Art Galleries of Todos Santos

A celebrated artists’ colony an hour north of Cabo San Lucas, Todos Santos was named a Pueblo Mágico by the Mexican government in 2006 because of its natural beauty, historical relevance, and cultural riches. These riches are on display in artisan shops and artist-operated galleries that dot the former sugar town. Among the artists with studios or galleries in Todos Santos: Tori Sepulveda, Arturo Mendoza Elfeo, Jill Mollenhauer, and Michael Cope. There are several arts and music events throughout the year, including the annual Todos Santos Open Studio Tour each February, at which you can meet the artists in their studios and purchase their work. It’s also easy to do a one- or two-hour self-guided art walk through Todos Santos, including a stop in the charming if misleading Hotel California; the property is not the one featured in The Eagles’ hit song.

Vanity Fair has called Todos Santos “flip flop funky” and the town definitely has a unique boho vibe—maybe even more so since a Canadian couple renovated and reopened the infamous “Hotel California” here (while it’s never been proven that the Eagles song was written about the hotel, it’s a local legend that continues to be repeated). The small and artsy “Pueblo Magico” of Todos is a colonial town that boomed as a sugarcane center until underground springs went dry. The opening of a nearby highway brought the town back to life, and soon expats and artists followed. A common refrain you’ll hear is that it’s like Taos and Santa Fe before the tourists took over. Don’t miss a visit to the Todos Santos Centro Cultural, an old schoolhouse turned museum where you can see local artifacts and murals painted by socialist students emulating their compatriots Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera.