by Bryan Jáuregui | Culture, Food, Live Music Todos Santos
By Todos Santos Eco Adventures
2016 is shaping up to be one of the best years yet for festivals in Todos Santos! There will be festivals celebrating music, film, food, wine, nature, and art filling the entire calendar year. Event organizers will be refining their plans throughout the year, so please check back often for updates. Janice Kinne’s magazine, Journal del Pacifico, will be carrying in-depth coverage of most of the events. Please confirm festival dates with organizers before you book your tickets as organizers sometimes must change dates. ___________________________________________________________________ Todos Santos Music Festival
- Date: January 14-16; January 21-23, 2016
- Organizer: Hotel California and friends
- Details: It’s yet another fabulous lineup this year and we’ll see the return of the Old 97’s, grammy award-winners La Santa Cecilia, Mexico City’s alternative Rock band Torreblanca, The Autumn Defense (comprised of Wilco members Pat Sansone and John Stirratt), The Jayhawks, Drive-By Truckers, and the incredible core of every festival so far: Joseph Arthur, Kev’n Kinney, Chuck Prophet, and Steven Wynn. This will be the TSMF debut for Death Cab for Cutie, Tigria, Jeff Tweedy (lead singer and guitarist of Wilco), Mark Eitzel (founding member of the American Music Club) and FRANKIE, an all-female indie rock band from Vancouver. All shows will be in the Hotel California with the exception of the show on the 23rd, which will be in the town plaza.
- Why It’s Fun: Peter Buck of REM conceived of and curates this event. Not only does he play, he invites his musician buddies from the US and Mexico to come play to raise money for the Palapa Society and other Todos Santos charities. And it turns out that Peter Buck’s friends are all these incredibly nice people who are insanely great musicians. It’s nothing but fantastic music and great fun pulsing through the streets of town for nights on end – you don’t want to miss it!
- Inception: 2012
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Todos Santos Art Festival /
Festival del Arte de Todos Santos
- Date: March 5-12, 2016
- Organizer: Jorge Barajas
- Why it’s fun: It’s a week-long celebration of Mexican culture that typically features live music, dance and theatre performances, painting and drawing exhibitions, lectures on local environmental and social issues, piano and poetry recitals and lots more. Artisans from different parts of Mexico also set up shop next to the church to sell their crafts. Diverse, fun and engaging.
- Inception: 1997
- Special Note: The Todos Santos Open Artist Studio Tour will be February 6 and 7, 2016. Over 40 studios participated in 2015 and mediums included oils, pastels, watercolors, mixed media, encaustic, ceramics, sculpture and photography. Proceeds from the Tour go to the Children’s Art Fund of The Palapa Society Of Todos Santos, A.C. It’s a wonderful event.
___________________________________________________________________ Todos Santos Film Festival / El Festival de Cine de Todos Santos
- Dates: March 15-21, 2016
- Organizer: Sylvia Perel, director of the San Francisco Latino Film Festival and the Latino Festival of Redwood City, California.
- Benefits: Youth in Video program, teaching the children of the Todos Santos area about film making. They usually present a film they’ve made at the festival each year.
- Why it’s fun: This fantastic festival brings together a terrific selection of feature films, documentaries and shorts from across Mexico and Latin America that many folks would otherwise never have the opportunity to see. Many well-known film directors attend to present their films and lead audience discussions. It’s a truly great event.
- Inception: 2004
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Eco Expo 2016
- Date: April 22, 2016 (Earth Day!)
- Organizers: Todos Santos Chapter of WILDCOAST
- Benefits: Environmental education for the children of Todos Santos
- Why it’s fun: This is a super fun gathering of environmental and community groups engaged in conserving, preserving and protecting the natural beauty, bounty and health of Baja California Sur. 2016 exhibitors include Whale Shark Mexico, CONANP (National Commission of Natural Protected Areas), CIBNOR (Center of Biological Investigations of the Northwest), Punto Verde (Todos Santos Recycling), SINADES (Sistemas Naturales y Desarrollo), Alianza Keloni AC, ACTS (Todos Santos Community Association), Archipelago Espiritu Santo, ECOVIS, Islas de Golfo, Pueblo Limpio/Pueblo Magico, Todos Santos Builders, Rescatando Nuestros Arrecifes y Manglares (Save Our Reefs and Mangroves), CONAFOR (National Forestry Commission), and the Bird and Turtle Laboratories of the Autonomous University of Baja California Sur.
