurants lining the beach so there’s no shortage of options when it comes to eating or drinking either. I would imagine that there’s typically a pretty big party scene there too, but due to the pandemic there was not as much of that going on (& for good reason, obviously).
Not sure if jet skiing on a full stomach was the best idea, but this was definitely most fun part of the day. I’ve always had to share a jet ski with someone else so I was really excited to have my own this time! We rented them from Bonito Tours for 30 minutes but the time went by so fast, I had wished we got them for an hour.
As if spending a whole day on the beach wasn’t wonderful enough, my birthday ended with an amazing meal at Acre. In terms of the overall vibe, this was my favorite place that we visited. As soon as we arrived, we were greeted by a peacock perched up on light post. We walked through a jungle-like entryway surrounded by palm trees and tropical greenery until we reached the lit-up front steps of Acre with the bass from the DJ’s speakers lightly thumping. The restaurant is gorgeously designed with its contemporary architecture and flare for the wild. I felt like I had been transported back to somewhere in Tulum or Bali. The food was perfect and the service was on point. It was truly the best place to celebrate and I can’t rave enough about how much I loved it there. Aside from just the restaurant, Acre also has a treehouse hotel that I would be interested in checking out next time I come to Baja (although from what I hear, they don’t have air conditioning).
Day 5:
San Jose Del Cabo
The last day of a trip is always bittersweet. I try to stay present and enjoy the moment while I’m still there, but I’m also hyper-aware that this vacation is quickly coming to an end. The best way to fight off the Sunday scaries is to keep seeing and doing new things so we decided to check out what our hotel’s beach cub had to offer. In order to get to the Beach Club at El Ganzo, you have to take a little ferry which is provided for free by the hotel, over to a strip of land on the other side of the marina where they have a full-service restaurant with cabanas and a beach you can swim at. We had what was possibly the best ceviche of my life and spent most of the day just lounging in the sun.
The sunsets in Mexico are pretty epic so I wanted to make sure that I was situated in the best place possible to see it on our last night in paradise. The receptionist at our hotel recommended that we go to Zadún, the Ritz Carlton hotel up the street, to grab a drink or a bite to eat and watch the sunset. I wasn’t really sure what to expect, but as soon as we stepped out of the valet I was immediately dazzled. Zadún was really a paradise within paradise. Starting at around $1000 a night, it should be. We had some drinks and tapas and listened to the live band as the sun sank lower and lower into the sky. I couldn’t think of a better way to end this trip if I had tried.
A NOte about
Traveling during
the pandemic…
Masks were required everywhere we went, just like the U.S.
It’s not lost on me that writing a post about traveling during a time when most people can’t or shouldn’t, can come off as being insensitive or irresponsible. That is not my intention. The purpose of this post is by no means to encourage people to travel right now, but rather to provide some inspiration for when you decide that the time is right for you. I will say that my trip felt very safe and that there were several measures that Nick and I took in order to travel as responsibly as possible. We took PCR tests both before and after our trip, wore masks everywhere we went (except for when swimming or taking pictures, obviously), washed our hands religiously, kept distance between ourselves & others, and self-quarantined for 10 days once we arrived back home. Mexico’s covid cases are nowhere near as bad as ours and I’m grateful to have been able to contribute to their economy which heavily relies on tourism.
* As of January 26th, the CDC requires a negative Covid test within 72 hours of returning to the US from another country. For more information, please visit: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/testing-international-air-travelers.html