Art Town or Resort Coast
Todos Santos feels part art colony, part farming village. Restored adobe buildings, old sugar mills and the mission church of Santa Rosa de las Palmas fill a small grid of streets. The galleries and craft shops around Calle Centenario make an easy afternoon. Evenings are quiet and walkable and the nearest neighbor of interest is the surf village of El Pescadero just south.
Los Cabos is bigger and more dramatic. Cactus-covered mountains drop to golden beaches and granite pinnacles rise from the surf, with the stone arch at Land's End as the famous landmark. The Corridor is lined with luxury resorts, each a private world of pools and terraces. San José del Cabo has a pretty historic center with a Thursday art walk in season, while Cabo San Lucas brings the marina and a lively bar scene.
If you picture your honeymoon in a single beautiful resort, Los Cabos is built for it. If you want to feel part of a small community for a week, Todos Santos is the better match.
The Swimming Question
This is the biggest practical difference, so it is worth being direct. Most beaches around Todos Santos face open Pacific surf with powerful waves and rip currents and they are not safe for swimming. Los Cerritos, about 20 minutes south, is the main exception on calm days and the best place for a beginner surf lesson. If swimming matters to you, choose a hotel with a pool.
Los Cabos has more options, though it is not all safe either. Many Corridor beaches have strong currents and heavy shore break. The protected bays of Santa María and Chileno are the reliable spots for swimming and snorkeling, with clear water and colorful fish and Medano Beach in Cabo San Lucas is usually calm. For serious snorkeling or diving, the long day trip to Cabo Pulmo National Park is a highlight.
So couples who picture days in the sea should lean toward Los Cabos. Couples happy with a pool, a beach walk and a surf lesson will be content in Todos Santos.
Where You Will Stay
Los Cabos has the deeper bench of luxury hotels. Esperanza, Auberge Collection, sits on the rocky headland of Punta Ballena with Beachfront Junior Suites that have infinity-edge hot tubs, plus the cliffside Cocina del Mar restaurant. Las Ventanas al Paraíso, A Rosewood Resort, near San José del Cabo, is known for 24-hour butlers and rooftop-terrace suites with private hot tubs. Entry rooms at both start from roughly US$900 to US$1,000 a night.
Todos Santos is smaller and more design-driven. Paradero Todos Santos, with 41 kid-free suites set among working farm fields between town and El Pescadero, is the stay couples often see on social media first. Rates start from around US$700 a night. Hotel San Cristóbal faces the surf at Punta Lobos with a pool and beach views. In the historic center, small hotels in restored buildings put you a short walk from dinner and the mission-style Hotel California is a local landmark.
All prices are approximate and rise in winter and over holidays.
Food, Farms and Evenings
The two share a food culture, but Todos Santos lives closer to its source. Farms around town grow organic produce, much of it for restaurants in Los Cabos and the US. Several places serve dinner in or beside their own gardens, often at long tables under the stars. At lunch, look for fish tacos, ceviche and smoked marlin at casual stands. There is also a small craft beer scene and good coffee.
Los Cabos does the polished version. Resort restaurants such as Cocina del Mar are among the most romantic tables in Mexico. Farm dinners among the crops near San José del Cabo bring the Todos Santos feeling closer to the resorts. Baja-style tacos, aguachile and chocolate clams are classics on both stretches of coast and damiana, a sweet herbal liqueur from Baja California Sur, makes a fitting honeymoon toast.
Nightlife is where they split. Todos Santos goes quiet early. Cabo San Lucas stays loud late, so if you head out there, take a taxi back.
Getting There and Getting Around
Both trips start at Los Cabos International Airport (SJD), which has nonstop flights from many US cities, some as short as two hours from the West Coast. Most Corridor resorts are 20 to 45 minutes away. Pre-arrange a transfer, since the arrivals hall is known for timeshare sellers.
Todos Santos is about an hour and a half north of SJD by car. La Paz's airport (LAP) is about an hour away and makes an alternative with fewer US flights. A rental car is the easiest way to get around, because the town and beaches are spread out and taxis are limited. Highway 19 is modern, but avoid driving at night because of cattle and poor lighting.
In Los Cabos you can easily skip the car. Resorts arrange outings, taxis are plentiful if pricey and water taxis from the Cabo San Lucas marina reach Lover's Beach and the arch. Renting one for a day is still worth it if you want to visit Todos Santos.
Seasons, Whales and Turtles
The best months are the same for both: roughly November through April, when days are warm and dry and nights cool. Pack a sweater for outdoor dinners, especially in Todos Santos, where winter evenings can feel crisp.
Winter is wildlife season on both coasts. Humpback whales pass from about December to March and you can often see them spout right from the beach in Todos Santos. In Los Cabos, small-boat trips get you closer while following viewing rules. Todos Santos adds sea turtle releases at sunset with local conservation groups, a moving experience for many couples.
May and June stay dry and pleasant with fewer visitors. July through October is hot and humid, with most of the year's limited rain falling from August into October, which is also Pacific hurricane season. Rates drop then, but buy travel insurance.
The State Department rates Baja California Sur, which covers both, at exercise increased caution.
Splitting a Week Between Them
Because they are only about an hour apart, these two combine better than almost any other pair in Mexico. A popular plan is to start with three nights in Todos Santos to unwind after the wedding, with gallery strolls, a surf lesson and a farm dinner, then move to a Corridor resort for three or four nights of spa time, calm-bay snorkeling and a sunset sail to the arch. You end close to the airport, so the last morning is easy.
If you would rather stay in one place, a day trip works in either direction. From a Los Cabos resort, drive north for lunch and galleries in Todos Santos and stay for sunset over the Pacific. From Todos Santos, head south for a day of snorkeling at Santa María or Chileno.
Either way, rent a car for at least part of the trip. It gives you the freedom to find your own empty beach.