- Inception: 2015
___________________________________________________________________ GastroVino Festival de Todos Santos
- Date: April 22-24, 2016
- Organizers: Perla Garnica and Mac Sutton of La Bodega de Todos Santos
- Benefits: Silent auctions of previous years have benefitted the local orphanage and the Todos Santos fire department.
- Why it’s fun: The main festival is in the town plaza on Sunday, April 24, with wine-pairing dinners on the preceding nights. The GastroVino is a wonderful celebration of the food and wines of Baja California – and you get to indulge in plenty of both! It’s a great opportunity to get to know local chefs from Todos Santos (and their food) and wine makers from Baja’s Valle de Guadalupe wine-growing region (and their wines). Terrific live music performances throughout the day. It’s fabulous!
- Inception: 2012
__________________________________________________________________ Mango Festival y Fiestas de San Ignacio en Todos Santos 
- Date: Usually late July and/or early August
- Organizers: Todos Santos Pueblo Magico
- Why it’s fun: Ripe, juicy mangoes everywhere! There’s also dancing in the town square, polka bands, a parade of horsemen (cabalgata), folkloric ballet, artisan products, coronation of the Mango Festival Queen and much more. Lots of fun for the family.
- Inception: 2007
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Festival del Dia de Nuestra Señora del Pilar / Todos Santos Foundation Festival
- Date: Our saint’s day is October 12, and there are usually 5 days of celebration around then. Details when available.
- Why It’s Fun: It’s a celebration of the founding of Todos Santos and our patron saint, Pilar. Lots of music, dancing, regional foods, arts and more. There is typically a parade of horsemen and a wonderful horse show October 13 and 14. Great time for the whole family.
___________________________________________________________________ Other Festivals There is also an annual Chili and Strawberry Festival in late March/early April in Pescadero, an annual Baja Reggae Festival at Los Cerritos Beach in April (or so), and there’s even a Shark Festival in November. And that’s just the festivals! Please feel free to contact us to learn more about the many interesting/exciting/engaging events organized in town each year – and to plan your adventures to accompany them. Todos Santos Eco Adventures.
© Copyright Sergio and Bryan Jauregui, Casa Payaso S de RL de CV, 2015
by Bryan Jáuregui | Culture, Live Music Todos Santos, Travel Industry
By Todos Santos Eco Adventures The great Todos Santos festival tradition will continue in 2015, with celebrations of music, film, food, wine, nature, and art filling the entire calendar year. This is a list of the festivals currently scheduled for 2015, and please check back often for updates. For more in-depth coverage of these events, their organizers and other Todos Santos happenings, be sure to check out Wendy Rains’ weekly radio program Todos Santos Weekend with Wendy, as well as Janice Kinne’s magazine, Journal del Pacifico. Please confirm dates for festivals before you book your tickets as organizers sometimes must change dates. ___________________________________________________________________ Todos Santos Music Festival 
- Date: January 15-17; January 21-24, 2015
- Organizer: Hotel California and friends
- Details: Confirmed bands and musicians include Joseph Arthur, Kev’n Kinney, Chuck Prophet, Steven Wynn, Drive-By Truckers, Old 97’s, La Santa Cecilia, Conor Oberst, Nortec Collective, M. Ward and Dawes. All shows will be in the Hotel California with the exception of the show on the 24th, which will be in the town plaza.
