Where is our favorite place in Baja? ? When we get asked this question, I always chuckle to myself before answering, because let’s be honest — every place in Baja is a favorite in its own special way. It might be the tranquil beach, the scenic views, the delicious comida, or in this case, the people, that make my heart swell with love. ?
We discovered El Pescadero almost by accident while looking for places to camp nearby. The amazing people, endless outdoor activities, incredible dining options, and the raw beauty along the Pacific coast all unite to create this hidden gem.
About El Pescadero
El Pescadero is a small farming village along the Pacific coast in Baja California Sur, only 15 minutes from Todos Santos and one hour north of Cabo San Lucas. The Todos Santos/Pescadero area was originally developed by Jesuit padres in 1724, who introduced farming to the local Natives.
Today you can still see juicy mangoes hanging from trees, as well as farmland producing the sweetest strawberries, corn, tomatoes, greens and more. El Pescadero is relatively undeveloped compared to its neighboring cities, making it a haven for surfers, van lifers and nomads. The town is slow-growing, with mostly dirt roads getting you to and from places, however more and more visitors are finding El Pescadero to be the perfect place to build a vacation or permanent home.
A quick note — El Pescadero is also commonly referred to as Cerritos, which is a nearby beach. If you hear the two names intertwined, folks are talking about the same place.
What to Do & See in El Pescadero
Hang Out at the Beach
Playa Los Cerritos
There are several awesome beaches in the the Pescadero area that are worth spending the day at. Playa Los Cerritos is the most popular beach in the area, and is the best known for surfers and those wanting surf lessons. There are plenty of umbrellas along the beach for general use, and occasionally a vendor will come by with jewelry, blankets, ice cream or margaritas (score!). Our boys love playing in the water (and with lifeguards on site I always feel better about that).
Playa San Pedrito
We also spent time at Playa San Pedrito, which is much quieter and chill than Cerritos. While the surfers come in and out during the day, it’s also a nice, relaxing spot to camp overnight. It does require driving down an old, bumpy dirt road to get there, but you’ll realize it’s totally worth it when the sun starts to set and the whales breach along the coastline!
Playa Las Palmas
If you’re really hoping to escape the crowds, consider Playa Las Palmas. Although it’s technically on private property, the Mexican government states that all beaches need to allow for public access. Once you arrive, you’ll take a short path through a lush palm forest to a serene, hidden beach. There’s a fresh water river that runs along the beach, where the kids played when they weren’t jumping the waves in the Pacific Ocean! ?
Keep in mind that it is perfect and tranquil… until the wild horses show up and start pushing you out! It was clear that we were on their turf — Steven almost got hind-kicked twice — and we had heard that a week prior to our visit, a tourist was seriously injured by one of the horses. It shouldn’t be enough to deter you from visiting, but it kept us on guard for most of the afternoon. Also, do not feed the horses!
Enjoy Delicious, Farm-to-Table Meals
One thing you’ll quickly learn about El Pescadero — there’s always a new restaurant to try. It felt like every day, someone told us about a “new spot” they discovered. There is no shortage of amazing dining in this area! Here are a few of our faves.
Carnitas Machin
If you ask me about my favorite kind of tacos, hands down it’s carnitas. I love them! On our very last day in El Pescadero we decided to try Carnitas Machin, which was a mistake — because I was SO mad at myself for not eating this delicious street food sooner!
Upon arrival, the cook will offer you a piece of the carnitas to try before you order anything. It sold us right then and there! We order four tacos for Steven and I, and had gotten Pollo Asado for the boys thinking that they wouldn’t be into carnitas. Wrong! They each ate a taco and raved about how good the meat was. It’s true — the carnitas is super juicy and flavorful, and there’s a table in the outdoor palapa with TONS of toppings. There are a wide variety of salsas ranging from mild to super spicy, crema (sour cream), guacamole, cabbage, limes and more. Out of all of the places we ate at in Pescadero, this definitely went down as our all-time favorite.
Palmar Pescadero
We had heard really great things about Palmar Pescadero, an amazing café that offers breakfast and lunch (and Airbnb rentals if you’re flying in!). This family-owned place is located in the heart of the farmland of Pescadero, just a few minutes to the beach.
The restaurant is set up for dining outdoors in their beautiful garden area, or inside the open-air café. The menu is simple, but there’s literally something for everyone. My go-to is the Salmon Ahumado Bagel (smoked salmon), while the kids enjoyed the Pan Francés (French toast). Be sure to try their salsa macha, which is my personal fave. During our dining experience, the boys ran around with other kids, which just tickled the owners. It’s evident that the owners love making new friends, embracing new cultures and creating great experiences for their guests!
