Introduction to Todos Santos

68km (42 miles) N of Cabo San Lucas; 74km (46 miles) SW of La Paz; 1,200km (745 miles) SE of Tijuana.

Todos Santos is not only a cultural oasis in Baja, it's an oasis in the true sense of the word -- in this desert landscape, Todos Santos enjoys an almost continuous water supply from the peaks of the Sierra de la Laguna mountains. It's just over an hour's drive up the Pacific coast from Cabo San Lucas and an hour southwest across the desert from La Paz; you'll know you've arrived when the arid coastal scenery suddenly gives way to verdant groves of palms, mangos, avocados, and papayas. From superb meals at Café Santa Fe to an afternoon browsing at El Tecolote Libros, Todos Santos is intriguing to its core. In fact, the Mexican government dubbed it a "Pueblo Mágico" (Magical Village) in 2006, bringing official recognition, not to mention various infrastructure updates, to the town.

During the Mission Period of Baja, this oasis valley was deemed the only area south and west of La Paz worth settling -- it had the only reliable water supply. In 1723, an outpost mission was established, followed by the full-fledged Misión Santa Rosa de Las Palmas in 1733. At the time, the town was known as Santa Rosa de Todos Santos; eventually shortened to its current name, it translates as "All Saints."

Over the next 200 years, the town alternated between prosperity and difficulty. Its most recent boom lasted from the mid-19th century until the 1950s, when the town flourished as a sugar-cane production center and began to develop a strong cultural core. The local history museum, La Casa de La Cultura (no phone), on Av. Juárez, charts much of the history of Todos Santos and exhibits artwork from local artists, past and present. Many of the buildings now being restored and converted into galleries, studios, shops, and restaurants were built during this era. It wasn't until the 1980s that a paved road connected Todos Santos with La Paz, and tourism began to draw new attention to this tranquil town.

The demand for the town's older colonial-style structures by artists, entrepreneurs, and foreign residents has resulted in a real-estate boom, and new shops, galleries, and cafes crop up continuously. The coastal strip south of Todos Santos, which once was the exclusive hideaway of impassioned surfers, has plans for development; so visit soon, before this perfect stretch of beach and desert changes.