Christine Roberti heads to the northwest Mexican state of Baja California Sur, stopping in the tiny coastal town of Todos Santos and the state capital of La Paz for grey whale watching, taco tasting and a whole lot of lazing around.
At night, I burrowed into the folds of the duvet on my king-sized bed and listened to the roar of the surf as it barrelled to shore across the Pacific. I left the sliding glass door to the terrace open, where a salty breeze made the gauzy curtains dance.
Tiny stars, my only night light, blinked through the inky black sky over the ocean, and when morning came, tangerine sunlight snuck across my pillow.
I resisted the urge to tear the covers off and slug back a cup of dark roast, like I do most days once 6:30 a.m. comes. In Baja California, as I learned over the course of three days, life is meant to be savoured slowly.
Todos Santos, Baja California Sur, Mexico, is a sleepy town tucked away on the Pacific coast of Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula. An hour’s drive from Los Cabos’ touristy Cabo San Lucas district, people come to Todos Santos to appreciate local art, enjoy top-notch gastronomy, surf the world-class breaks, and revel in gorgeous landscapes that include the overarching backdrop of the Sierra de la Laguna mountain range. In La Paz, visitors come for wild encounters with grey whales and whale sharks, beautiful beaches and vibrant nightlife.
DAY ONE
Start the day early, with a walking tour of Todos Santos, a designated pueblos magicos. Pueblos magicos (magic towns) are a designation provided by the Mexican government, awarded to select destinations for their exemplary showcase of authentic Mexican culture, be it through stunning architectural wonders, historical significance or natural beauty.
Todos Santos is one of roughly 180 pueblos magicos in Mexico, and it’s easy to see why.
Founded by missionaries in 1724, Todos Santos is a quiet town with a vibrant personality. It’s where artists, dreamers and surfers collide; rainbow-coloured bunting is strung through the streets, music lulls passerby from tiny shops selling everything from hand-fired ceramics to oil paintings, and a handful of restaurants promote fresh-caught seafood specialties on sidewalk menus. Stop for lunch at Oystera, a chic oyster bar with a phenomenal outdoor dining terrace, and arguably some of the best ceviche and limey margaritas in Southern Baja.
DAY TWO
Drive an hour north and explore the capital city of La Paz for the day. Home to approximately a quarter of a million residents, there’s no shortage of things to do downtown, which is flanked by a bustling waterfront boardwalk known as the Malecón. The perfect meeting point, the Malecón is lined with bars, fusion restaurants and contemporary art sculptures.
Strolling through La Paz, you’re bound to get hungry. Embarking on your own taco tour is a great way to see the town’s culinary variety—and excellence. At Palapa Hermanos Gonzalez, you can’t go wrong with an authentic Baja fish taco—two meaty hunks of perfectly golden, battered fish are topped with chopped red onion, tomato and cilantro and drizzled with mayonnaise. Just down the street at Claro Fish Jr.’s, you can order anything from deep-fried coconut shrimp tacos to stingray.
DAY THREE
Grey whale migration peaks in Baja from January through March, but you can still count on seeing a pod from late December through April. Puerto Chale, a two-hour drive from La Paz, is a quiet fishing community on the Pacific Ocean, and the closest spot to the city for spotting grey whales. Curious and friendly, grey whales have been known to swim at surface-level directly beneath the tour boats, making for a breathtaking encounter.
Along the way, you can also spot sleeping sea lions, playful sea otters and migratory birds. For another unique aquatic experience, snorkel with whale sharks in the El Mogote peninsula, which is 15 minutes from the Bay of La Paz. Despite their size (some reach 60 ft. in length), these gentle, toothless giants are actually quite timid, and neither a shark, nor a whale—they’re actually a fish!
