First visit? Stay in Centro Histórico.
For a first visit, this is the only base that makes Todos Santos work without constant logistics: the mission/plaza area, galleries, restaurants, bars and boutique hotels are on foot. It is not beachside, but the town—not a resort beach—is the point of a first Todos Santos stay; use taxis, a rental car or arranged rides for the coast.
luxury →
Choose La Poza for a secluded, retreat-style coastal stay, especially for couples and wellness-minded travelers who value privacy over popping out to dinner. It is more deliberately removed than Centro Histórico and requires a car, taxi or property transfer for town.
value →
This is the sensible compromise for lower-key, often better-value lodging near town: it is less polished than Centro Histórico but can still be walkable from the nearer blocks. Confirm the exact location; a nominally “near-town” property can mean a hot, dim walk after dark.
family →
Las Tunas suits families wanting space, villas and a quiet, property-based beach holiday rather than a compact town hotel. Bring or rent a car: meals, groceries and nearly every outing involve driving, and the Pacific is not reliably a calm swimming beach.
nightlife →
Nightlife here means small-town drinks and dinner rather than clubs, but Centro Histórico is unequivocally the best choice for walking home after an evening out. Cerritos has a livelier beach social scene, but it is dispersed and a drive from Todos Santos proper.
quiet →
Pick La Poza over Las Tunas if you want the most retreat-like quiet while remaining somewhat closer to Todos Santos. Its downside is precisely that serenity: there is little spontaneous evening life and supplies or meals take planning.
rail-day-trips →
There are no rail day trips from Todos Santos and no useful urban rail network. Centro Histórico is nevertheless the least inconvenient base for road-based day trips because it is easiest to arrange taxis, tours and provisions from; rent a car if day-tripping is central to the itinerary.
return-visitor →
For a repeat visit, La Cachora is the best balance of near-town access and a quieter Pacific-side stay. Choose it over Centro Histórico when beach proximity matters more than walking to dinner, but do not assume the beach offers calm or consistently safe swimming.
Avoid sleeping near El Otro Lado, especially properties directly on or requiring crossings of Highway 19: It can be good value for drivers, but visitors without a car often regret treating it as a walkable extension of Centro. Highway 19 brings traffic noise, unpleasant pedestrian crossings and a real divide from the restaurants and galleries they came to use.
Avoid sleeping near The most remote stretches of Las Tunas and El Pescadero: Do not book merely because a listing says “Todos Santos” or “near the beach.” Addresses are spread across rural roads, sometimes unpaved, and a stay can be far from both the beach and town dining. These areas reward self-sufficient drivers, not short-stay, car-free visitors.
Avoid sleeping near Playa Los Cerritos if your priority is Todos Santos town or deep quiet: Cerritos is a valid surf-beach base, not a convenient town base. In busier periods its beach-business cluster can be noisier than expected, while every gallery crawl or town dinner requires a road transfer and a plan for getting back.
The neighborhoods
Pick the areas you want to be around — the hotels and tables below narrow to them.
Stay here Fine base Visit, don't sleep
Centro HistóricoFirst-timer default
Colonial core, galleries, restaurants, walkability
The compact old town around the mission, plaza and art galleries is the practical heart of Todos Santos. It is where the town’s restored buildings, boutique hotels, restaurants and most evening activity are concentrated; Hotel Todos Santos Inn is here. It feels genuinely small rather than urban, but its prettiest blocks are also the most visitor-facing.
Vs. others: Pick Centro Histórico over La Cachora if you want to walk to dinner, galleries and drinks; pick La Cachora if beach access and a quieter night matter more than being able to stroll home from town.
There is no metro or useful urban rail network. Centro is the one area where the essentials are readily walkable; beaches, El Pescadero and Cerritos require a car, taxi or arranged ride.
Best for: first-timers, foodies, walkability, boutique-hotel travelers, nightlife
The central dining and shopping scene is the most tourist-oriented in town, so quality and value vary. · Road noise and evening activity can reach rooms on the busier central streets. · It is not on the beach; reaching the Pacific is a drive rather than a casual walk.
See hotels in Centro HistóricoNorth Centro and San SebastiánExcellent base
Residential edge, close but less polished
Just north of the historic core, this is the useful in-between: local homes and small lodging mixed with streets that still lead into central Todos Santos on foot. It is less curated than the center, without becoming remote. Choose it for a more lived-in feel and a little breathing room, not for a separate set of sights.
Vs. others: Pick North Centro and San Sebastián over Centro Histórico if you want a quieter, more residential base within reach of town; pick Centro Histórico if you want the most restaurants and galleries immediately outside your door.
A walk into the center is feasible from the nearer blocks, though streets are not designed as a polished pedestrian district. A car or taxi is still the realistic way to beaches and to destinations beyond town.
Best for: value, return-visitors, quiet, travelers with a car
The appeal is convenience rather than major attractions. · Walking after dark is less animated than in the center, with dimmer, quieter streets. · Distance to the plaza varies substantially by property, so 'near town' can still mean a hot walk.
See hotels in North Centro and San SebastiánEl Otro LadoAcceptable base
East-side local texture and space
El Otro Lado—the area on the inland side of Highway 19—is a looser, more residential side of Todos Santos. It can offer space, rentals and a less boutique-saturated atmosphere than the old town, but it is not a visitor district with a continuous restaurant-and-gallery stroll.
Vs. others: Pick El Otro Lado over Centro Histórico if space and a more residential setting outweigh being steps from restaurants; pick Centro Histórico if this is your first visit or you do not want to cross Highway 19 for town.
