Villa Santa Cruz

Thanks to our friends at Baja.com - a comprehensive online source of first-hand travel advice on Baja California, Mexico - we spent the day aboard a spectacular yacht in the Sea of Cortez, explored the beautiful Balandra Beach and swam with whale sharks.  While our guests at Villa Santa Cruz, Boutique Hotel on the Beach, are usually quite content enjoying the Villa and Todos Santos, this day trip to La Paz is a "must do" for any guest of Villa Santa Cruz and any traveler to Baja Sur.

The Samurai - what a beauty!

Arriving bright and early to the La Paz marina after an hour drive from Todos Santos, we were welcomed by Kenny Busick, the owner and captain of our vessel for the day, The One Baja's 56' Samurai Luxury Yacht.  Over piping hot coffee and breakfast on board, we met up with the Baja.com team and other Baja "ambassadors" with whom we would spend the day.  The impressive list of locals included Tim Means, a passionate Baja conservationist and owner of the outdoor adventure company, Baja Expeditions, Roy Stock - Principal of Wide Open Baja, an off road touring company, James Curtis - Owner of the Cortez Club, the best diving and watersports center in La Paz, who regaled us with amazing tales of personal encounters with whales and dolphins in the Sea of Cortez, and Restaurateurs Miguel Ochoa (Hotel Casa Tota and La Santena Restaurant & Bar), Geoffrey Lujan (Las Tres Virgines Restaurant in La Paz) and Rafael Rodriguez (Salsipuedes Bar & Restaurant in La Paz) and more!

Once we settled in on the yacht, we were soon heading north through the La Paz Bay.  With the morning sun on our shoulders, it was a beautiful sight watching the coast from the sea.  Within minutes, the crew on the top deck spotted a friendly whale shark near our boat.  Jim Pickell, the CEO of Baja.com, was the only one brave enough to jump in and get up close and personal with him.

Whale Shark Mouth

Jim with the Whale Shark

We made our way to Balandra Beach, one of the most breath taking stretches in all of Baja Sur.  With crystal clear water, powder white sand and gently lapping waves, an afternoon here is one spent in paradise.  Captain Kenny anchored the boat in the bay and let us explore.

Beautiful Balandra Beach

Kayaking around Balandra

Balandra's Famous Mushroom Rock

Docking back at the Marina, we were sad to say good-bye to all our new friends and to such a great day out on the water.  We'd like to extend a huge thank you to everyone at Baja.com for such a fun day.  We look forward to sending our Villa Santa Cruz guests out for the same adventure!

General Information:

Location.  La Paz is located approximately one hour northeast of Todos Santos by car.  With a completed four-lane highway, the drive is easy and quick.  The Samurai is located here.

About the Samurai.  The Samurai is a luxury yacht for cruising, fishing and family fun.  It is a luxurious, smooth riding stable platform that offers a 20 knot cruise, great for sport fishing and perfect for multi-island exploration or long range voyages, manufactured by Ronin Shipbuilding in Puerto Rico.  She is completely self-sufficient with two generators, four air conditioners, 800 per day fresh water maker, three private staterooms, two private heads, complete chef's galley, two custom BBQ's, main dining room and underwater lights for night time fishing action.

Charter Includes.  They typical day includes full breakfast, lunch and snacks as well as beer and wine. Guests can take the dinghy to explore beaches, snorkel, kayak, dive, fish, paddleboard and more.

Cost.  The cost varies with the number of people, itinerary and menu, but is usually around $3,000 USD/day (plus 10-20% tip).  Overnight trips are quoted upon request.

Reservations.  Reservations can be made through Samurai's listing on Baja.com.

Don’t miss Monday and Wednesday evenings at La Bodega. Monday is “Flight Night” and is a great time to sample featured wines and listen to the funky blues band, Ben & the Men. Monday nights, 5-8pm. 

Wednesday night is “Big Red Wednesday” where Mac sells boldly structured red wines by the glass, paired with Dona Guillermina’s delicious tamales. Tolin serenades the evening with his beautiful guitar music. Wednesday nights, 5-7pm.

Located on Calle Hidalgo, between Juarez and Militar (stand in front of the Tecolote Bookstore and walk straight down the street). Open Monday, 5-8pm; Tuesday – Saturday, 11am to 7pm.  Find La Bodega on Facebook.

Villa Santa Cruz, Boutique Hotel on the Beach, is the perfect backdrop for a hacienda-style wedding.  Todos Santos based photographers, Chris+Lynn, captured the true essence of the Villa with a beachy, cowboy inspired wedding shoot.  Read the excerpt below from their blog and then click the link to see all the fun photos!

Imagine driving down a dusty dirt road, past acres of palm groves, deserted ranches, ancient cacti, and the odd cow, only to come to a golden hacienda set right on the beach. Guests convinced they must have been . . ."  

