Pescadero (official name, El Pescadero) is a very small town located less than an hour north of Cabo San Lucas and fifteen minutes south of Todos Santos. Once a kicked back farming community, it is now becoming a popular place for retirees and ex-pats from the U.S. and Canada. The area is bustling with development although it really doesn’t show very much, unless you really take a close look.
The locals are very friendly (muy simpatico) and many have lived in the area for generations. There are not a lot of Pescadero residents who speak much English, so practice up on your Spanish before a visit.
There is still quite a bit of farming activity, the area is famous for the quality of the chilies and basil grown here. Mango groves and papaya trees were often used as property dividers in this fertile valley that fronts on the Pacific Ocean. Along with the mangos and papayas produced, the local fields also produce strawberries and a very flavorful cherry tomato.
On the inland side of Highway 19, is the small town, with a few businesses and small shops with limited supplies. As more homes are being built, more businesses are opening and the town of Pescadero is also expanding. Most of the residential development is taking place on the Pacific side of the highway, along the beach. The town even has a gas station now, after years and years of having to drive to Todos Santos just to get gas.
There is a small hotel and a small motel (very basic, very small). A new upscale Bed & Breakfast has recently opened near the beach and it is a sure bet that other lodging options will be opened in the near future.
Fishing from pangas can be arranged just north of Pescadero at Punta Lobos. You can usually buy fresh fish from the local fishermen at Punta Lobos. You have to catch them just as they come in with the day’s catch, or it will go to Todos Santos and be served for dinner.
Playa Cerritos, just south of Pescadero is a pleasant beach with a decent surf break. This area is really starting to grow and is the site of quite a bit of residential development. Whether that is good or bad remains to be seen.
This beach has always been popular with the locals from Pescadero, and nearby Todos Santos. It has recently gotten the attention from residents of the resorts further south as a place to get away from it all.
A new beach club, restaurant and bar is open and business is booming! The food is good and the service is attentive, something not usually found on remote beaches. If a massage on the beach is your cup of tea, lie down under the gazebo and get rubbed on. The beach club is the only business on the beach, except for a surfboard rental shop.
The hills on the northern end of the long beach are already subdivided and lots are selling briskly. The condo development is just now opening and will probably do very well also. This is a very long beach and there is plenty of room for everyone.
Surfers and fishermen still use the beach for what they do best. I once caught a lobster with a surf casting outfit on this very beach (yes, I have reliable witnesses). A surf camp in Pescadero offers lessons on this beach, as it is a good spot for beginners when the swell is small. On larger swells, the experienced surfers take advantage of the easy access, great waves, warm water and the ease of procuring a tasty meal and a cold one.
