Cactus Sanctuary

When we went, in December 2023, the desert was very green and lush, with lots of wildflowers. This was such a tranquil place, on a weekday. We thoroughly enjoyed it, I will be back.

This place is worth visiting, it is very clean and well preserved, the man who takes care of the facilities is super friendly and made an effort to explain everything to us, if you have free time and a car to get around, this is a great getaway to go see the sanctuary.

Directions and information are weak but what a destination. From the signs on the side of Hwy 1, go through the fence opening for 8 kilometers and be amazed! Nothing tells you what is there but it's truly a cacti preservation area with winding, easy walking trails through an incredible catus forest. Very accessible and lots of information signs. Nothing like it in Baja. A guy from the nearby village is often there and suggests a donation, which is fine. He's knowledgeable, speaks fairly good English, and keeps the bathroom and trails up.

What a great place to visit! Lupe is the man in charge and his knowledge and love of the sanctuary makes you really experience this special place. Take the time to visit !

If you arrive and the gate is shut, you can still visit! Just make sure you close the gate behind you after you enter, it's there to keep the cows out! This is straight from Lupe himself. Lovely little area, highly recommended stop.

I really enjoyed my afternoon at the Cactus Sanctuary in late April 2022. This place has over 1.5km of walking trails that follow wonderful weaving paths through a variety of different cacti. But the cacti are just the beginning! I saw unique insects, lots of birds, and lizards too. Its a haven for all sorts of flora and fauna.

The caretaker, Lupe, is a great guy. He speaks English and knows a lot about the natural uses of the plants. When I got a small cut on my leg, he showed me how to get sap from a tree to use as antiseptic.

The Sanctuary is still being finished, but it’s absolutely worth a visit if you’re in the area!

Wonderful place. So much to see and learn. You can walk the grounds in about 30 minutes, or do a tour that takes about an hour. Look for Lupe -- you might see him rolling around town on a motorbike. He'll take good care of you and he absolutely loves these cacti!

Also side note, if you're traveling by bike like us, you can refill potable water and camp here. There's also a public bathroom. NICE.

Greatest cactus sanctuary I have ever been to. Lupe is a fantastic guide - very knowledgeable with great energy!

Amazing place. Highly recommended to get the feel for a typical sudcaliforniano cactus forest!

Very pleasant owner Lupe. Worth a visit if you’re around, sanctuary is under construction, they have plans on how to make it better.

Great place to camp, big territory with cactuses. Lupe will walk you through. Thanks!

Lovely stop - spent about 90 minutes leisurely walking around the cactus garden. The trail is well maintained and very flat. The sanctuary has some very unique specimens, including crested cacti and nurse log / nurse cactus. Lupe is a very gracious guide, speaks English well, and is great to chat with.

We just loved this place. Beautiful walk. And as a bonus, we were there late in the evening so we stayed overnight - self contained in our van - in the parking lot. The road in from El Triunfo is typical bumpy dirt road, but possible by all vehicles. We heard the road from Santos Todos is not passable - but didn’t verify that.

Lupe was a wealth of knowledge and amazing host.
Very interesting place, well preserved.
Kick Lupe a few buck and he will give you a private tour.
50 peso to visit is a pittance.
Bring some water, it is toasty out there.
We wanted to go to the Cactus Cafe, but it wasn't open.

Absolutely breathtaking experience and incredible hosts. Highly recommend

Don’t let the 6 Km drive into the forest deter you. This is a marvelous preserve complete with nicely cleared walking paths, a beautiful cactus forest and other flora endemic to this area. If you are lucky, the caretaker might have time to start you off on your tour. His knowledge and passion alone are worth the 50 Peso entry fee!

Do Not Overlook This Spot Outside of La Paz! We love our American National Parks and feel that by supporting local efforts like this we help to bring attention to the natural wonders of nature. Lupe certainly ranks as one of the best " rangers" I have had a chance to meet. The park is simple but beautiful. I do hope the Mexican Government considers expanding projects like this. Lupe is very impassioned and as well has given much loving attention to the trail that was very comfortably shaded with many magnificient cacti. Lupe shared with examples of tiny cacti six months old that were a half inch and then to see trees probably three hundred years old was quite amazing. Learned a lot about cacti. It is a short drive from La Paz on your way to El Triunfo.

Very nice if you'r a cactus lover. Unfortunately, the old guide became ill and the sanctuary was not well taken care of. The new person in charge is very friendly, but still has to learn a lot about the place. Anyway, i liked it a lot and goes well combined with a visit to El Triunfo close by.

This is a very educational sanctuary that is still under some development. I hope to see it continue to improve.

This is a beautiful and welcoming spot a little off the beaten path. Drive 5km down a dirt road off the road to El Triunfo. Watch out for cows and some washboard - but I did it in a Nissan Versa so its not too bad. The entrance is marked by a cemetery. You get a nice 1 km walk through the cactus garden. The caretaker was there and he was nice enough to play the guide and he shared a lot of great information about the types of plants (several to stay away from) and their uses.