Calle Juarez - Cane, Water and a Last Battle

A stop on Todos Santos: Pueblo Magico Walk, a free self-guided tour.

As you walk south on Calle Juarez, the old main street, picture it lined with ox carts hauling sugar cane. After the missions closed, Todos Santos became the sugar capital of southern Baja, and by the end of the 1800s eight mills were boiling cane into panocha, the dark brown sugar sold across the region.

All of it depended on the spring. When the water failed in 1950, the fields dried up and the mills went quiet one by one; the last closed in the 1960s. The spring came back in 1981, and today the orchards around town grow mangoes, papayas, avocados and chiles. A few tall brick chimneys from the old mills still stand around town; keep an eye out for them.

The town also has an unexpected place in history: one of the last skirmishes of the Mexican-American War was fought near here. Galleries and cafes continue along this stretch, so take your time.

Getting here: Continue south along Calle Juarez past the hotel for a block or two.

Did you know?: The Skirmish of Todos Santos on March 30, 1848, is often called the last battle of the Mexican-American War, fought weeks after the peace treaty was signed.

Photo op: Look back north along Calle Juarez to frame the low, colorful storefronts with the hills behind town.

More on Wikipedia: Skirmish of Todos Santos · Panela

Calle Juarez - Cane, Water and a Last Battle

Stops on this tour