Santiago is the quiet side of Los Cabos. It's a small farming town about an hour north of the airport, wrapped in palm groves and orchards, with a freshwater lagoon at its edge and the granite canyons of the Sierra de la Laguna rising behind it. We live beside that lagoon, in the community of La Laguna, and these are the things we'd tell a friend to do here. None of them involve a crowd.
Start on the lagoon at sunrise
The first thing to do in Santiago is get up early and go down to the water. Sunrise over the lagoon is worth setting an early alarm for. White and gray herons work the reeds, ducks and geese come and go, and you may spot herons or hawks from your terrace before you've finished your coffee.
If you're staying with us, there are three ways to do it properly:
- Yoga at Dawn: one hour on the shore of the lagoon, with an instructor, a mat and a cup of damiana tea afterward.
- Kayak and Meditation: one hour paddling the calm water, stopping at a quiet spot for a guided flow meditation. Equipment and guide included.
- Birdwatching at Sunrise or Sunset: two hours with a specialist guide, at the hours the birds are most active. Binoculars are provided.
Our honest advice: book one of these for your first morning. The lagoon sets the pace here more than any clock does, and it's the fastest way to slow down to it.
Walk the old mission town
The town of Santiago is about 300 years old and began as a Jesuit mission in the early 1720s, first known as the Misión de Santiago de los Coras. The church still keeps the altar of the old mission, and the town celebrates its patron saint, St. James, every July 25.
It's a short visit, and that's fine. Walk the small plaza, buy fruit at the market when mangoes or citrus are in season (the orchards around town grow mango, orange and grapefruit), and stop at the small fossil museum at the corner of Calzada Misioneros and Victoria Street. It holds whale bones and marine shells found high in the sierra, proof this whole valley was once under the sea. Local listings show free admission on weekday mornings, so go early and check before you set out.
We run a two-hour Explore and Discover walk with local guides through the town and its mission, with healthy snacks and drinks. It's the version we'd pick if you want the stories behind the buildings. One practical note: Santiago runs mostly on cash, so bring pesos for the market and small shops.
Swim below the Sol de Mayo waterfall
Cañón de la Zorra is the one outing we'd call unmissable. A 12-meter waterfall, Sol de Mayo, drops through pale granite boulders into a clear green pool, with more natural pools above and below it. You can sit on the rocks, swim in brisk water, or scramble around and find a pool of your own.
We offer it two ways. Hiking and Picnic (about 4 hours) walks you in on nature trails and ends with a picnic overlooking the falls; it includes the transfer, reserve access, a guide, non-alcoholic drinks and the picnic. The Sol de Mayo Adventure (about 5 hours) drives you up La Sierra with a private guide by SUV, or lets you drive a Can-Am UTV yourself, with Sierra de la Laguna National Park fees, drinks and snacks included. Pick the hike if you want to earn the view, and the UTV if you'd rather spend your energy in the water.
Soak in the Santa Rita hot springs
Santa Rita is the counterpart to the waterfall: warm water instead of brisk. The springs sit in a canyon of running water in the foothills of the Sierra de la Laguna, where you can hike up and down stream between granite and palms, then sit in a natural hot spring that reaches about 86°F (30°C).
Our Santa Rita adventure runs about 5 hours with a private guide, by SUV for up to six people or by Can-Am UTV for up to four, and includes park entrance fees, drinks and snacks. It's a good pick on a cooler winter day, when the nights here turn chilly and warm water feels like the right idea.
Stop at the Tropic of Cancer
You'll pass the Tropic of Cancer on the drive in, so it's worth five minutes. The monument and tourist plaza stand on Highway 1 at Km 81.5, just outside Santiago, marking the 23.5°N parallel. The plaza opened in 2013 to give local producers a place to sell crafts and regional food. Stretch your legs, take the photo of yourself straddling the line, and buy something from the stalls if they're open.
Spend an evening at home
Some of the best hours in Santiago happen after dark, and you don't need to go anywhere for them. Sunsets over the lagoon and oasis are gorgeous and simply unmissable, and once the sky goes black the stars come out in a way they never do in the resort towns.
Here's how we'd fill an evening:
- Dinner under the Stars: a two-hour, three-course dinner of local ingredients with a wine selection, served outdoors.
- Cocoa Ceremony at Sunset: two hours with a spiritual guide and ceremonial cacao.
- The Restaurant: our chef cooks a rotating surprise menu from what the land and season offer, for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Meals can also come to your room or terrace.
During the day, the infinity-edge pool sits under the fan palms of the oasis, and our spa offers massages, facials, and yoga and zumba classes in the open air.
How to plan your days here
Two or three nights is enough to do all of this without rushing. A simple shape: lagoon at dawn and the town on day one, the waterfall or hot springs on day two (they each take half a day), and a slow final morning by the pool. Our concierge plans and books everything above, every day from 7:30 am to 11:30 pm. Our experiences are designed for guests aged 13 and older, in keeping with the rest of the house.