Highway 19 is the main orientation point, not a pedestrian boulevard. There is no local rail or metro; driving or taxis are the practical connection to the center, coast and airport routes.
Best for: value, return-visitors, travelers with a car, longer stays
Highway traffic is a real barrier and noise source for some properties. · Walkability depends heavily on the exact address and crossings are not the appeal. · It lacks the easy evening atmosphere of the historic core.
See hotels in El Otro LadoLa CachoraExcellent base
Near-town beach, low-key coastal stays
La Cachora is the coastal side closest to town, associated with Playa La Cachora and a scattered collection of houses and small stays. It is a better compromise than the farther beach zones for travelers who want Pacific proximity without entirely giving up Todos Santos restaurants and galleries.
Vs. others: Pick La Cachora over Las Tunas if you want to remain relatively close to central Todos Santos; pick Las Tunas if you prioritize a more secluded coastal stay and do not mind a longer drive for dinner.
It is not a walkable extension of the historic center for most visitors, especially in heat or after dark. A car, taxi or hotel-arranged transfer is the realistic link to town; there are no urban transit lines.
Best for: quiet, couples, beach lovers, return-visitors, travelers with a car
Pacific surf and conditions can make beach swimming unsuitable; do not book assuming a calm resort beach. · Services are scattered, so errands and dinners usually mean driving. · Coastal roads and access can be rougher and less illuminated than in town.
See hotels in La CachoraLa PozaExcellent base
Beach-and-lagoon edge, deliberately secluded
La Poza is a more secluded coastal pocket south-west of town, known for its beach-and-lagoon setting rather than a built-up village center. It suits travelers who want a design-forward or private retreat feel and accept that Todos Santos itself is an outing, not their evening doorstep.
Vs. others: Pick La Poza over La Cachora if seclusion and a retreat atmosphere matter more than quick access to town; pick La Cachora if you want the easier compromise between beach time and Todos Santos dining.
No urban public transit serves this as a practical visitor option. Plan on a rental car, taxi or property transfer for town, and do not count on walking between coastal hotels and restaurants.
Best for: quiet, luxury, couples, wellness-minded travelers, return-visitors
The isolation is real: meals, supplies and evening plans require advance thought or a ride. · Beach conditions are not automatically safe for swimming. · It can feel overly removed for a short first visit focused on town.
See hotels in La PozaLas TunasExcellent base
Sprawling coast, villas and surf-minded quiet
Las Tunas is the low-density coastal area south of town, favored for villas, boutique lodging and a more private Baja rhythm. It is not a compact neighborhood: addresses can be spread out on dusty roads, and the experience is largely property-based rather than a walkable village stay.
Vs. others: Pick Las Tunas over El Pescadero if you want a quieter, more private base tied to Todos Santos; pick El Pescadero if you want a more casual surf-and-farm corridor and easier access toward Cerritos.
A car is close to essential. There is no local rail, metro or walkable commercial center connecting stays; central Todos Santos, beaches and restaurants are reached by road.
Best for: luxury, quiet, families, surfers, longer stays
Its scattered layout makes every coffee, dinner and grocery run a drive. · Some access roads are unpaved or uneven. · The ocean can be dramatic rather than reliably swimmable, and wind can be a factor.
See hotels in Las TunasEl PescaderoAcceptable base
Rural surf corridor south of town
El Pescadero is the agricultural-and-coastal corridor between Todos Santos and Cerritos, with farm-oriented stays, surf breaks and a more dispersed, casual atmosphere than town. It is a legitimate alternative base, but it is not part of the historic center and should not be booked by travelers expecting to walk to the plaza.
Vs. others: Pick El Pescadero over Centro Histórico if beach and surf time outrank walking to restaurants and galleries; pick Centro Histórico if Todos Santos town itself is the point of the trip.
Highway 19 connects the corridor with Todos Santos and Cabo San Lucas, but it is not a substitute for an urban transit system. A rental car or arranged rides are the sensible plan, and properties are too spread out to treat the area as walkable.
Best for: surfers, families, quiet, return-visitors, travelers with a car
The rural spread means a stay can be far from both town and the beach it advertises. · Highway proximity can bring traffic noise and makes walking unattractive. · Restaurant and grocery choice is thinner than in Todos Santos proper.
See hotels in El PescaderoPlaya Los CerritosAcceptable base
Surf beach with the liveliest sand scene
Cerritos is the beach-focused base south of El Pescadero, built around surf, sand and a growing cluster of vacation rentals and casual places. It has more of a beach-trip social scene than Todos Santos, but considerably less of the town’s historic and artistic character.
Vs. others: Pick Playa Los Cerritos over El Pescadero if you want to be closest to the beach and surf scene; pick El Pescadero if you prefer a less beach-clustered, more rural base between Cerritos and Todos Santos.
Cerritos is reached by road, not by town transit; a car is the easiest way to visit Todos Santos or move around after dark. The beach area is walkable only within a limited radius of the accommodation.
Best for: surfers, families, beach lovers, nightlife, travelers wanting a casual beach base
It can be busier and noisier than its laid-back reputation suggests, particularly around surf-oriented beach businesses. · Swimming and surf conditions vary; treat the Pacific with caution rather than assuming a protected swimming beach. · It is a drive from central Todos Santos, so town dinners often require a designated driver or taxi plan.
See hotels in Playa Los CerritosWhere to stay
