The Ultimate Cabo Day Trip: A Forgotten Town And Its Hidden Waterfall

Los Cabos is a headline-maker for yachts, infinity pools, and celebrity taco selfies—but just 45 minutes up Highway 1 lies Miraflores, a breezy mountain village most travelers zoom past on the way to La Paz.

Pair it with the lush waterfall at nearby Fox Canyon and you’ve got the ultimate one-day escape: part small-town nostalgia, part wild-swim adventure, finished with a farm-to-fork feast under desert stars. Ready for a side of Baja you didn’t know existed?

Let’s map out your perfect day.

🏘️ Miraflores: Leather, Orchards & Laid-Back Charm

Miraflores may sit only 45 minutes to an hour from Cabo’s marina buzz, yet step onto its cobbled plaza and you’ll swear you crossed a century.

Established in the 1700s by ranchero families, the village still hums with artisan trades you can’t fake on Instagram. Workshops echo with the pop-pop of mallets shaping hand-tooled saddles, while palm frond weavers braid intricate sombreros under breezy portales.

Bougainvillea spill over adobe walls painted sunrise pink, and backyard orchards burst with mangos, papayas, and the town’s sweet-scarlet calling card—pitahaya (dragon-fruit).

Every July, locals stage a tiny but jubilant Festival de la Pitahaya, crowning the season’s fattest fruit (dragonfruit) and turning it into ice cream, marmalade, even barbecue glaze.

Miraflores also enjoys a Sierra de la Laguna micro-climate: afternoons run a good 5 °F (3 °C) cooler than Cabo, and breezes carry the scent of citrus blossoms instead of sea spray. It’s the sort of place where a horse still clops past the plaza at siesta time and nobody blinks.

What to do before noon

• Plaza shopping. Hunt for raw-hide belts, cactus-honey candy, and pitahaya jam sold by grandmas with sun-creased smiles.
• Orchid & aloe nurseries. Thanks to the cool micro-climate, backyard greenhouses overflow with rare orchids and medicinal aloe; most owners happily sell cuttings for a few pesos.
• Lonchería fuel-up. Order machaca con huevo—sun-dried beef scrambled with eggs and serrano chile. Pair it with pitahaya agua fresca so neon-pink it looks Photoshopped.
• Side-trip soaker. If time allows, detour ten minutes to Santa Rita Hot Springs where mineral pools bubble beneath palm canopies—two hours here will melt trail dust before your Fox Canyon hike.

🌊 Fox Canyon’s Hidden Waterfall

From town, a graded dirt road winds 25 minutes into the Sierra foothills until it dead-ends at Cañón de la Zorra (Fox Canyon). A short, rocky trail drops you to a 35-foot waterfall that plunges into a jade-green pool—perfect for a refreshing plunge on a hot day. Pack sturdy sandals for the scramble and at least two liters of water; shade is minimal. Local ejidatarios collect a modest conservation fee at the trailhead (cash only).

Safety note: Summer storms can swell the creek, so check conditions in Miraflores before you go; if locals say “corriente fuerte,” save the swim for next time.

🍴 NEW: “Kitchen to the Farm”—Miraflores’ Culinary Mic-Drop

Back in the valley, Miraflores is suddenly the star of Baja’s foodie scene, thanks to Mar del Cabo by Velas Resorts and its brand-new “Kitchen to the Farm” experience launched July 1 2025. Set on Tiky Cabo, a 100-acre organic oasis just outside town, the program flips the usual farm-to-table script:

1. Garden tour & harvest – Late-afternoon sun lights up the garden and all the ingredients you’ll pick with the chef.
2. Hands-on cooking class – Knead pasta, sear local quesero’s oregano cheese, and grill langoustine.
3. Five-course al-fresco dinner – dig in!!
4. Bonfire & (optional) stargazing – Swap waterfall stories while telescopes zero in on the cosmos.

The details:

• Runs March–August, when Miraflores gardens explode with produce
• Four-hour experience priced at $1,057 USD for up to six guests (transport on request)
• Add a guided stargazing session for $244 USD
• Book via [email protected] or 1-844-314-2352

💡 Quick Tips for a Smooth Trip

• Cash is king. Leather stalls and canyon entrance take pesos only.
• High-clearance vehicle recommended for the canyon road. Most standard SUVs handle it fine.
• Pack swimsuits & dry bags. Phones hate waterfalls.
• Bug spray & reef-safe sunscreen keep the countryside blissful.
• Reserve Kitchen to the Farm as soon as you can; harvest menus shift with what’s ripe.

🌞 Why This Day Trip Wins Baja Bingo

Miraflores hands you leather-shop charm and cool mountain breezes.

Fox Canyon delivers an Instagram-proof swim hole.

And “Kitchen to the Farm” layers on a starlit feast that would impress even Cabo’s most jaded foodies. In one loop you’ll taste, hike, swim, cook, and toast the stars—no mega-resort wristband required.

Ready to trade infinity-pool lounging for a day of pure Baja exploration? Grab a rental car, cue up your favorite road-trip playlist, and point north—Miraflores and its hidden waterfall are waiting, forks and swim holes at the ready.