Much more today than just a stop for roadside tacos, gas or an overnight stay
As many of you know, this region has been a full-time home to Cristina and I for nearly 2 decades and where we built our forever home, relocating from the Rosarito Beach area to a small, off-grid fishing community on the coastline west of San Quintin called La Chorera.
We have had front row seats to witness how this region has slowly grown up from a small rural delegation of Ensenada to becoming Baja California’s 6th municipal government, covering broad territory that extends across to Bahia de Los Angeles on the Gulf of California, with the municipal southern boundary sharing the 28th parallel dividng line with Baja Sur, from the Gulf to the Pacific.
Since we arrived here so many years ago, the steady flow of visitors to Baja California traveling up and down the Transpeninsular Highway has historically accounted for a significant percentage of the local traffic here in San Quintin.
However, once you account for the tourism connected with local sportfishing and seasonal off-road events, only a minor percentage of the remaining tourists have considered San Quintin as much more than a convenient stop to eat, fuel up and spend the night before heading to other destinations, further south down the peninsula.
Thanks to a short list of local promoters, this incredibly diverse region has been gradually getting more attention over the last decade or so, witnessed by an increasing number of hotels here in the area lately reporting No Vacancy on many weekends.
In fact, many of you have contacted me when in the area, asking for help to find a place to stay on some of the busier weekends lately.
Eco-Tourism & More…
So, what types of activities / experiences are these “new” visitors interested in?
There really is a lot to see, do and experience here in San Quintin, with sportfishing and off-road activities remaining quite popular while an increasing interest has been noted in exploring our local mountain and desert areas.
Eco-Tourism is really growing, with activities such as kayaking in the bay’s wetlands as well as mountain biking and hiking the scenic trails around and up the volcanoes some of the most popular.
What many of these visitors still don’t know, is that San Quintin also has a growing Craft Beer community that includes some award winning brands. So let me introduce you to the biggest promoter of our local Craft Beer community:
Meet “Big Eddie”
Eduardo Richard Martinez is the kind of guy who is hard to miss.
A big guy with a huge smile and extremely friendly personality, Eddie – as his friends call him – manages La Posada de Don Diego; a popular restaurant-bar that also offers overnight and extended stay accommodations as well as an RV campground for travelers, located just a few blocks off the west side of the highway in Colonia Vicente Guerrero.
The bar at Posada Don Diego today also offers a very fine selection of Craft Beers, including many soon to be showcased at the upcoming Beerfest SAN QUINTÍN 2026, an annual event that Eddie puts on each year. This will be the 10th edition of this fun event, taking place on the last Saturday of this month – June 27th at Posada Don Diego.
Craft Beer: A Growing Passion
It all began on a summer afternoon back in 2014. Eddie was working at his family’s restaurant when a friend stepped up to the bar, asking about Craft Beers.
Eddie had to turn him down, sharing that Posada Don Diego simply didn’t handle those types of products. But rather than just ask for something else, his friend then asked Eddie if he’d like to try something different?
Eddie agreed, without imagining what he was about to discover.
The first craft beer Eddie tried was a Cali Cream Ale from Mother Earth Brewery and recalls that exact moment perfectly: a refreshing beer with light notes of vanilla and a complexity of flavors completely different from any beer he had ever tasted before.
It was a true explosion of flavors, and the experience changed his life; his passion for Craft Beer was born.
Curiosity would lead Eddie to investigate further, and he was soon learning all about the brewing process. A few months later he attended a Craft Beer brewing workshop in Ensenada where upon completion, he asked himself a very simple question:
“If I start brewing craft beer, who is going to consume it in San Quintín?”
The answer was clear. Before thinking about producing beer, it was necessary to create a beer culture, strengthen the local market, and bring more people into this new world of flavors.
And that was when the idea of organizing the first BeerFest San Quintín was born.
What originally started as mere curiosity about a different type of beer turned into a regional, cultural and fun event.
BeerFest San Quintín 2026
Today, after more than a decade of work, Beer Fest San Quintín is preparing to celebrate its 10th edition this upcoming Saturday, June 27, 2026, consolidating itself as a regional tradition that brings together producers, chefs, brewers, artists, entrepreneurs, and visitors from different parts of Baja California, Sonora and the southwestern United States.
Much more than just a festival, Beer Fest San Quintín is the story of how a personal passion was transformed into a platform to promote the very best of our local region, and where we will write a new chapter of this evolving story together on the 27th of this month.
The 10th edition of Beer Fest San Quintín will bring together more than 20 exhibitors representing the very best of Craft Beer, wine, gastronomy, and regional entrepreneurship in San Quintín.
