Forums > General > Traveling Mexico

brabramowitz

Sep 26, 2004, 2:32 PM

Post #1 of 23 (4089 views)

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Todos los Santos vs. La Paz

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Hi,

Thank you for your help in advance.

I am backing up and taking another look at Baja as a place to buy a little vacation house.
I searched the forums and didn't find anything recent about Todos los Santos or La Paz. Both places were recommended to me by others.

Has anybody been to either place recently...? I read an article about how they had both been "discovered" and were gringo enclaves, or so the article said..

I am looking for a place that feels more like Mexico than California.
Thank you so much for any input.
Bev

jennifer rose

Sep 26, 2004, 8:02 PM

Post #2 of 23 (4043 views)

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Re: [brabramowitz] Todos Santos vs. La Paz

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Todos Santos is a magic area, not unlike Taos or Carmel at least fifty years ago. There's an article somewhere on this site about the area, and C.M. Mayo portrayed it aptly in her book "Miraculous Air." And yes, it's filled with expatriates seeking refuge from expatriate-filled venues.

LaPaz has critical mass, offering up more goods and services than Todos Santos.

RickS

Sep 26, 2004, 8:06 PM

Post #3 of 23 (4041 views)

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Re: [jennifer rose] Todos Santos vs. La Paz

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>>LaPaz has critical mass, offering up more goods and services than Todos Santos.>>

And, unless it's changed a hell of a lot in the last 2 years, could hardly be called a gringo 'enclave'.

mrchuck

Sep 27, 2004, 3:52 PM

Post #4 of 23 (3973 views)

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Re: [brabramowitz] Todos los Santos vs. La Paz

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Todos Santos has a "quaint" town square, and a whole lot of "artsy fartsy" stores. Many, many so-called gringo artists try to sell their paintings, hand made dust collectors in their stores, also book stores, ice cream shops, bohemia coffee shop, knick knak shops, t shirt shops, etc, etc.
The Hotel California is there, but not because of the Eagles music. Sorry.
Also, "Shut-Up Franks Bar is there and sells his bumper stickers.
Many people from the San Francisco town in the USA live there since they feel it is Mexico's equivalent.
Since I am not an expert on Haight Ashbury, nor San Francisco, my comments are only valid from my personal likes and dis-likes.
I never liked hippies, nor their entourage.
I visit Todos Santos only for the food at the Todos Santos Hotel. Santana's Restaurant in the courtyard of this very small, but lovely 3 or 4 room hotel.
Namely their pizza! It is truly the best found,so far.
Also the Greek salad is worth the 218 mile round trip from Los Barriles.
The Pacific breeze is also very nice.
Todos Santos was discovered many years ago.
There are many gringos there year round, but rarely fish in the Pacific Ocean due to the difficulty and danger getting thru the curl waves going out, and the "E" ticket ride surfing fully thru the waves and up onto the wet sandy beach.
Absolutely guaranteed to scare the hell out of you.
Go take a drive to it and decide for yourself.

La Paz is my favorite city in Mexico.
Population must be 250,000 by now. Or possibly more.
It has everything one would want in a big Mexican city.
My guess is that there are 3000 to 4000 extranjeros living in or close by.
I am very comfortable driving in La Paz.
Probably because I have lived here so long, and know my way around it.

But always remember, both of these places are in BCS, Mexico and is still classified as "frontera".
You must get the 6mos temporary car permit for your automobile to visit the mainland, if you have USA or Canadian plates. Mexican frontera plates, no problem.
This is a peninsula, but the ferry service makes it equivalent to an island over here.
Again, drive and visit. You may feel differently.
Saludos, mc

brabramowitz

Sep 27, 2004, 4:58 PM

Post #5 of 23 (3958 views)

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Re: [brabramowitz] Todos los Santos vs. La Paz

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Hi.

Thank you so much for your reply.

I realize more and more that I need to just go and see. That won't be until December or January. And, I can easily hit both Todos Santos and La Paz in one trip.

I don't plan to buy a car because at least for the next 20 years or so I will be working and so won't be able to spend more than a week or so at a time every 2-3 months.

