In November 2021 we spent 10 days in Baja California Sur (BCS) with our kids. We were looking for a quick beach getaway from San Francisco (3-hour direct flight!), and we decided to head down to Baja. Our main plan for this trip was to spend some good quality time together at the beach, but we also explored the peninsula a bit while we were there. In this post I will share what we did while we were in Baja California Sur with our kids, as well as some tips for planning a trip there.
Getting There / Getting Around
Getting to Los Cabos is very easy! We actually wondered why we had never been there before considering how easy it is to travel there from San Francisco! From SFO it is a 3-hour direct flight into San Jose Del Cabo Airport.
Unless you are staying at a resort and arrange for airport pickup, you’ll have to rent a car when you arrive. Driving is straightforward. We opted to rent a sedan, but in hindsight we wished we would’ve rented a vehicle better suited for the rougher gravel roads we had to drive on. The main road that runs north to south in BCS is nicely paved, but most side roads are uneven gravel roads. We did get a flat tire from a sharp rock we drove on, and while we managed to get it fixed relatively easy, it wasn’t something I’d want to do again.
Where To Stay
When planning our trip to BCS, we opted to get away from the main tourist area of Los Cabos. We did some research and found a great Airbnb house in the town of El Pescadero, about an hour drive from the airport. This beach community used to be a small remote fishing and agricultural village, but it has rapidly developed as a tourism destination over the past few years. We chose El Pescadero because of its great location between Playa Los Cerritos (best beach for kids in the area) and the town of Todos Santos (great restaurant and arts scene).
Even though we didn’t want to spend the bulk of our time down in Los Cabos, we did choose to spend a couple of nights in Cabo San Lucas at the end of our trip. We mostly wanted to be closer to the airport for our flight back, and we needed to arrange Covid tests before flying. Our Airbnb in Cabo San Lucas was great! It had an amazing pool with the best view of the city and was walking distance from restaurants and attractions in town. Our host also helped us set up a nurse to come to the villa to do our Covid tests. It was very convenient!
What To Do In BCS
These are some of the highlights of our time in BCS. We had plenty of downtime, as we were hoping for. But we also found time to explore the area, learn about the local wildlife, explore the bustling arts scene and even daytrip to nearby La Paz.
Release baby sea turtles with Grupo Tortuguero Pescadero
An absolute highlight of our time in El Pescadero was helping release newly hatched baby turtles on the beach! There were over 60 baby turtles who had hatched the day before, and our kids got to help release about 10 turtles each (carefully, without touching them!).
This is a great way to engage your children in wildlife conservation alongside the awesome volunteers from Grupo Tortuguero Pescadero. The turtles are released every day starting at around 5pm. Hatchling releases usually happen between November and April, so make sure you check with them beforehand. If you are in El Pescadero during the right time, you can wait for the volunteers to drive by Mini Super Munchies next to the beach access, or you could walk down the road and to the right side of the beach. This is where the group has an enclosed area where they safely keep the eggs until they hatch.
I have read there is a similar program in Todos Santos as well.
Enjoy a Delicious Farm-to-Table Meal at Hierbabuena
We drove past Hierbabuena everyday on our way to and from our Airbnb in El Pescadero. This beautiful open air restaurant is surrounded by the lush vegetable gardens that supply it with fresh produce to make a wonderful farm-to-table experience. Eating there was definitely a treat we all enjoyed! The kids devoured their wood-fire pizzas, and the grown ups loved the cocktails as well as the fresh food!
Compared to local restaurant prices, Hierbabuena is more of a special treat, but well worth the extra expense!
Los Cerritos Beach
When researching kid-friendly beaches, Playa Los Cerritos was the one that kept coming up as the best. This shallow beach is perfect for kids to play in without parents having to worry. In certain stretches the beach stays shallow for a long ways, while in others there’s enough depth to even go surfing! In fact, this is a great beach for beginner surfers! If you are there for the surf, head closer to the point where the break is bigger, otherwise just hang out away from the action and watch your kids splash happily on the shallows!
We visited this beach twice and had two totally different experiences. The first time we parked by the southern parking lot on a Wednesday, and found a super cute farmers market right next to the parking area. The little market had fabulous food options, a coffee shop, and souvenir stalls. It was such a great find and the perfect place to grab lunch before heading over to the beach!
Our second time in Los Cerritos we parked on the northern side of the beach. As soon as we walked onto the beach, we were greeted by dudes renting surfboards, chairs, and umbrellas. We rented a couple of chairs, and Joe rented some gear and went surfing and had the best time!
The northern side of the beach also had more options for food and drinks. In fact, while we were hanging out, the margarita man rolled in with a great selection of cold drinks!
Los Cerritos is also a great place to buy some souvenirs from one of the many vendors that walk on the beach offering their crafts. We bought the most beautiful blanket for a very reasonable price.
