Los Cabos, October 26, 2006 — Todos Santos is ready to begin a new stage (…) in which the community and the three levels of the government will work together to reinforce it (the town) as a tourist stop between the destinations of Los Cabos and La Paz,”said Narciso Agúndez Montaño, state governor of Baja California Sur, receiving the official appointment for Todos Santos as a Pueblo Magico (Magical Town) from the Tourism Secretary Rodolfo Elizondo Torres on October 23, 2006.
The ceremony took place under a canopy of a cloudy sky in the town’s main plaza. At the culminating moment, at 6:15p.m, when the official designation document was being handed, the rain fell. And, when it already seemed like the celebration would have to be cut short, in a matter of minutes the clouds opened and the sun appeared, showing that Todos Santos was now truly “magical.” Undisturbed residents and visitors patiently returned to their seats and the ceremony went on.
Rodolfo Torres continued by emphasizing that a plan was needed for the development of this Magical Town, to make sure that the original architecture, the customs and traditions were not lost. He also said that the local businessmen, the three levels of government and the community should join their efforts to make Todos Santos the pride of Baja California Sur and of the entire Mexican territory.
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Precious moments of pride after the official designation
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Mayor of La Paz Victor Castro proudly displaying the diploma of recognitio
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The official poster of Todos Santos as a Pueblo Magico
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In an interview for Los Cabos Magazine, Mayor of La Paz Victor Castro called for a better organization of the community, and said that “the designation is important, but the real challenge starts today.” He warned that sometimes development projects are carried out, but the history of a community is forgotten. “We have to stay true to our roots,” he said. “Todos Santos has earned this recognition through its history, geographical position, and the peculiar impression it leaves for every visitor, and now we have to work together to assure the balance between the town and the nature,” he concluded.
The Pueblos Magicos Program was founded in 2001 by the Tourism Secretariat (Sectur). It has already incorporated 23 towns throughout Mexico, coordinating funds for their restoration. In Todos Santos, projects to fix roads and restore historical buildings, as well as general improvement to the town’s infrastructure are all part of the development plan, under the umbrella of Pueblos Magicos Program.
After the speeches by state and city officials, the program continued into the night with folkloric dances, poetry recital, Mariachi and fireworks. Local groups presented typical dances like Danza de Los Cañeros (dance of sugar cane workers) and other dances from the coast of state of Sinaloa.
Traditional food stands were set up around the plaza, offering tamales, sugar cane candy, guava products, and other typical delicacies.
A couple of blocks away, a small fair hummed with activity, while the, usually quiet, streets filled up with residents and visitors enjoying the festivities late into the night.
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