Todos Santos is a small coastal town at the foothills of the Sierra de la Laguna Mountains, on the Pacific coast side of the Baja California Peninsula, about an hour's drive north of Cabo San Lucas on Highway 19 and an hour's drive southwest from La Paz. Todos Santos is located very near the Tropic of Cancer in the municipality of La Paz. The population was 5,148 at the census of 2010. It is the second-largest town in the municipality.
During the 19th century Todos Santos thrived as the Baja sugarcane capital, which is still evident by the ruins of sugar mills. Now the rich farmlands have been re-worked & the town prospers from an abundance of vegetable & chili farming, avocado, papaya & mango orchards, fishing & ranching.
The mission Nuestra Se�ora del Pilar de La Paz was founded by father Jaime Bravo in 1723. It is located across the street to the southwest from the small town plaza. This mission contains the statue of the Virgin of Pilar, which is the focus of Todos Santos main festival in October.
More recently, there has been a gradual increase in tourist activity and a boom in real estate development. Handicraft shops, owner-operated art galleries featuring landscape paintings of local scenes (some artists from Guadalajara and other parts of Mexico also exhibit works in Todos Santos,) upscale restaurants, boutique hotels and restored colonial buildings have contributed to the gentrification and redevelopment of the town. The Hotel California is a favorite stop here because of the name association with the song made famous by "The Eagles."
There are many beautiful beaches within a 15 minute drive of Todos Santos. However, some of the area�s beaches, with rip tides, undertows, and fairly steep drop offs that are close to shore, are not considered safe for swimming. Playa Las Palmas and Playa Los Cerritos are great beaches for swimming and shell collecting. San Pedrito Point, Los Cerritos and other local surf breaks
