One Day, One Place: Todos Santos, Mexico

While Los Cabos draws tourists year-round with all-inclusive resorts and dining and diversions largely geeared for college-age partyers and cruise ship day-trippers, Todos Santos is an hour’s drive away — and seemingly a world apart. [...] despite its reputation for being heavily populated with American expats, it’s still possible to find actual Mexican culture. The best time to experience its charms is off-season (May-September), when most tourist shops close down and local galleries, markets and restaurants are less crowded than in high beach season. Whether you’re staying in town at Hotel Casa Tota or down by the beach at Guaycura Boutique Hotel, both excellent choices for location and value, start your morning at one of the many juice bars in town, all of which use fresh, local fruits. [...] take a stroll to Centro Cultural and spend a while poking around the library, which houses historical photographs and documents related to the founding of Todos Santos by the Jesuits in 1730. A few rooms are given over to a makeshift museum, where you can view, among other artifacts, an odd collection of skulls that demonstrate the toll traditional life took on human teeth, including an explanation of how fiber mastication, necessary for making clothes and crafts, wore down tooth enamel. The best bet for a quick lunch is Tacos El Poblano, a covered outdoor grill that serves guacamole made on the spot, homemade corn tortillas and carne asada cooked to order. Joyeria Brilanti is an artisan silver jewelry shop, founded by Ana Brilanti in 1940 and operated now by her children, whom she trained as designers to carry on the tradition of her work. He works in oils, primarily figures in vast, abstract modernist landscapes, and his gallery also features work by other artists, most notably wood sculptures by Braulio Hernandez. Sadly, La Bodega de Todos Santos, the little wine shop and restaurant that had elevated the dining scene, recently closed, but Los Adobes across the street has a beautiful patio looking onto a desert garden and a satisfying menu of regional dishes. In particular, the chile rellenos — baked ancho chiles rather than the typical breaded and fried poblanos — stuffed with mashed potatoes and served atop refried beans are worth seeking out.