The 34th annual Fiesta de la Pitahaya Miraflores is set for July 19, 2026, and the Los Cabos municipal government has opened registration for six competitions tied to the festival. Events range from amateur singing and regional crafts to a pitahaya harvesting race and traditional donkey races, with prize money totaling tens of thousands of pesos. For anyone living or traveling along the Los Cabos corridor, the one-day festival in the Sierra de la Laguna foothills offers a window into rancho culture that the resort zone rarely shows.
Miraflores: A Sierra Oasis Town 45 Minutes From San José del Cabo
Miraflores sits about 42 kilometers north of San José del Cabo on Federal Highway 1, a drive of roughly 45 minutes through dry scrubland before the landscape shifts to palms and small farms. The town of around 3,500 people lies in a narrow valley at the western edge of the Sierra de la Laguna Biosphere Reserve, where an underground aquifer feeds year-round springs. That water made Miraflores a stop on the old Camino Real trail connecting the Jesuit missions of the peninsula during the 18th century.
Today, Miraflores is best known for two things: leatherwork and pitahaya. Local tanneries produce hand-tooled saddles, belts, and boots sold throughout Baja California Sur. The pitahaya cactus (genus Stenocereus), a columnar cactus native to the peninsula, produces a sweet red or orange fruit that ripens in late June and July. For generations of ranchero families, the pitahaya harvest marked the abundance season, a period the indigenous Pericú people once celebrated as the most important time of year.
The Fiesta de la Pitahaya began in 1992 as a community effort to preserve those harvest traditions. It has grown into the largest annual cultural event in the Los Cabos municipality outside the tourist zone. The festival typically draws several thousand visitors, many from surrounding ranch communities like Santiago, Caduaño, and San Bartolo.
Six Contests With Prizes Up to 13,000 Pesos
Registration is now open for all six competitions. The municipal delegate for Miraflores, María Aremy García García, is coordinating the events through the local delegation office. Here is what each contest involves:
The Concurso de Pizca de Pitahaya (pitahaya harvesting race) carries the largest prizes: 13,000 pesos (about $650 USD) for first place, 10,000 pesos ($500 USD) for second, and 7,000 pesos ($350 USD) for third. Competitors race to harvest ripe pitahaya fruit from tall cacti using a long wooden pole called a pértiga, a forked stick traditionally cut from local trees. Speed and volume both count. The fruit grows several meters off the ground, so harvesters must balance the pole while detaching each fruit without crushing it.
The Carreras de Burros (donkey races) start at 5:00 p.m. and award 5,000, 3,000, and 2,000 pesos to the top three finishers. Riders race bareback or with minimal tack along a short dirt course. The municipality noted that specific rules will be in place to protect animal welfare. Donkey racing is a longstanding tradition across rural Baja California Sur, dating to a time when burros were the primary transport animal in the sierra.
The Regional Crafts Contest is open to Miraflores artisans working in wood and leather. It runs from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on the festival day. First place in each category earns 10,000 pesos ($500 USD) and second place earns 5,000 pesos ($250 USD). Miraflores leather goods, particularly belts and knife sheaths, are a staple at markets across Los Cabos.
The Amateur Singing Contest has two divisions: children ages 4 to 12, and an open division for ages 13 and up. Each category is capped at 10 participants, with prizes ranging from 1,000 to 3,500 pesos. A Children’s Drawing Contest called “Miraflores y mil colores” is open to primary school students who live in the delegation, with prizes of 3,000, 2,000, and 1,000 pesos.
New this year is the First Historic Photography Contest, which accepts up to five photographs per participant. Each image must be at least 30 years old and related to the history, landscapes, architecture, traditions, trades, or daily life of Los Cabos. Prizes are 5,000, 3,000, and 2,000 pesos.
Getting to Miraflores From the Tourist Corridor
From San José del Cabo, take Highway 1 north toward La Paz. The turnoff to Miraflores is marked and paved, located about 35 kilometers north of San José. The road into town is a short spur off the highway. From Cabo San Lucas, the drive is roughly one hour. Gas stations are available in San José del Cabo; none operate in Miraflores itself. Cell service is limited in the sierra, so download directions before leaving the corridor.
The festival grounds center on the town plaza. Street vendors typically sell pitahaya fruit, dulce de pitahaya (a sweet preserve), machaca (dried beef), and local cheese. Temperatures in Miraflores in mid-July average above 35°C (95°F), so visitors should bring water and sun protection.
Full contest rules and registration details are available through the Miraflores municipal delegation. The Los Cabos municipal government published the announcement on its official website on June 12, 2025.