- Why It’s Fun: Peter Buck of REM conceived of and curates this event. Not only does he play, he invites his musician buddies from the US and Mexico to come play to raise money for the Palapa Society and other Todos Santos charities. And it turns out that Peter Buck’s friends are all these incredibly nice people who are insanely great musicians. It’s nothing but fantastic music and great fun pulsing through the streets of town for nights on end – you don’t want to miss it!
- Inception: 2012
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Todos Santos Art Festival /Festival del Arte de Todos Santos
- Date: February 21-28, 2015
- Organizer: Jorge Barajas
- Why it’s fun: It’s a week-long celebration of Mexican culture that typically features live music, dance and theatre performances, painting and drawing exhibitions, lectures on local environmental and social issues, piano and poetry recitals and lots more. Artisans from different parts of Mexico also set up shop next to the church to sell their crafts. Diverse, fun and engaging.
- Inception: 1997
- Special Note: The Todos Santos Open Artist Studio Tour will be held on Saturday, Feburary 7 and Sunday, February 8, just after the art festival. 38 studios participated in 2014 and mediums included oils, pastels, watercolors, mixed media, encaustic, ceramics, sculpture and photography. Proceeds from the Tour go to the Children’s Art Fund of The Palapa Society Of Todos Santos, A.C. It’s a wonderful event.
___________________________________________________________________ Todos Santos Film Festival / El Festival de Cine de Todos Santos
- Dates: March 12-22, 2015: Film festival events at venues across Todos Santos, Pescadero and La Paz
- Organizer: Sylvia Perel, director of the San Francisco Latino Film Festival and the Latino Festival of Redwood City, California.
- Benefits: Youth in Video program, teaching the children of the Todos Santos area about film making. They usually present a film they’ve made at the festival each year.
- Why it’s fun: This fantastic festival brings together a terrific selection of feature films, documentaries and shorts from across Mexico and Latin America that many folks would otherwise never have the opportunity to see. Many well-known film directors attend to present their films and lead audience discussions. It’s a truly great event.
- Inception: 2004
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GastroVino Festival de Todos Santos
- Date: April 24-26
- Organizers: Perla Garnica and Mac Sutton of La Bodega de Todos Santos
- Benefits: Silent auctions of previous years have benefitted the local orphanage and the Todos Santos fire department.
- Why it’s fun: It’s a wonderful celebration of the food and wines of Baja California – and you get to indulge in plenty of both! It’s a great opportunity to get to know local chefs from Todos Santos (and their food) and wine makers from Baja’s Valle de Guadalupe wine-growing region (and their wines). Terrific live music performances throughout the day. It’s fabulous!
- Inception: 2012
__________________________________________________________________ Mango Festival y Fiestas de San Ignacio en Todos Santos
- Date: July 31-August 2, 2015
- Organizers: Todos Santos Pueblo Magico
- Why it’s fun: Ripe, juicy mangoes everywhere! There’s also dancing in the town square, polka bands, a parade of horsemen (cabalgata), folkloric ballet, artisan products, coronation of the Mango Festival Queen and much more. Lots of fun for the family.
- Inception: 2007
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Festival del Dia de Nuestra Señora del Pilar / Todos Santos Foundation Festival
- Date: Our saint’s day is October 12, and there are usually 5 days of celebration around then. Details when available.
- Why It’s Fun: It’s a celebration of the founding of Todos Santos and our patron saint, Pilar. Lots of music, dancing, regional foods, arts and more. There is typically a parade of horsemen and a wonderful horse show October 13 and 14. Great time for the whole family.