My goal right now is to decide which place to check out first: Baja vs. Ensenada vs. Jocotepec and other smaller villages around Lake Chapala.
I can hardly wait to go.....

Royer Yonson

Sep 27, 2004, 10:46 PM

Post #6 of 23 (3919 views)

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Re: [brabramowitz] Todos los Santos vs. La Paz

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Gentle Sea of Cortez vs. rugged Pacific coast
Large, Mexican city vs. town.

Mruni4ms

Sep 30, 2004, 6:43 AM

Post #7 of 23 (3838 views)

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Re: [brabramowitz] Todos los Santos vs. La Paz

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Hello Bev.
I spent four days in La Paz this past May, residing at one of the B & B homes in the city. I found La Paz to be very calm, beautiful, quiet, with a traditional feel to it. The owner of the B & B stated that there is a very low unemployment rate, and very high level of education among the population (there are 4 universities - public and private, within the city). Subsequently, La Paz does not experience much of a crime rate, and there are no beggars on downtown street corners.

The waterfront malecon is wonderful, and stretches for a long distance. A great place to walk, or sit and observe the beautiful view of the harbor and beyond. On the weekend, the malecon comes alive with music, food vendors, and a large segment of the population, to enjoy life on the beautiful waterfront.

Yes, there is development underway, in particular, a large golf course/hotel complex directly across from the malecon. And real estate prices are above average for a city of it's size. I did a lot of walking around the downtown area each day and only observed a few recognizable Gringos.

I loved my visit to La Paz, and would definitely consider it as a destination.

Buena suerte!
~Michael~

brabramowitz

Sep 30, 2004, 7:51 AM

Post #8 of 23 (3823 views)

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Re: [Mruni4ms] Todos los Santos vs. La Paz

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hi

Thank you for your message. I definitely need to check out La Paz.
I am going to book a trip there for December and see what I see. I will stop off in Todos Santos as well.

By the way, what was the name of the bed and breakfast where you stayed? It sounds as if you liked it.
Bev

Bubba

Sep 30, 2004, 10:57 AM

Post #9 of 23 (3792 views)

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Re: [brabramowitz] Todos los Santos vs. La Paz

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Brabramowitz:

If you wish to move to Baja Sur why not just move to Orlando and go to HemingwayWorld where you can watch Goofy riding mechanical whales and going "Gollee!" followed by the possiblility of killing your own digital lion while dressed in your Safari jacket and holding your gin and tonic. Baja Sur has as much to do with Mexico as the movie Thunder Road has to do with Montgomery. This is the new Southern Southern California. Take it, it's yours.

Wherever in the world they proliferate, tourists and foreign interlopers both change and poison the places upon which they land. They bring in highways and, thus, spread aids. Go figure.

bournemouth

Sep 30, 2004, 9:24 PM

Post #10 of 23 (3732 views)

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Re: [Bubba] Todos los Santos vs. La Paz

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So Bubba, as you've landed in the Ajijic area, would it be fair to say you are poisoning the area?

merlo4u

Mar 3, 2005, 2:27 PM

Post #11 of 23 (3606 views)

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Re: [brabramowitz] Todos los Santos vs. La Paz

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I live in Todos Santos. If you have further questions about the area I would be happy to help.I frequent La Paz and Los Cabos as well. I moved here from wine country north of San Francisco so if there are any Bubbas out there I am probably not the person to advize you.

brabramowitz

Mar 3, 2005, 7:09 PM

Post #12 of 23 (3576 views)

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Re: [merlo4u] Todos los Santos vs. La Paz

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Hi.

Thank you so much for your post. I visited both La Paz and Todos Santos about two months ago. I didn't like Todos Santos. All I saw were North Americans. But, I really loved La Paz. I am currently working with a realtor there and am keeping my fingers crossed.