Whale Watching
Every morning we went for a walk at San Pedrito beach, just a couple of blocks from our Airbnb, and every single morning we spotted whales going by. Our Airbnb had a panoramic roof deck, and we also saw whales from there. It was just amazing! Next time we are in BCS we’ll probably consider doing a whale watching trip. Until then, I’ll just be totally content with having seen them everyday from the beach!
Those morning walks on the beach were so wonderful! It was during that time of day that we really felt like we were a million miles away from the hustle and bustle of the world.
Todos Santos
Just a quick 10-minute drive from el Pescadero, this super artsy town is a great place to check out while in BCS. We visited Todos Santos a handful of times because it offered great food choices, from upscale to budget. It also has a very lively arts scene and is full of cute markets and stores where you can buy unique locally made handicrafts.
Todos Santos is small, but it is certainly worth the visit if you are in the area. We bought a few souvenirs that were very unique and beautiful, but you can simply get your art fix by walking around and checking out the beautiful and colorful architecture that characterizes this town. Do make sure to visit one of the many art galleries while you are there. You won’t be disappointed.
La Paz
One morning in Baja we woke up to an overcast day and decided to head to La Paz for a day trip.
The city of La Paz is only an hour drive east from El Pescadero. Getting there is pretty straight forward, just make sure you drive extra carefully in La Paz because police are out trying to find any excuse to pull you over and ask you for money (talking from experience!).
La Paz is the capital of Baja California Sur, but still feels like a small town. Downtown La Paz is centered on the malecón that wraps around the bay offering great views. We walked along the malecón and enjoyed checking out the many sculptures of marine animals, and even found a playground for the kids to play on!
The streets that runs along the malecón is lined with souvenir shops and restaurants, making it easy to grab a bite to eat in between shopping and walking! We barely scratched the surface in La Paz, and would love to go back for a whale watching excursion in the Sea of Cortez!
Playa Balandra
A great destination near La Paz is Playa Balandra, voted Mexico’s most beautiful beach some years ago. Playa Balandra is a 40-minute scenic drive from La Paz. In fact, you’ll be tempted to stop at other beaches on your way there! Once at Playa Balandra, you can rent kayaks or stand up paddle boards to explore the nearby mangroves. If you are not in the mood for paddling, then just relax at the beach while your kids play in the super shallow water. If you are there before other people or at low tide, beware of stingrays here and be sure to shuffle your feet in the sand when entering the water.
Cabo San Lucas
After El Pescadero, Cabo San Lucas felt like a bustling city! Driving in Cabo was not hard, but parking was a bit tricky though doable.
During our two days in Cabo San Lucas we chartered a boat to check out the iconic Arco de Cabo San Lucas. I wasn’t particularly fond of our boat operator, so I won’t be sharing it here. There are lots of options for taking boat trips to the arch. You can book ahead, or you can just show up to the dock where the boats leave from and try to get on one.
We took the first boat out and were very pleased with it as we were just one of few boats out early. As part of the boat trip you can get dropped off at a beach to do some snorkeling. Leaving early means that you’ll likely reach the beach before the crowds and will enjoy a more pleasant time snorkeling. I definitely recommend checking out the arch while in Cabo! The boat ride is bumpy, but the views are stunning, and you’ll get to spot lots of marine wildlife during the ride.
On our last day in Cabo we decided to check out Playa El Médano before heading to the airport for our flight home. I personally love it when beaches offer certain amenities such as chairs / umbrellas for rent, beachside food service, drinks, and craft vendors. Well, Playa El Médano had all of those! We only spent a couple of hours there but really enjoyed it! Definitely worth checking out, but make sure you keep an eye on your kids because there’s a drop on the shore so swimming there is not particularly suitable for little kids.
Restaurant Recommendations
We ate really delicious food while in Baja! Some restaurants were recommended by our Airbnb hosts, others we found by doing our research. A lot of these places don’t have a website, so you’ll need to look them up in maps to find the exact location. Here’s a list of the best places we ate at divided by location:
Todos Santos
Alma y Manny’s Restaurant – Low key family-owned restaurant serving traditional Mexican food.
La Morena – Tapas Bar & Restaurant featuring live music several days a week.
Santos Pecados – Fusion food with a combination of Mexican and Mediterranean food made with organic and fresh ingredients.
Paletería La Paloma – Ice cream and gelato shop featuring unique flavors.
El Pescadero
Cafelix Pescadero – Coffee, fresh juices, smoothies and homemade breakfast and brunch food. Also serves alcoholic beverages.
Hierbabuena – Farm-to-table seasonal dishes.
Cabo San Lucas
Las Mariscadas – Fresh seafood with excellent service away tucked away from the main drag. Live music on some days.
La Dolce – Homemade northern Italian food prepared with fresh ingredients.
Casasola Café & Brunch – Super pretty coffee shop / restaurant with the most delicious breakfast, the best smoothies, and fresh juices. If you are going to go to just one place from this list, Casasola should be it!
Baja California Sur is definitely a great family destination! And when it comes to food, you’ll find something to suit everyone!
Looking for more travel inspiration? Check out our places section.
