The Todos Santos to Cabo Pulmo Traverse crosses the Baja Peninsula from the Pacific Ocean to the Sea of Cortez, starting on the beach in Todos Santos and finishing on the beach in Cabo Pulmo. I completed this attempt in 24 hours, 53 mins, and 11 seconds, supported by three friends who rotated pacing and crewing with supplies and a support vehicle, while I ran the entire route from start to finish. The route covered many different types of terrain, from sandy beaches to desert roads to rugged technical mountain trails in the Sierra de la Laguna.
We started at 7:33 am on the beach in Todos Santos, surrounded by local fishermen getting their day going. It felt calm and cool standing on the sand looking out at the Pacific—but that didn’t last long. The first section follows roughly 16 miles of loose dirt road, and it didn’t take long before the Baja sun reminded us who was in charge. There’s very little shade early on, so we were immediately exposed to the heat we’d be dealing with for the next day.
At mile 16, I took a quick stop to switch out pacers and get gear organized before heading into the mountains. And by “mountains,” I mean a climb that quickly earned its place as one of the top three hardest climbs I’ve ever done. The climb itself is about six miles, including three consecutive miles with over 1,000 feet of gain each. It’s steep, relentless, and technical in sections. The descent on the other side is just as demanding—rocky, loose, and requiring full attention.
Right before leaving the mountain section, we had a brief trail negotiation with a rattlesnake. We politely waited while it took its sweet time crossing the trail, reminding us that we were definitely visitors in its home.
At mile 35, I took a longer break to regroup, refuel, switch out pacers again, and mentally prepare for the next stretch: running through the night. Once the sun set, the desert completely changed character. The temperature dropped, the wind settled, and the trail was lit by a full moon and a sky packed with stars. It was peaceful and surprisingly calm—until we accidentally ran past a farm and woke up every animal within a mile radius. Dogs barking, donkeys braying…oops.
The 20+ miles of night running passed quietly after that, rotating pacers every 5-10 miles, and just after 6 am, we were treated to one of those moments that make the whole effort worth it. The sunrise over the desert lit up the landscape with swirling pink and orange skies, casting light across the trail and the tall cacti all around us.
As we got closer to the finish, our entire team could start to feel the energy shift. After hours of desert and mountains, seeing the blue water of the Sea of Cortez in the distance was pretty incredible. The final miles into Cabo Pulmo felt like pure momentum.
I finished at 8:23, surrounded by all my friends, the only way that made sense—by taking off our shoes and running straight into the ocean.
Starting on the Pacific and finishing in the Sea of Cortez makes this traverse a special way to experience Baja. It’s a challenging but beautiful route that crosses multiple ecosystems and showcases some of the wild terrain that makes this region so unique.