This year, our January escape from winter brought us to the Baja Peninsula of Mexico. We wanted to stay somewhere near the beach but away from the resort areas of Cabo San Lucas. Todos Santos and the surrounding area ended up at the top of our list. After some AirBnB searching, we found this amazing place within walking distance from Cerritos Beach and some amazing restaurants/bars.
Don’t worry, we still got to Cabo San Lucas. We ended up stuck there for two days at the end of our trip, thanks to flight cancellations. But the Todos Santos/Cerritos Beach/El Pescadero area is my absolute favorite. Let us convince you with these five reasons we love this part of Baja.
Five Reasons We Loved Cerritos Beach
1. The Perfect Airbnb We Stayed In
The place we rented was part of a small resort community with a pool, hot tub, pizzeria, and bar area. There was tons of privacy, but you could get out and be social if you wanted to. Plus, the host was a lovely and extremely helpful.
Obviously, our own patio was a huge hit. There were lounge chairs, an outdoor bar and beautiful greenery surrounding our fenced in private area. We spent at least an hour out there every night when we returned and we enjoyed breakfast and coffee around the table every morning.
In addition, there was a rooftop patio with ocean views that was perfect for sunsets and a little siesta in the afternoon.
2. Pastel Colored Sunrises
Sunrises on the beach were breathtaking and very peaceful. There are only a handful of hotels on the beach, and they are small, so you have it all to yourself in the early morning hours.
If you want a beachfront spot, book at this hotel. We tried their food and drinks a few times and loved the atmosphere.
3. Hacienda Cerritos
The Hacienda Cerritos is a boutique hotel perched up on the cliff. It has the most beautiful patio with the best view of the sunset. The historic hotel is listed as “permanently closed” as of Feb 2024, but hopefully, someone can save that property. If you aren’t able to visit the patio, you can still enjoy this stunning building atop the cliffside.
4. Sunsets on Cerritos Beach
If you don’t want to spend money on a happy hour cocktail, you can go further along the road past the Hacienda, and there are some cliffs that you can sit on and enjoy the same view for zero dollars. We did that our last night, and only one other family was playing in the grass behind us. It was wonderful. Visit the area January-March, and there is a good chance you’ll see Whales jumping in the water.
5. Cerritos Beach Days (Obviously)
Cerritos Beach is among the highest-rated for swimming and surfing in the southern part of Baja. The photo above shows the busiest we saw the beach the entire weekend. A few vendors will be selling jewelry and blankets. The Beach Club Cerritos serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I recommend their Pineapple Juice.
The highlight of the beach for our group was the Surf Schools. Board rentals & lessons are very affordable. They are on the beach starting at about 8 AM, but you can also rent a board for the entire weekend and get in some sunrise surf. There are many companies to choose from to find the best deal for you. Pack your surf essentials and have some fun.
Other Highlights from Cerritos Beach
We loved Barracudas for tacos (they were the best of the trip.) I will never say no to fish tacos, but the vegetarian options were also fantastic. The acai bowls at the Cafe Cactus were a perfect breakfast option. And Shaka’s Delicious Wood Cantina for entertainment and had the only TVs we saw while in town.
On our next trip down, we won’t pass up the chance to check out Cerritos Beach Dogs to have a cup of coffee and help the strays in the area.
We are already plotting a return to the area. Our Airbnb host left the best list of local restaurants and attractions, and we were only able to cross a few off the list this visit. Fingers crossed that the area doesn’t develop much in the next few years. It’s perfect, exactly the way it is.
And if you book a trip, don’t miss the most beautiful hike in the area, the Sugar Port Trail.
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