___________________________________________________________________ Other Festivals There is also an annual Chili and Strawberry Festival in late March/early April in Pescadero, an annual Baja Reggae Festival at Los Cerritos Beach in April (or so), and there’s even a Shark Festival in November. And that’s just the festivals! Please feel free to contact us to learn more about the many interesting/exciting/engaging events organized in town each year – and to plan your adventures to accompany them. Todos Santos Eco Adventures. © Copyright Sergio and Bryan Jauregui, Casa Payaso S de RL de CV, 2014
by Bryan Jáuregui | Culture, Education, Food, Travel Industry
By Todos Santos Eco Adventures
2013 was an incredibly exciting year for festivals in Todos Santos, with truly great bands playing at the Music Festival, thrilling films and directors showing at the Film Festival, fabulous vintners and restaurants delighting at the GastroVino Festival, incredibly talented riders dazzling at the Horse Festival, and terrific artisans, artists and musicians entertaining at the Arts Festival. 2014 is shaping up to be an equally exciting year of celebration in Todos Santos, and following is a list of festivals currently planned for 2014. For more in-depth coverage of these events, their organizers and other Todos Santos happenings, be sure to check out Wendy Rains’ weekly radio program Todos Santos Tonight, as well as Janice Kinne’s magazine, Journal del Pacifico. Please be sure to confirm dates for festivals before you book your tickets as organizers sometimes must change dates.
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Todos Santos Music Festival 
- Date: January 16-18; January 22-25, 2014
- Organizer: Hotel California and friends
- Details: Confirmed bands include the Twin Tones, Dream Syndicate, Minus 5, Torreblanca, Kev’n Kenney’s Drivin’ N’ Cryin’, El Gallo Negro. All shows will be in the Hotel California with the exception of the show on the 25th, which will be in the town plaza.
- Why It’s Fun: Peter Buck of REM conceived of and curates this event. Not only does he play with the Minus 5, he invites his musician buddies from the US and Mexico to come play to raise money for the Palapa Society and other Todos Santos charities. It’s a lot of great music flowing through the streets for nights on end – nothing but fun!
- Inception: 2012
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Todos Santos Art Festival / Festival del Arte de Todos Santos
- Date: February 1-8, 2014
- Organizer: Jorge Barajas
- Why it’s fun: It’s a week-long celebration of Mexican culture that typically features live music, dance and theatre performances, painting and drawing exhibitions, lectures on local environmental and social issues, piano and poetry recitals and lots more. Artisans from different parts of Mexico also set up shop next to the church to sell their crafts. Diverse, fun and engaging.
- Inception: 1997
- Special Note: The Todos Santos Open Artist Studio Tour will be held on February 9, just after the art festival. 35 studios participated in 2013 and mediums included oils, pastels, watercolors, mixed media, encaustic, ceramics, sculpture and photography. Proceeds go to the Children’s Art project of the Palapa Society.
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Todos Santos Film Festival / El Festival de Cine de Todos Santos
- Dates: February 20-26, 2014
- Organizer: Sylvia Perel, director of the San Francisco Latino Film Festival and the Latino Festival of Redwood City, California.
- Benefits: Youth in Video program, teaching the children of the Todos Santos area about film making.
- Why it’s fun: This fantastic festival brings together a terrific selection of feature films, documentaries and shorts from across Mexico and Latin America that many folks would otherwise never have the opportunity to see. Many well-known film directors attend to present their films and lead audience discussions. Great event!
- Inception: 2004
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Todos Santos Hummingbird Festival
- Date: May 11, 2014
- Organizers: ProFaunaBaja and Todos Santos Eco Adventures, supported by a grant from Western Hummingbird Partnership / Klamath Bird Observatory
- Benefits: Environmental education for the children of Todos Santos
- Why it’s fun: We’ll be celebrating both the endemic and migratory birds of Baja California Sur! There will be workshops by non-profit environmental organizations and local artisans and craftsmen, as well as a photo contest, children’s art contest, lots of great food and plenty of good music. We will be presenting the results of our citizen scientist hummingbird study, and Dr. Esmé F. Hennessy M.Sc., Ph.D., F.L.S. a published botanist from University of Natal, South Africa,will be the keynote speaker at the festival. Other speakers will include local ornithologists from CIBNOR, UABCS, and CICESE.
- Inception: 2014
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GastroVino Festival de Todos Santos
- Date: May 24-25, 2014
- Organizers: Perla Garnica and Mac Sutton of La Bodega de Todos Santos
- Benefits: Silent auctions of previous years have benefitted the local orphanage and the Todos Santos fire department.
