Todas Santos and El Triunfo, Baja, Mexico

If you like visiting quaint places that are deeply rooted in history, then you have to make Todas Santos and El Triunfo stops on your Baja, Mexico tour. 

We left La Ventana, after a wonderful three months, making our way to Los Barrilles for a couple of nights. It’s similar to La Ventana with a much more developed infrastructure and a more “mature” crowd according to a local. While in Los Barrilles,  we drove to Cabo Pulmo where we spent some time snorkeling and capturing amazing footage of mating Blacktop  sharks. This area is worth the visit as it boasts the areas best snorkeling and fishing. If you go to Las Barrilles, eat at Trinys. It serves fresh and tasty Mexican fare and the restaurant itself is super clean and tastefully decorated adding to the experience of the night. 

After leaving Los Barrilles, Brent and I headed south towards Cabo San Lucas as we continued our road trip through the rest of Baja. Literally, everyone told us to bypass it, but we still wanted to see it and make our own minds up about the place. Well, it ended up everyone was right;  we drove right through it not even stopping for lunch. I think Cabo is the place to go if you are limited in time and just want to chill by the pool or on the beach with a cocktail in your hand. This wasn’t what we were looking for on this drive. 

Instead, we drove North about another hour to a little town called El Pescardero and stayed three nights right on San Pedrito beach. The ride through the arroyo was a bit sketchy and at times we weren’t sure if our van and trailer were going to make it through the soft sand, but once again, they didn’t fail us. 

What a beautiful spot to spend the next 36 hours. Each night we watched the sun drop over the Pacific Ocean and during the day we toured nearby Cerritos Beach and the historic town of Todas Santos. 

Everyone advised us to visit Todas Santos and we can see why so many people flock to this region. About two hours North of Cabo, Todas Santos is more laid back and a little more down to earth. But it is more pricey than other areas in Baja as it caters to the Americans who live within a short drive and flight of the border. This is evidenced by the big homes being built in the area too. It reminds me of the growth seen in La Ventana but on a much bigger scale. Unfortunately the disparity between the local Mexican neighborhoods  and those being built near the beach, mostly occupied by foreigners, is quite noticeable, but not unlike every place we’ve visited in the Baja. 

I continue to wrestle with these inequalities when we travel but I also know how important it is that we don’t bury our heads in the sand and acknowledge the truth. We’ve made a commitment along the way to help where we can with the hopes to get involved in a bigger way when we settle down again.

Regardless, Todas Santos is a haven for the arts offering a variety of stores with traditional wares, along side more modern galleries. Also, there is a mix of high end restaurants and local establishments offering traditional Mexican dishes.

 If you don’t mind spending a bit of money, make a reservation at The Green Room , a beachside restaurant offering sunset views, located in Villa Santa Cruz Boutique Hotel. Although we didn’t get a chance to go, a friend also recommended eating at Hotel Cristobal. It was closed for a wedding when we went but we saw the Reception set up and it was absolutely stunning. Hopefully the food was just as fine. 

Our time on the Pacific side was short lived, as we headed out backtracking across the Peninsula  about an hour south of La Paz to El Triunfo, a tiny historic town known for mining silver. To be honest, we should have visited it when we were staying in La Ventana as it’s closer, but this is the way our life goes on the road. 

We made it to the Cafe El Triunfo for Sunday breakfast. I highly recommend this restaurant for both the food and the ambiance. The architecture is breathtaking, and the design and decor pay homage to the local culture without making it kitschy. Our breakfast was so tasty as is the homemade pizza apparently. All bread is made in specifically designed ovens and is renowned in the area. This was a real treat. 

After breakfast, we visited the Museo Rita de Plata, again something you don’t want to miss. The displays are well curated as they tell the story behind silver mining in Baja and the history of the Californias. 

May I suggest walking the grounds before having lunch at Bar El Minero de El Triunfo. Make sure you make reservations as this place is super popular as tourists come from Todas Santos, La Paz and the surrounding areas. It’s open during the week, but if you want a real treat, go on Sundays for the Paella served at 1:30 p.m. Arrive early to see the Chef build the paella on the open fire outside. It’s served with a salad and Sangria - the best I’ve had in a long time! 

I hope you make the time to stop in El Triunfo and Todas Santos as both are rich in great food, customs and tradition. Your stomach and soul will thank you.

Make sure you check out our YouTube video on these two charming towns.

Next - Valle de Guadalupe - wine country!