One place we always had to visit in Baja was Los Cerritos… we loved it so much, we decided to do something wild and out of our comfort zone, and put in an offer on a sweet little piece of land. Now here we are, one year later, living at and running our own little RV park right here in Cerritos Beach!
For those of you coming to visit Los Cerritos… (be careful, she’s addictive)
Nestled into a cozy little corner of the southern tip of the Baja peninsula, with the Sierra de la Laguna mountains on one side, and the Pacific Ocean on the other, if you didn’t know where you were going, you would likely miss Los Cerritos altogether. You can see the small, but growing, oceanside community from the highway when you’re heading north on Highway 19 on the hour-long drive from Cabo San Lucas. If you continued past and drove through the sweet little farming town of El Pescadero, in another fifteen minutes you’d arrive at the “Pueblo Magico” of Todos Santos.
Although this dusty mix of homes, small condos, bars, and restaurants is in a state of rapid development right now, it somehow still holds a warm, calm vibe that people quickly fall in love with. There is a certain kind of kindness from both the native and expat locals, as well as other travellers that has been unmatched anywhere else I’ve been.
Being up early enough to watch the vibrant sunrise over the mountains is a special gift in itself, but being down on the beach watching it drop below the sea and have the infamous deserted Hacienda hotel’s silhouette in front is not something to be missed while here either.
The Beach – Playa Los Cerritos
Los Cerritos Beach is easily the most popular beach in the Pescadero & Todos Santos area due to its reasonably safe waters for swimming, as well as surf for all skill levels. It’s often called one of the two best surf breaks on the peninsula’s Pacific side, with the other being San Pedrito, a little more advanced, and not far up the coast. People come here from all over to take advantage of the many options for private surf lessons right here on Cerritos Beach.
Surf schools & rentals:
- West Side Surf School (our 4 year old did a lesson with an instructor from here and he was so good with him!)
- Mario’s Surf School
- CRT Surf School
- Costa Azul Surf Shop
You can simply just walk onto the beach and find a surf instructor. They all set up shop right there on the sand. You can’t miss the tents lined by the rows of surfboards as soon as you arrive.
The Food Scene
One thing that people certainly enjoy is the food and drink scene here in Cerritos. There is always something new opening up, and word spreads fast! Just this winter while we were here, two restaurants opened right on the beach, and there are two more under construction as I write this. You can satisfy any craving, from fresh seafood, to traditional Mexican, pizza, burgers and other tastes of “home” you may miss. Many of the restaurants have live music in the evenings with craft cocktails, local craft beer or a good old-fashioned Margarita to enjoy while watching the sun set over the ocean or behind the desert mountains.
My top Cerritos restaurants:
Shaka’s Delicious Wood Cantina – Shaka’s is always a great time, with super friendly staff and regulars, an outdoor area with gorgeous gardens, a campfire area, cornhole and regular live music. It’s great for kids who like to run around and explore. Their menu has traditional Mexican as well as burgers, beef dip sandwiches and meatball subs for those missing traditional American fare. Happy hour is 4-6pm.
Barracuda Cantina – they have my favourite Margarita in Cerritos, happy hour is 3-4pm. On Tuesdays they do 2 for 1 tacos from 3-4 as well. They have a relaxed vibe with friendly service, great live music, and you cannot beat their beachfront location. Awesome burritos as well!
Big Fun Beach Club – definitely the “beachiest” vibe you’re going to get in Cerritos. It’s a fabulous spot for the whole family. They have an super sweet climbing apparatus and swings for the kids. There’s beach volleyball courts, cornhole and other games, and a rooftop patio for watching whales or the sun dip down into the Pacific. A growing happy hour that starts early for cheap beer is cheerful, but they also make great cocktails. You can go here for breakfast and smoothies in the morning, fish tacos or wood-fired pizza for lunch, or dance under the stars in the night!
Casa Maya – short walk from the beach, sushi, seafood, steak, pastas and excellent cocktails. Nestled into the Barefoot condos by their pool.
Freesouls –[temporarily closed] Freesouls is just a good vibe. With excellent views of the ocean from above, a rooftop pool, and a creative menu with tequila and mezcal-focused cocktails. Happy hour 4-6pm.
Don Nachos Café – The Nachos Supreme are a must, and the Passionfruit Mezcalitas are to die for! You must go on a Wednesday night and play Loteria, the Mexican form of Bingo that is so much fun with the sweetest host, Urbano! They often do karaoke as well, so check out their instagram.
Taste of Asia – don’t sleep on this little hidden gem a couple doors down from Mercado Del Sol at the main turn here in Cerritos. They make an excellent pad thai and fried rice, and many more of your asian favourites!
Our fave pizza: Pizza Sanchez in Pescadero, right off Highway 19 on the northbound side before you hit Pescadero. They deliver to Cerritos or you can go pickup, but that only saves you 30 pesos. Message them on Whatsapp to order. If you’d like to dine-in for pizza right in Cerritos, I’d go for Napoli Pizza.
Fave tacos: While you can take a short drive to get delicious tacos in Pescadero (Miguel’s for carnitas, Los Compadres for birria, El Sureno for delicious seafood), my favourite tacos are Al Pastor or Carnitas at Don Nachos, or the shrimp taco at Barracuda Cantina.