- Why it’s fun: It’s a wonderful celebration of the food and wines of Baja California – and you get to indulge in plenty of both! It’s a great opportunity to get to know local chefs from Todos Santos (and their food) and wine makers from both Todos Santos (yeah, we got that!) and Baja’s Valle de Guadalupe wine-growing region (and their wines). Terrific live music performances throughout the day. It’s fabulous!
- Inception: 2012
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Mango Festival y Fiestas de San Ignacio en Todos Santos
- Date: July 31-August 3, 2014
- Organizers: Todos Santos Pueblo Magico
- Why it’s fun: Ripe, juice mangoes everywhere! There’s also dancing in the town square, polka bands, a parade of horsemen (cabalgata), folkloric ballet, artisan products, coronation of the Mango Festival Queen and much more. Lots of fun for the family.
- Inception: 2007
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Festival del Dia de Nuestra Señora del Pilar / Todos Santos Foundation Festival
- Date: Our saint’s day is October 12, and there are usually 5 days of celebration around then. Details when available.
- Why It’s Fun: It’s a celebration of the founding of Todos Santos and our patron saint, Pilar. Lots of music, dancing, regional foods, arts and more. There is typically a parade of horsemen and a wonderful horse show October 13 and 14. Great time for the whole family.
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Festival L’amour á la française / “An Eternal Theme to Live and Make Known French Love!”
- Date: November 5-9, 2014
- Organizers: Delphine Depardieu, Alain Depardieu, Alain Rocca
- Why it’s fun: The organizers are promising “movies, champagne, food, fashion and luxury”, and what’s not fun about that?! Movies by great film makers such as Jean-Luc Godard, Claude Lelouch, Christian Vincent, and Jane Campion will be featured, with stars such as Brigitte Bardot, Anouk Aimee, Fanny Ardant and Sophie Marceau gracing the big screen at Teatro Manuel Márquez de León. Champagne tastings, French food explorations, and fashions shows are all part of the 4 days of festivities.
- Inception: 2014
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EcoExpo 2014
- Date: Sunday, November 16, 2014
- Organizer: WildCoast / Costasalvaje Todos Santos Chapter
- Why It’s Fun: It’s a celebration of the natural patrimony of Todos Santos and Baja California Sur, and environmental organizations from across the state will be hosting fun and interactive programs for local kids on conserving Baja’s ecosystems.
- Inception: 2014
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Other Festivals
There is also an annual Chili and Strawberry Festival in late March/early April in Pescadero, an annual Baja Reggae Festival at Los Cerritos Beach in April (or so), and there’s even a Shark Festival in November. And that’s just the festivals! Please feel free to contact us to learn more about the many interesting/exciting/engaging events organized in town each year – and to plan your adventures to accompany them. Todos Santos Eco Adventures.
© Copyright Sergio and Bryan Jauregui, Casa Payaso S de RL de CV, 2014
by Bryan Jáuregui | Adventure, Culture, Food, Travel Industry
By Todos Santos Eco Adventures
The festival scene is exploding here in Todos Santos! The talented, creative and energetic people of the town have organized a wonderful array of festivals to celebrate the many things that make Todos Santos such a great place to live and visit: food, wine, music, art, ranchero culture and more. Following is a list of festivals currently planned for 2013. For more in-depth coverage of these events, their organizers and other Todos Santos happenings, be sure to check out Wendy Rains’ weekly radio program Todos Santos Today, as well as Janice Kinne’s magazine, Journal del Pacifico.Visitors – time to start planning your 2013 trip to Todos Santos! Locals, if you have updates to the information or know of more festivals being planned, please let us know. We’d love to get the word out!
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Peter Buck & Friends Play the Palapa Society. Photo by Vivian Johnson
Todos Santos Music Festival
- Date: January 10-26, 2013
- Organizers: Peter Buck of REM and the Hotel California (and Todos Santos Eco Adventures is a sponsor!)
