Why Your Todos Santos Day Trip May Take Longer Than Normal (And What Cabo’s Doing About It)

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If you’re planning a boho-chic day trip up the Pacific to Todos Santos, we at The Cabo Sun want you to know why the drive may be a little slower than usual right now—and how local authorities are working to speed things back up soon.

What’s going on?

A short stretch near the Lomas Altas neighborhood on the Todos Santos–Cabo San Lucas highway has deteriorated after recent rains, leaving deep potholes that force drivers to brake hard and crawl through the area. Local reports on the ground have documented vehicle damage and backups, especially at rush hour.

Heavy downpours are the main culprit. Across Los Cabos, rainfall this month has accelerated wear on asphalt, opening up new holes and widening old ones—exactly what motorists are encountering on this corridor.

While local officials have been utilizing temporary repairs, many are calling for a complete new paving. This would cause traffic in the short term, but offer a better long-term solution.

Should that happen, we will update you asap so you can plan around it.

So…will the whole route be slow?

Not the whole thing, but plan for pockets of delay. That Lomas Altas segment is the current trouble spot, and any additional rainfall can make matters worse until repairs land. If you’re setting off from Cabo San Lucas in the morning and returning at sunset—the classic Todos Santos day trip pattern—build in extra time both ways.

We’ve also been tracking broader roadwork across the destination that can ripple into day-trip timing.

The big one is San José del Cabo’s FONATUR roundabout overhaul, a grade-separated fix that’s actually running ahead of schedule and already using alternate lanes to ease traffic. While that’s across the cape from your route to Todos Santos, it still affects airport transfers and corridor flow for many travelers bouncing around the region.

What Cabo’s doing about it

The state and municipality have been rolling out a mix of pothole brigades and longer-term paving programs this year. Those include periodic resurfacing contracts on priority highway segments and ongoing municipal “bachetón” campaigns—short-term patches to keep cars moving while full repaving is queued up.

And the bigger mobility picture is improving: authorities have green-lit an inland “Interurban Axis” connector to relieve pressure on the main highway between Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo.

That won’t fix the Lomas Altas dip overnight, but it’s part of a broader plan to make regional driving—including your side trips—smoother in the near future.

Pro tips to keep your Todos Santos day smooth

• Leave earlier than you think. Aim to roll out before 8 a.m. to glide past commuter traffic and give yourself a buffer for any slow segments. We’ve been advising corridor travelers to pad drive time during active projects; it applies here, too.
• Avoid night driving. Visibility + unexpected potholes = a bad combo.
• Let a pro do the driving. If you’d rather not play “spot the pothole,” consider a guided tour or private driver. You’ll arrive fresher for gallery hopping and farm-to-table lunches. (If you’re choosing between day-trip towns, we rounded up great options here.)
• Use real-time navigation. Apps will often reroute around fresh trouble or show where cars are bunching up near Lomas Altas.
• Check your rental basics. Tire pressure, spare, and jack—five minutes now beats an hour on the shoulder later.
• Plan your pit stops. Cerritos for surf views and tacos on the way up; coffee and art strolls once you hit town. (Our recent look at why Todos Santos is booming has more inspo.)

The silver lining

Los Cabos’ infrastructure push isn’t just talk. Even while some segments suffer after storms, the flagship FONATUR underpass is moving faster than planned and already trimming some corridor delays. When complete, it’ll make airport runs and cross-cape drives more predictable—good news for anyone splitting time between Cabo and magical towns like Todos Santos. In the meantime, a little timing strategy goes a long way.

Before you go…

We’ll keep tracking on-the-ground updates and practical tips to help you win back vacation minutes.

If you’re mapping out more Baja side trips, our team’s favorite laid-back towns beyond Cabo piece and first-timer tips roundup are worth a read while you pack.

Safe travels—and enjoy those gallery courtyards, desert sunsets, and farm-fresh dinners that make Todos Santos so worth the drive.