Click here to jump to their blog to read on and see all the AMAZING photos!

On the evening of December 19, 2011, we will proudly host a Food & Wine Pairing Event at Villa Santa Cruz to benefit one of Todos Santos' most important charities, Hogar Del Nino (orphanage). This special evening, limited to 60 guests, promises to be a gastronomic experience! Chef Sergio of La Casita Tapas & Wine Bar will prepare five amazing food courses, each to be paired with specially selected Baja wines. The evening will include music, a small silent auction of select items and a cash raffle. All net proceeds go directly to the Hogar for support of basic needs such as food, clothing, transportation and utilities. 

Don't hesitate to reserve your ticket - the evening is almost sold out!

Event tickets are $75 USD (or $1,000 pesos) and raffle tickets are $50 pesos each. All ticket purchases include a ticket for a 50/50 cash raffle. 50/50 raffle tickets are available to those not attending the event, as well. 

Please contact the following ladies for more information:  

Nancy Serfas - nancyserfas@aol.com

Lisa Welsch - lwelsch@cbriveras.com 

Sylvia St Clair - sylviainbaja@gmail.com

Nancy Naigle - nnaigle@att.net

When you walk through the garden, you can brush up on your Spanish vocabulary – all the signs that name the vegetables and flowers are in English and Español. One day soon, we’ll be picking betabels (beets), zanahorias (carrots), and albahaca (basil), just to name a few. 

While we patiently wait for the seeds to grow and produce, we'll be collecting new breakfast and lunch recipes that incorporate the fresh veggies into the meals served here at the Villa.  If you have a favorite, please send it our way!

In the town of Todos Santos, with a healthy mix of both Mexicans and Gringos, the juxtaposition of the celebrations of American Halloween and Mexican Day of the Dead are a bit peculiar at first glance. The two holidays are based on completely opposite ideas of death – Halloween stems from an innate fear of ghosts and spirits while the Day of the Dead is a joyous time to reunite with deceased friends and family members. However, as the centuries have ticked by, and Halloween has morphed from a superstitious terror-invoking event into a secular, community-oriented festivity, the spirit of the two holidays now seem to complement each other. 

Here in Todos Santos, Halloween and Day of the Dead revelry are in full force. The Sandbar hosted a wild Halloween party on Friday night, followed by the traditional costume extravaganza at the Hotel California on Saturday night. And, the streets and storefronts in Todos Santos are festively decorated for the Day of the Dead. The traditional Mexican Catrina, the well-dressed skeleton figurine seen all over Mexico, has made a grand appearance at La Garra Bar, the Cultural Center is decorated with a Day of the Dead altar, and a skeleton has even saddled up to the bar at Cafelix. At Villa Santa Cruz, the beautiful talavera urn that adorns our staircase reminds us of this lively holiday year-round. What a time to be in Todos Santos!

La Garra Bar's Catrina

The Cultural Center

Cafelix's Bony Patron

Villa Santa Cruz Urn

Purchase your ticket and book your room at Villa Santa Cruz now (we’ll book you into the Villa and have your Blue Moon ticket ready upon check-in)! Want to make the night even more fun? You can arrange to have dinner at the Villa before the show. Then, just drive a mile or two down the road for the performance and enjoy! 

Friday, December 16, 2011 & Saturday, December 17, 2011
Friday, January 20, 2012 & Saturday, January 21, 2012
Friday, February 24, 2012 & Saturday, February 25, 2012
Friday, March 9, 2012 & Saturday, March 10, 2012

Even in the hot summer months, produce abounds in Todos Santos and at Villa Santa Cruz. We are co-oping with a local organic farmer, Sueño Tropical, to grow beautiful basil in our southernmost lot. The seedlings were planted in early August and are already producing boxes full of healthy, fragrant basil.  Picked in the cool early mornings, the subtle smell of basil gently drifts through the Villa and out to the beach. The expansive green field is a delightful sight from our Roof Terrace and Guest Suites. 

Just up the road from Villa Santa Cruz, at Las Playitas Beach, the dedicated volunteers of Tortugueros Las Playitas, an environmental conservation group who specialize in Endangered Sea Turtle population recovery and habitat protection, are hard at work rescuing sea turtle nests and releasing hatchlings into the ocean.  While they have spent the summer patrolling the beaches, rescuing turtle eggs and monitoring their incubation, the turtle release season is now in full swing!

You can participate in their recovery efforts by assisting in the turtle releases.  When the nests hatch and a release is scheduled, the group notifies the community via email blasts and Facebook posts.  Head to out to Las Playitas beach (click here for the map) just before sunset and help those turtles take their long walk from the shore to the beach.  It is a truly amazing experience.

For more information, visit our Turtle Releases page. To donate to the effort and help save these endangered sea turtles, click here.  This is a great community organization with a global impact!