sixteenth annual writing down the baja
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sixteenth annual writing down the baja
february 13 - 21, 2027
serendipity hotel
todos santos, bcs, mexico
The sixteenth annual Writing Down the Baja promises to be an exciting, fun and, above all, productive week of writing and adventure. The retreat officially begins with a reception at Serendipity, 5:30 p.m., Saturday, February 13 and concludes with a public reading by all participants the evening of February 20.
Drawing inspiration from generative prompts, supplementary readings and the Baja itself, the focus of morning workshops will be to improve craft in both poetry and prose. This year, Writing Down the Baja will welcome Craig Childs in nonfiction and Daiva Chesonis in poetry as guest faculty members. Evening receptions will feature readings by all faculty as well as a screening of a special documentary that addresses challenges threatening Todos Santos and the region today.
“Manuscript Lab” afternoon sessions are offered by faculty on select afternoons. These one-on-ones are for mapping a project, honing writing goals, or receiving critical feedback on a portion of a manuscript or collection of poems in development. A sign-up sheet will be posted. Poets, bring ten poems; prose writers, two chapters. There is an additional $65 fee per person per hour session.
To provide a sampling of local fare, some dinners will be off-site. They are included in the retreat fee. Please email any dietary preferences to info@writingranch.com.
The turtle nursery located on the beach that fronts Serendipity often releases baby Leatherback and Olive Ridley hatchlings at sunset during the week. And, when walking the beach during the day, keep your eyes peeled for glimpses of migrating gray whales.
Writing Down the Baja 2026
Shuttle service is arranged for those arriving on February 13. The shuttle pick-up schedule from the San Jose del Cabo airport to Todos Santos will be emailed to you once your air travel plans are submitted. Please email your travel itinerary to info@writingranch.com. Participants are responsible for paying their portion of the shuttle ride plus tip. ONLY those of you arriving sooner than February 13 are responsible for arranging your own transportation. The return shuttle service on Sunday, February 21 will also be provided.
More 2027 Writing Down the Baja details will be announced soon! Questions in the meantime? Email info@writingranch.com.
Rates:
All-inclusive rate: $3,750 USD per person
The all-inclusive rates include single occupancy lodging at Serendipity, all meals both on- and off-site, seven daily workshops, evening receptions and presentations, field trip, pop-up workshops, and a published anthology of the group’s work. Double occupancy is available.
To reserve your spot at Serendipity for the all-inclusive retreat experience, send a deposit of $500 USD by November 15, 2026. Balance is due by December 16, 2026.
To qualify for an early bird discount of $150 USD, pay in full on or before November 15, 2026.
Payments can be made here or mailed to Writing Ranch, P.O. Box 640, Bend, OR 97709. Payment by check is preferred.
Restrictions:
Airfare not included.
Cost of ground transportation from and to San Jose del Cabo airport not included. (NOTE: Shuttle arrangements will be made by Writing Ranch and a shuttle will be waiting for participants at the San Jose del Cabo terminal.)
Transportation unrelated to Writing Down the Baja schedule (such as excursions to local beaches or downtown Todos Santos) is at participant’s expense.
Alcohol at all dinners is at individual’s expense.
2027 Guest Faculty
Craig Childs is a hopeless wanderer and author of fourteen books, including The Wild Dark, The Secret Knowledge of Water, and House of Rain. Winner of the 2026 John Burroughs Medal, he has contributed to Radiolab and NPR’s Science Friday, and his work has appeared in The Atlantic, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and Adventure Journal. He grew up going back and forth between Arizona and Colorado, his mother addicted to outdoor adventure, his father a man of whiskey, guns, and Thoreau. He’s worked as a gas station attendant, wilderness guide, professional musician, and a beer bottler, and now is a full-time writer. He lives with his wife in Western Colorado.
A poet and literary arts advocate, Daiva Chesonis co-founded Between the Covers Bookstore and the Telluride, Colorado Literary Arts Festival, and also served as the San Miguel County Poet Laureate From 2019-21. In the fall of 2025, she and her husband, Craig, were Writers-in- Residence at the Hemingway House in Ketchum, Idaho. Her poems—in translation or written in her first language—appeared in the 2025 and 2026 Anthologies of Lithuanian American Poetry. Before moving to the wilds of Colorado and becoming an accomplished outdoorswoman, she received a B.A. in Russian Studies and an M.A. in Diplomacy & International Conflict Resolution. Her first collection of poetry is, as she says, “set to publish sometime this century.”
Award winning high desert author and poet Ellen Waterston has published five poetry and four literary nonfiction titles, including, most recently, As Far as I Can Anthem, Poems (2026), We Could Die Doing This (2024) and Walking the High Desert (2020). She is founder of the Writing Ranch which, since 2000, has conducted workshops for established and emerging writers, and of the annual Waterston Desert Writing Prize, established in 2015 and adopted in 2019 as a program of the High Desert Museum. In 2026 she was reappointed to a second two-year term as the eleventh Oregon Poet Laureate and was awarded a Diderot fellowship in writing. In 2025, she was honored with both the Literary Arts of Portland’s Stewart H. Holbrook and Soapstone Bread and Roses awards recognizing her work as an author and advocate for the literary arts. Based in central Oregon, Ellen is writing a sixth collection of poetry and a collection of essays.
Day Student Rate: $835 USD
The day student rate includes seven daily workshops, welcome night and farewell dinners, evening receptions and presentations, field trip, and a copy of the 2027 anthology of participants’ writings. Cost of additional meals is paid separately.
Day students, please plan on attending all day sessions and evening presentations.
To register as a day student, send a deposit of $500 USD by November 15, 2026. Balance due by December 16, 2026. Payments can be made here or mailed to Writing Ranch, P.O. Box 640, Bend, OR 97709. Payment by check is preferred.
Cancellations:
If you cancel by December 6, 2026 your tuition will be refunded minus a $200 cancellation fee. Refunds for cancellations made after December 6, 2026 are contingent on being able to fill your space. If your place is not filled, the full deposit of $500 will be retained.
2026 Participant Anthology