Participating in the beer section will be Cervecería Pócima, Marea Brewing, Wendlandt, Cervecería Rámuri, Cervecería Forastera, Las Chelitas Beer, Wind Walker, Agua Mala, Enigma Beer, and El Atajo Beer Spot, offering a wide variety of styles and options for Craft Beer lovers.
The wine selection will be represented by Finca de Tierra, a winery recognized for the quality of its wines and its accolades in international competitions.
In gastronomy, participants include Leon del Pacífico, Dürfen Cake, Snack Bar, Restaurante Posada Don Diego, Restaurant O’liver Brunch, El Kraken, Fish Tacos, La Palapa de los Meléndrez, KRU2 Clamatos y Botanas, and Artigiano Pizzería, offering everything from fresh local seafood to wood-fired pizzas, fish and shrimp tacos, carne asada tacos, skewers, seafood burgers, marinated octopus spit (trompo de pulpo adobado), artisanal desserts, clamatos, and various culinary specialties.
The event will also feature the participation of Lilys Show Room, a clothing and accessories boutique, alongside a local art section where artists from San Quintín will exhibit works inspired by the landscapes, culture, and identity of the region.
This combination of craft beer, wine, gastronomy, art, music, and tourism makes Beer Fest San Quintín one of the most complete summer experiences in Baja California, to be enjoyed under perfect weather practically a guarantee!
Ticket Prices
Presale: $380 pesos (resale price expires tomorrow)
Door Price: $480 pesos
Official Points of Sale:
Finca del Valle – Camalú
Posada Don Diego – Vicente Guerrero
Caffe Moria – Vicente Guerrero
Kuu Paau – San Quintín
DESHA Colectivo – San Quintín
Cerveza Bruer (CCN) – Ensenada
Sales via WhatsApp: +52 616 163 0368
More about Posada Don Diego
Offering locals and visitors alike a family tradition of warm hospitality that opened to the public over a half century ago, the story of Posada Don Diego is an important part of the tourism history of San Quintín and the legacy of a family dedicated to hospitality and service.
Founded in 1970, the property originally belonged to the Crostini family from San Diego, California and was acquired year later by Zara and Ray, the aunt and uncle of Eddie’s mother, who were also originally from California.
In 1979, ownership was transferred to Eddie’s parents, Irene Lenahan and José Martínez, who continued building and expanding this family-operated business.
Jose – Eddie’s father, was born in Durango and immigrated to the United States as a young man, where he met Eddie’s mother, Irene. Together they formed a family and chose San Quintín as the perfect place to establish their roots as well as create a welcoming destination for visitors from Mexico, the United States, and beyond.
Since 1979, the Martínez Lenahan family has proudly owned and operated Posada Don Diego, maintaining a commitment to warm hospitality, quality dining, and personalized service.
Today, Posada Don Diego offers hotel rooms, apartment-style accommodations, a full-service restaurant, event facilities, outdoor gathering spaces, and an RV campground with full hook-ups, making it a convenient stop for travelers exploring the Baja California Peninsula.
The Posada Don Diego restaurant features a diverse menu highlighting regional flavors and fresh local ingredients. Signature dishes include their famous Paprika Crab Claws and BBQ Baby Back Ribs served with their own house-made sauce.
They also offer premium beef cuts sourced from Mexicali and a wide variety of local, fresh Pacific seafood options.
Guests can enjoy a full-service bar, a selection of local wines from wineries such as Vinícola de Becerra and Finca de Tierra, and one of the most extensive Craft Beer selections available in the San Quintín region today, featuring more than 50 different styles throughout the year.
Posada Don Diego has also become a gathering place for tourism, culture, and community events. Just over 11 years ago, the property became the birthplace of the Beerfest San Quintín, a festival created to celebrate Craft Beer, regional gastronomy, art, and live music.
Over the years, Beerfest San Quintín has grown into one of the region’s most recognized annual events, attracting visitors from across Baja California, Mexico, and Southern California, while continuing to be hosted at Posada Don Diego.
Restaurant Operating Hours
The restaurant is open Sunday through Wednesday from 12:00 PM to 8:00 PM, and Thursday through Saturday from 12:00 PM to 9:00 PM.
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Authentic Local Hospitality:
Eddie sums it all up quite well…
“For more than four decades, we have had the privilege of welcoming generations of travelers, families, business professionals, outdoor enthusiasts, and adventurers who have found in Posada Don Diego a place to relax, enjoy regional cuisine, and experience the authentic hospitality of San Quintín…”
Responses
I keep saying to myself that we’ll need to visit one of these days. Traveling from Boston or Providence, RI, we usually fly into Cabo and stay in Todos Santos, but I’m thinking it might be time for a change. Too bad we wouldn’t be able to manage it in time for the Craft Beer festival.