Getting the flavor of ... Baja California’s sleepy beauty, and more

Baja California’s sleepy beauty

The Mexican town of Todos Santos is not a place to go seeking an action-packed holiday, said Christopher Reynolds in the Los Angeles Times. Unlike Cabo San Lucas, a former fishing village to the south that’s been transformed into a “raucous” tourist retreat, this 18th-century Baja mission town “is still drowsy at most hours.” But if what you’re after is “desert vistas, fresh food, and a seriously slow” getaway, this oasis wedged between the Pacific Ocean and the Sierra de la Laguna Mountains “might be your place.” When not enjoying the empty beaches—many of which are “assaulted by waves so wicked” that the surfers must proceed with caution—you can buy “fresh catch” from fishermen as they “drag their boats ashore” or sample the chilies, mangoes, and papayas grown nearby. While Cabo may give you the spring break “you won’t remember,” Todos Santos promises a holiday “you’ll never forget.”

Contact: todossantos.cc

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Honduran hideaway

The Honduran island of Utila is “neither First World nor Third World, it’s simply otherworldly,” said Lauren Viera in the Chicago Tribune. Though a trip to Honduras can often mean choosing between the contemporary comforts of its capital and the bare-bones pleasures of its impoverished countryside, Utila is its own tropical microcosm. “Anchored in the Caribbean Sea by an ancient volcano that has since retired to a hill,” the island was once occupied by Dutch, French, and English pirates. Today, it is home to speakers of Spanish, German, French, and Norwegian, as well as Carib, Garifuna, and Creole-accented English. People often come to this “secure and peaceful” island and decide to never leave after “a few dives.” They tear up their return tickets, choosing to see “what kind of life might be carved out” on this island surrounded by “clear green sea.”

Contact: aboututila.com