Are you happy in Todos Santos?
Bev

donwilliston

Mar 4, 2005, 6:01 AM

Post #13 of 23 (3535 views)

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Re: [brabramowitz] Todos los Santos vs. La Paz

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Bev,

If you will only have “a week or so” at a time then the travel time (each way) is an issue. Needless to say, travel to La Paz is easier than to Todos Santos. There are plenty of flights out of LAX to La Paz.

don

---
"It's good enough to be true" Gracie Maurahan 1970
---

merlo4u

Mar 4, 2005, 7:02 AM

Post #14 of 23 (3519 views)

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Re: [brabramowitz] Todos los Santos vs. La Paz

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What are you looking for in a house. I have a Mexican friend that just moved here from La Paz and wants to sell his house there.
I think if you find there are too many Gringos in Todos Santos for you that you may be disappointed in La Paz as well over the coming years because as soon as the airport is improved some more I can see that La Paz will be a very attractive retirement area. I see the old haciendas in town getting snapped up very quickly and new Gringo subdivisions are already being built and more are planned. You may want to look in the El Triumfo (sp) area a little south.
I am a designer/builder and am building a bed and breakfast here so am interested in being in a place that Gringos want to live and vacation. TS has been basically rebuilt and runs on tourist dollars and the real estate boom here. For some that is a reason to look elsewhere and to people like me a reason to come. I have lived in incredibly beautiful Tourist destinations all my life, from Calif wine country to Hawaii to Aspen, and made a living doing it, but I always here the same thing from the last person who moved to town " We need to make it more difficult for people to move here and do something about all these tourists". Every beautiful place in the world is in the path of the exodus of North American, European, and other well off Gringos. Everyone who reads this is part of the flow. I have many Mexican friends here and not one thinks that TS was better before the Gringos came. Hopefully we can move somewhere and become part of the community instead of just taking advantage of of "the great deal" and building a separate Gringo one. I see both here in TS but only participate in one.
Good luck in La Paz and let me know if you might want to see the Todos Santos that I live in.

brabramowitz

Mar 4, 2005, 8:12 AM

Post #15 of 23 (3500 views)

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Re: [merlo4u] Todos los Santos vs. La Paz

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HI,

Thank you for your message.
I am looking for a smaller house (or to build a smaller house)( for just me and maybe a friend at times) in the downtown area..as close to the water as possible (isn't everybody?). I don't plan on buying a car.
I am 20 years away from retiring so I would want a place where I can come to "escape" to my beloved Mexico for a week every 3 months or so.
I speak Spanish fluently.
Yes, I would like to know about friend's house, please.

Thank you so much for your input.
Bev

brabramowitz

Mar 4, 2005, 8:15 AM

Post #16 of 23 (3497 views)

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Re: [donwilliston] Todos los Santos vs. La Paz

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HI,

How in the world did you answer my post within seconds of my sending it!
(I'm smiling)
I have been looking at various locations in Mexico with easy-to-get-to being at the top of my list. As of about 3 months ago there is a direct flight from Sacramento (where I live) to Cabo. It takes about 3 hours, and then, of course, I would have to take the bus to La Paz.

bev

merlo4u

Mar 4, 2005, 8:37 AM

Post #17 of 23 (3491 views)

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Re: [brabramowitz] Todos los Santos vs. La Paz

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I personally don't recommend working with real estate people here. If you are seeking advice then here it is and if not don't bother with the rest. If you have an area of town that you really like and think you can afford spend time there on your next trip. Walk up and down the streets and talk to people. Tell them you really love the area and would like to find something that might be for sale. In my experience you will very quickly get turned on to a number of possibilities. A real estate agent can only show you what is listed and has jacked the price way up with the sellers. Buying direct from the owner and working with a Notario will save you a lot of money and open up many more possibilities in the area you want to be in. Once you have found the house and settled on a price you can involve a title company but the notary can tell you whether there are any problems with the title and you can do a lean search thru them or an attorney. Real estate people, in my opinion, are a waste of money, (because of the inflated price of what they have listed), to me and really limit the possibilities.

merlo4u

Mar 4, 2005, 8:44 AM

Post #18 of 23 (3489 views)

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Re: [brabramowitz] Todos los Santos vs. La Paz

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I forgot to mention my friends house is not near the water and I saw that you said that you are flying to Los Cabos and then bus to La Paz. My friends just visited from Sac. and in researching flights I saw ones to La Paz. Have you checked Mexicana, US Air,United, Ted, and Alaska?

brabramowitz

Mar 4, 2005, 8:51 AM

Post #19 of 23 (3486 views)

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Re: [merlo4u] Todos los Santos vs. La Paz

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Hi,

Thank you for your input.

