View from the terrace at Los Tamarindos, Los Cabos, Mexico
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Enrique Silva: Pioneer of the farm-to-table movement in Los Cabos dreams big

Enrique Silva’s passion and devotion to authentic, Mexican farm-to-table cuisine and sustainable agriculture in the heart of Los Cabos, Mexico is keeping traditions and community alive  

Tucked away behind the historic, artsy town of San José del Cabo lies the farmland community of Animas Bajas. There along a dry riverbed is some of the most fertile land in all of Los Cabos, Mexico, and is home to a small handful of organic farms and farm-to-table restaurants including Los Tamarindos. Los Tamarindos remains one of the only ventures that is Mexican-owned and operated.

For the past 28 years, Enrique Silva, chef and owner of Los Tamarindos has worn many hats. Arriving in Los Cabos with a degree in agricultural engineering and a knack for selling Sonoran beef to high-end restaurants, Silva never would have imagined he would become one of the leading chefs, entrepreneurs, and visionaries in Los Cabos, Mexico.

“I came to Los Cabos in 1990,” Silva told me during a conversation we shared together at his organic farm this past March. “I had started out selling beef to the restaurants around the Corridor and Los Cabos, never imagining that I’d be in charge of so many projects today. I ended up becoming a chef almost by accident” Silva continued with a charismatic grin. “And soon, I will be launching a new community center of workshops open to the public.  Perhaps this will be Silva’s greatest feat yet.

As Los Cabos is faced with the challenges of over-tourism, over-development, and climate change, Silva remains the only farm-to-table restaurant and property that is fully Mexican-owned and positioned to keep culture alive and protect the environment. To combat climate change, Silva is changing the future of farming in the community as he moves from sustainable to regenerative agriculture over the coming years. The fall opening of Silva’s new community center (6 specialized workshops hosting classes and shops) will continue to cement Silva’s focus on community and keeping long-held traditions, culture, and knowledge alive.

Chef Enrique Silva of Los Tamarindos, Los Cabos, Mexico

Chef Enrique Silva of Los Tamarindos at his farm-to-table restaurant in Los Cabos, Mexico

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Dharma Expeditions Los Cabos, Mexico
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How a Cactus Cooking Class is helping preserve Los Cabos’ last rancheros

Danny Perez, the founder of Dharma Expeditions, is on a mission to bring sustainable tourism to threatened indigenous Ranchero Californio communities off the tourist map in Los Cabos by providing cactus cooking classes for travelers

Local tour guide Danny Perez was out rock climbing one day along the outskirts of the vast UNESCO-protected Sierra de la Laguna Biosphere Reserve when he stumbled upon something special. There in the middle of the desert in one of Baja’s most beautiful but least explored places outside of Los Cabos, he found El Barranco, a traditional rancho (ranch) where the Ranchero Californio people continue to live and farm their land in one of the harshest environments in Mexico as their indigenous ancestors have for centuries.

Stunned, Danny stopped to chat with the owners and learned that today there are only 102 ranchos left in all of Los Cabos. As an experienced adventure tour guide in Los Cabos for 15 years, Perez hatched the idea to launch Dharma Expeditions, his grassroots tourism program.

“The beginnings were very humble” Danny confessed. “I basically had to build everything from scratch. The kitchen, the wood-burning stove (which is made from a recycled oil drum), and the bathroom for guests. It has all been a labor of love in the hope that my tours help keep this amazing community and culture alive” Danny concluded.

Four years later, his program works with five ranchos in the area bringing tourists for a one-of-a-kind indigenous nopales cactus taco cooking class. Not only does Danny connect travelers with a rare glimpse into indigenous life and culture, but the tours also provide income for the rancho families in the hope of keeping their community, culture, and heritage alive. Dharma is one of the only outfitters who work with the rarely visited Ranchero California communities in Los Cabos.

The rancheros’ traditional way of life and culture is being threatened by climate change, mass tourism, over-development, and commercialization of Los Cabos. In the past year alone, tourism and housing prices have exploded making Los Cabos the most expensive destination in all of Mexico and pushing the local community out. A new resort is also being built right outside of El Barranco’s property line threatening to push them out. “This is part of the reason why I launched our cactus cooking tours,” said Danny. “I am worried that the ranchero community will soon be gone”.

Dharma Expeditions Los Cabos, Mexico

Rita Garcia and her daughter at the family ranch

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