- Benefits: The Palapa Society, helping the children of Todos Santos
- Why it’s fun: Peter Buck of REM recruits his famous musician friends to come jam in Todos Santos over three weekends to raise money for an excellent cause. It’s awesome!
- Inception: 2012
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Todos Santos Art Festival / Festival del Arte de Todos Santos
- Date: February 13-17, 2013
- Organizer: Jorge Barajas
- Why it’s fun: It’s a week-long celebration of Mexican culture that typically features live music, dance and theatre performances, painting and drawing exhibitions, lectures on local environmental and social issues, piano and poetry recitals and lots more. Artisans from different parts of Mexico also set up shop next to the church to sell their crafts. Diverse, fun and engaging.
- Inception: 1997
- Special Note: The Todos Santos Open Artist Studio Tour will be held on February 10, just before the art festival. 31 studios participated in 2012 and mediums included oils, pastels, watercolors, mixed media, encaustic, ceramics, sculpture and photography. Proceeds go to the Children’s Art project of the Palapa Society.
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Artist Jill Logan’s painting of Mexican actress Maria Felix
Todos Santos Film Festival / El Festival de Cine de Todos Santos
- Dates: February 20-25, 2013 (Todos Santos) February 26-28 (La Paz)
- Organizer: Sylvia Perel, director of the San Francisco Latino Film Festival and the Latino Festival of Redwood City, California.
- Benefits: Youth in Video program, teaching the children of the Todos Santos area about film making.
- Why it’s fun: This fantastic festival brings together a terrific selection of feature films, documentaries and shorts from across Mexico and Latin America that many folks would otherwise never have the opportunity to see. Many well-known film directors attend to present their films and lead audience discussions. Great event!
- Inception: 2004
Todos Santos Own Sierra Laguna Vintners Zach and Kristianna
- Date: May 4-5, 2013
- Organizers: Perla Garnica and Mac Sutton of La Bodega de Todos Santos
- Benefits: Silent auction to benefit thethe bomberos – the firemen – of Todos Santos
- Why it’s fun: It’s a wonderful celebration of the food and wines of Baja California – and you get to indulge in plenty of both! It’s a great opportunity to get to know local chefs from Todos Santos (and their food) and winemakers from both Todos Santos (yeah, we got that!) and Baja’s Valle de Guadalupe wine-growing region (and their wines). Terrific live music performances throughout the day. It’s fabulous!
- Inception: 2012
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Escaramuza Riders at Todos Santos Horse Festival
Todos Santos Horse Festival / Festival del Caballos de Todos Santos
- Date: May 12, 2013
- Organizers: Arturo Geraldo and Kaia Thomson
- Why it’s fun: It’s an exciting celebration of Baja ranchero culture that starts with a cabalgata, or parade of horsemen, and features the colorful escaramuza female show riders, trick ropers, barrel races, dancing horses and expert horsemanship.
- Inception: 2012
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Festival del Dia de Nuestra Señora del Pilar / Todos Santos Foundation Festival
- Date: October 10-13, 2013. There will be lots of sporting events like baseball, football, chasing a greased pig, climbing a greased pole and bicycling, as well as lots of great food and dancing. The first half of the cabalgata, or parade of horsemen, is October 12, and the second half when they ride into Todos Santos is October 13.
- Why It’s Fun: It’s a celebration of the founding of Todos Santos and our patron saint, Pilar. Lots of music, dancing, regional foods, arts and more. Great time for the whole family.
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Other Festivals
There is also an annual Chili and Strawberry Festival in late March/early April in Pescadero, an annual Baja Reggae Festival at Los Cerritos Beach in April (or so), a Mango Festival in July and there’s even a Shark Festival in November. And that’s just the festivals! Please feel free to contact us to learn more about the many interesting/exciting/engaging events organized in town each year – and to plan your adventures to accompany them. Todos Santos Eco Adventures.
© Copyright Sergio and Bryan Jauregui, Casa Payaso S de RL de CV, 2013