The only direct flight out of Sacramento to Mexico is with Mexicana to Cabo. I am hoping that some day that will change.
Otherwise we need to fly out of Los Angeles or San Francisco...which has always been a pain. And, then clearing customs in these huge airports,....yikes!
Bev

Gayla

Mar 4, 2005, 9:16 AM

Post #20 of 23 (3478 views)

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Re: [brabramowitz] Todos los Santos vs. La Paz

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Try flying to Mexico from San Diego, even harder than Sacto, and we're right on the border ;-)).

I've flown to Mexico from SAN, SFO, LAX and IAH (Houston), all of them are easy. You can get jet service from Sacramento to Los Angeles pretty easily and make the change there in order to fly into La Paz. I know that sounds like a pain, but it's not as bad as it sounds. I've discovered this year that it is faster and less expensive for me to fly from San Diego to Houston and then into Mexico than to connect in Los Angeles or San Francisco (go figure). I get there quicker and save money in the process. What a concept, don't ya just love the logic of the airlines.

In the last 2 years I've cleared customs at SFO, LAX, IAH and SAN. SFO and LAX are very easy for clearing customs, I was through and on to my connecting flight in about 20 mintues. Clearing customs in San Diego even easier (AeroMex has some non-stops to BCS from SAN, Southwest flies non-stop to SAN, and it's a very easy airport to change planes in). When I cleared in LAX I was even diverted for the secondary agricultural inspection because I declared the dried beans, chiles, chocolate and jamaica that I was carrying back.

I cleared customs in Houston this past October and it was a pretty swift process. I cleared there again this past January and they had just opened their new cumstoms terminal, which is absolutely HUGE. Took 90 mintues to get through from deplaning to getting checked back into the domestic terminal, but there were also 3 big jets, several 737s and a couple of the little regional jets that had all come in at the same time, so there were several thousand of us trying to clear customs at the same time.

I would seriously consider going Sacto to La Paz with a connection in either Los Angeles or Las Vegas. Or go Sacramento to San Diego to La Paz using Southwest and AeroMex

brabramowitz

Mar 4, 2005, 11:35 AM

Post #21 of 23 (3454 views)

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Re: [Gayla] Todos los Santos vs. La Paz

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Hi,

Thank you for your message.

I flew AeroCalifornia from LAX two months ago. I flew from LA directly to La Paz. The layover was about 3 1/2 hours. By the time I arrived in La Paz I was exhausted.
Bev

Hachita

Sep 29, 2005, 10:54 PM

Post #22 of 23 (3333 views)

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Re: [mrchuck] Todos los Santos vs. La Paz

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Hey, you sound like my kind of guy and I can trust your advise. I am currently working and have been in Kuwait for a year but when I come home to Hachita, NM I want travel to the Baja Calif Sur area and possibly live there. Of course I am looking for the typical dream, very small village, with a piazza I sit in and drink tequila. Very slow life, eat bean burritos, etc. but near enough to large city when I get the urge to shop.
Any suggestions. Oh, ideally, only one or two days travel from US Border.
I am also interested in villages on the eastern coast of the Gulf.
Thank you,

laplayalynne

Sep 30, 2005, 10:09 AM

Post #23 of 23 (3292 views)

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Re: [Hachita] Todos los Santos vs. La Paz

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HI, I live in Baja Norte (Rosarito Beach) and I can assure you that you need to go at least south of Ensenada to find a semi-gringo free area. Probably farther. Actually I think most of Baja is turning into California. Rosarito Beach is starting to look like Orange County. Flights are easy out of TJ but they are more expensive