Same Same But Different
There’s nothing more that I enjoy than a café that’s literally right next door to your campsite. If you choose to stay at Casa Caravan (you should, more info below), make sure to walk the few minutes down the dirt road to Same Same But Different. Not only do they have the tastiest avocado toast, but their salsa macha is fire. Literally! The café is open every day from 7:00 a.m. to 2 p.m. serving coffee, smoothies and breakfast/lunch.
Noah Japanese Food
Now if you’ve been following our blog for awhile, you know that I’m a sushi fanatic. After traveling down the Baja peninsula for several months, by the time we get to the southern tip, I’m tired of tacos and ready for something different. Enter Noah Sushi. These guys have the freshest, most delicious sushi. There are a wide array of rolls to choose from, as well as poke bowls and teriyaki. Overall, this open-air restaurant offers a great ambiance and the sushi is reasonably priced. Don’t skip this restaurant!
Agricole Cooperativa
And at least once every couple of days we made our way to Agricole, which we dubbed “the Whole Foods of Baja.” There we’d stock up on organically grown produce, sparkling water, fine wine, craft beer and other tasty treats. We became obsessed with their totopos (homemade tortilla chips), their super fresh strawberries and of course, their fresas con crema!
Barracuda Cantina
If you’re hanging at Cerritos beach all day, then you definitely need to walk the five minutes to Barracuda Cantina, where you can order fresh fried or grilled fish and shrimp tacos, ceviche, quesadillas and burritos. Or cocktails! I highly recommend the shrimp tacos, al planca (grilled).
Pura Playa Bar
Spending time at Playa San Pedrito? When the sun starts to set, you’ll want to walk the beach to Pura Playa Bar. It’s a sweet open-air bar and restaurant that faces the Pacific Ocean, leaving you with stellar sunsets by the fire, with live music in the background. Although the craft cocktails and food are definitely on the pricey side, we enjoyed the experience you get here. Please note that Pura Playa is only open Thursday-Sunday, with varying hours.
Peruse the Local Farmer’s Market
Every Sunday, Baja Beans hosts a weekly Farmer’s Market where local artisans, farmers and craftsmen sell fresh produce, paintings, jewelry, blankets, locally-made clothing, and much more. Along with the delicious food at Baja Beans, I loved perusing the beautiful handmade, ethically-sourced goods at Zócolo.
Stroll through Todos Santos
Todos Santos is only a 15-minute drive from El Pescadero, and is totally worth the quick trip. Check out our Todos Santos post for more info on this adorable art village!
Where to Camp in El Pescadero
We discovered an adorable campground in El Pescadero called Casa Caravan, which is only a quick drive or a 30-minute walk from Cerritos beach. The campground owners, Kimberly and Eric, have created a haven for travelers with their RV park. Their family traveled to Baja years prior, and loved it so much that they moved there full-time and developed a place for van lifers and RVers to camp.
What’s unique about Casa Caravan is that it’s designed to be communal in nature. There’s an outdoor area where folks can hang out, as well as a communal kitchen area. Nearby are the restrooms and a cold plunge pool. There is also a palapa and hangout space on the second story.
Our first night there we were invited to a communal dinner, where a majority of us campers pulled together dishes for a family-style meal. Within minutes, we were welcomed into a family of travelers who had all met at Casa Caravan. We swapped travel stories and future dreams — and introduced everyone to our coconut shot glasses and tequila! ? While you’ll definitely meet people up and down Baja California, it was here where we made lifelong friends.
Casa Caravan easily has the best WiFi we’ve ever encountered in Baja, which makes it a perfect place to post up if you need to get some work done. And the restrooms/showers! Don’t get me started. The water pressure and hot temps are perfect, and always clean. Again, another best in Baja! Camping starts at $35 U.S./night, and is absolutely worth it. But make sure to reach out ahead of time — campsites are hard to come by here, especially for bigger rigs.
Pescadero Surf Camp
Located in Pescadero between Playa Los Cerritos and Playa San Pedrito, at Km. 64 on Mexico Hwy 19, Pescadero Surf Camp is a great alternative if you’re in a small rig or want to rent a casita for the night. The owner Jaime has a beautiful property, with a gigantic swimming pool with a swim-up BYOB cantina and great WiFi. Plus, Noah Sushi is literally right down the street! Pescadero Surf Camp is $10 U.S./night per person to camp, or the casitas start at $35 U.S./night.
Playa San Pedrito
Of course, if you’re looking for free beach camping nearby, it’s there. There are several spots on iOverlander, but our favorite was Playa San Pedrito. It can get fairly packed depending on the season, but you’re right on the beach and next door to the Pura Playa bar. Just remember to leave no trace!
Final Thoughts on El Pescadero
It became evident that while the scenery was stellar, it was really the fellow travelers we met that made this place so special. We created lifelong friendships with the most amazing people, and we’ll never forget our time here. We cannot wait to come back next year!
