Playa La Poza

Playa La Poza is the long white beach at the mouth of Laguna La Poza, a brackish lagoon of about 35 acres on the western edge of Todos Santos, fed by fresh water from the Sierra de La Laguna and topped up by the sea when big swells wash over the sand bar. Take Calle Guaycura out of town toward Hotel Posada La Poza; the dirt road ends and narrow trails through tall reeds lead down to the lagoon mouth on the sand.

The draw is birds. Around a quarter of the 400-plus species recorded in Baja California Sur have been seen here: coots, cinnamon teal, pelicans, egrets, herons, orioles and warblers, plus three peninsular endemics, Xantus's hummingbird, the gray thrasher and Belding's yellowthroat. The yellowthroat lives only in the reeds and cattails of a few oases, is listed as endangered in Mexico and vulnerable by the IUCN, and La Poza is one of its well-established populations; a 2024 survey counted between 11 and 50 birds here.

The beach itself is deep white sand running for miles in both directions, pounded by powerful waves. Like the other town beaches it has a heavy shore break and rip currents, so it is for walking, not swimming. In winter gray whales spy-hop and breach just offshore. Keep to the trails, leave the dune plants alone and take nothing but photos.

Sources: Baja Bound, Laguna La Poza · Western Birds 56 (2025) · Pronatura Noroeste · Sonoran Joint Venture · Outside, Todos Santos · Visit Los Cabos, Todos Santos