Fave coffee: Cerritos Beach Dogs, proceeds go to help care for the dogs in the shelter, which you can visit while you sip (perhaps I’m partial because our sweet baby, Luna, came from there).
Fave breakfast: Same Same But Different Cafe. Not only is it super close to our campground. It has a great vibe for chillin’, working on your computer or meeting a friend for a coffee and a bite.
Farmers Markets
- Friday: Todos Santos Organic Market 9-2pm
- Saturday: Gypseas Farmers Market, Pescadero 10-3pm
- Sunday: Senor Beans Cafe’s (formerly Baja Beans) Farmers Market, Pescadero 8:30-2
- The Farm Stand, across from Senor Beans Cafe, an amazing non-profit to support Grow Pescadero, Fri, Sat & Sun 9-3
Where to Stay
Hotels, Villas & Casitas
- Cerritos Beach Inn – right on the beach, and has a pool and restaurant
- Hotel So Far So Good – short walk to the beach, sustainability-focused boutique hotel
- Villas de Cerritos Beach – villas, bungalows & casitas, pool, pizza restaurant and walkable to beach
- Cerritos Surf Town – beachfront villas, restaurant on site
- many private homes available now on AirBnB
RV Camping
- Camp Itchy Feet – come stay with us! Big rig friendly Currently partial hookups (water/septic), while we await power. Our sweet little desert oasis with mountain and ocean views!
- Casa Caravan – full hookups, small plunge pool, small and tight sites
- Camp Cerritos – full hookups, great for vans/trucks and rigs up to 34′. Bathrooms, shower, large communal palapa.
- Rancho Escondido RV – just across the highway from Cerritos, for those looking for even more quiet and remote camping. Partial hookup sites, as well as dry camping sites. Bathrooms & showers, outdoor kitchen & palapa, fresh eggs, family-friendly & quiet
Lower Baja Day Trip Options From Los Cerritos
Todos Santos
If you take Highway 19 fifteen minutes north, you’ll come to the “Pueblo Mágico”, or magic town, of Todos Santos. Mexico’s Secretariat of Tourism names the Pueblo Mágicos to certain towns that hold specific historical relevance and keep cultural richness in both experience and architecture. Todos Santos was originally developed by Jesuit missionaries in the 1700’s. You must see the old mission “Nuestra Señor de Pilar de La Paz” and wander the plaza surrounding it. This is also a great place to spend a couple hours shopping, viewing the art galleries, and grab a meal in one of the many fabulous restaurants.
Day trip to Los Cabos
“Los Cabos” translates in to “the capes”. Baja has Cabo San Lucas, and San Jose del Cabo. They are about 30 km apart, and quite different. You can drive about an hour to get to either one from Cerritos for a nice day trip or to spend a weekend, or more…
Cabo San Lucas, often just called “Cabo”, is at the famous “Land’s End”, the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula. It’s the place to go if you’re looking for a party, and is more tourism-driven than the two. If you go here, you must check out the marina, and have a meal overlooking it. Two of the most popular “touristy” bars include Cabo Wabo, which is near the marina, and The Office, which is right on the beach and has nice views of Land’s End.
San Jose Del Cabo is a much older, historic town with a rich food and art scene (and in my opinion, much prettier. We like to go here for extended stays and golf and explore the “old town” and the plaza. Also, if you have kids, they have a drop-in day care called Cabo Kids, which is really handy if you want to do some kid-free exploring, or like us, go golfing right down the road. Awesome thing about the golf course here: green fees include all your beverages and a meal you can enjoy before or after your round, or after the first nine.
BONUS SIDE TRIP FROM SAN JOSE: One of our favourite drives, East Cape Road, goes from here up to Cabo Pulmo National Park, a renowned diving location. This road is stacked with amazing beaches for picnics and has the best whale watching.
Day trip to La Paz
La Paz, Baja’s California Sur’s capital city, is bigger and busier than Los Cabos. We like it because it’s a little less touristy. You get a little more of an authentic Mexican city feel, but still can find a lot of things to do tourism-wise. When we stay here we always visit Playa Balandra, Baja’s most famous beach. Many people come to La Paz to snorkel and scuba dive, and most often, swim with Whale Sharks!
Other things to do when you visit the Los Cerritos area of Baja:
- go on a UTV adventure tour
- go hiking in the mountains
- go whale watching
- go horseback riding, or on a guided camel ride
- explore many other beautiful beaches: Las Palmas, San Pedrito, La Pastora…
- baby sea turtle release in Todos Santos
- go on a fishing charter
- try one of the MANY amazing yoga studios or other fitness classes
- take a pottery or paint class
- take a Spanish lesson
…the possibilities are endless!
Did you know that ending up down here in lower Baja was the end of an epic road trip that we took in our RV across Canada and down the west coast of the USA?! If not, check out the story here:
Interested in hearing about the process of buying land here in Mexico? Check out the article below:
Feel free to reach out to us if you decide to visit Los Cerritos, Baja! We’d love to hear from you!
Stay Itchy!
