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La Paz travel information.
La Paz, the heavenly capital of the state of Baja California
Sur, lies in northwest Mexico. It is one of the main cities of
the southeastern Baja California Peninsula region and is located
220 km (136 mi) north of Los Cabos and 1464 km (907 mi) south of
Tijuana. The average year-round temperature is 24º C (75º F).
This important tourist destination has a wide array of natural
attractions, such as the beautiful islands of Espiritu Santo and
Cerralvo, which are ideal places for scuba diving. While scuba
diving you can see marine species like hammerhead sharks and
giant manta rays. La Paz also offers many idyllic places to go
camping or do ecotourism outings, including Puerto Balandra and
the Sierra de La Laguna Biosphere Reserve. In addition, you can
visit La Paz's impeccable beaches, such as El Tecolote and
Pichilingue, where you'll find the main port. Along the coast
you'll also see fabulous marinas with excellent facilities. The
marinas host prestigious sporting events like the Bisbee's
Sportfishing Tournament.
What's more, in La Paz you'll see many important edifices of
historical and cultural importance, such as the Catedral de
Nuestra Señora de la Paz, the Natural History Museum and Las
Californias Library. At night, you can enjoy the city's bars,
discos and restaurants. As for the cuisine, you can indulge in
exquisite Baja California-style seafood and fish dishes, such as
grilled lobster with butter, fish tacos with a tasty sweet and
sour sauce and clams cooked in their shell, which are added to
soups and other delicious regional dishes.
BEACHES
In La Paz's surrounding areas you'll find unique beaches where
you can do exciting aquatic sports and explore the bay's many
natural attractions.
Puerto Balandra Lies 22 km (14 mi) north of La Paz, off Highway
11. This saltwater lagoon has eight bays with calm waters. A
notable attraction here is an emblematic rock formation known as
El Hongo. This is a favorite spot among locals who want to enjoy
a relaxing beach destination. Here you'll find restaurants,
palapas and equipment rentals for aquatic sports.
Bahia Concepcion Located 451 km (279 mi) north of La Paz, off
Highway 1. This is considered one of Mexico's most beautiful
bays, as it has clear waters in which you can observe countless
marine species. Among the most recommendable beaches on this bay
are Los Cocos, La Burra, El Coyote, Santa Barbara, Buenavenutra,
El Requeson, La Perla, Armenta, Punta Arena, Bahia Coyote and
Santispac. At these places you can do bird-watching or enjoy
such water sports as fishing and kayaking, among others.
Playa El Tecolote Located 25 km (15 mi) north of La Paz, off
Highway 11. This is one of La Paz's most visited beaches. It has
a gentle slope, which is ideal for relaxing and basing in the
sun. Thanks to its calm waters, this is considered one of the
best places for speed boating. Here you'll find restaurants,
equipment rentals for aquatic sports and tour companies offering
boating excursions to the nearby island of Espiritu Santo.
Pichilingue Located 18 km (11 mi) north of La Paz, off Highway
11. Considered the most important port of the southern Baja
California Peninsula region, here you can visit attractive
beaches and a dock that receives ferries from Topolobampo,
Sinaloa.
FISHING
La Paz is a magnificent destination for fishing, as it offers
very favorable conditions to catch a wide variety of species.
Isla Espiritu Santo ' Located 30 km (19 mi) north of La Paz from
the port of Pichilingue. This is one of the most visited islands
on the Sea of Cortez. It is surrounded by a group of small
islands, including Isla Partida, Los Islotes, La Ballena, El
Gallo and La Gallina.
This is an excellent spot to fish thanks to its calm waters,
which are home to species such as dorado, marlin, tuna and
yellowfin tuna.
Canal de Cerralvo Located 50 km (31 mi) east of La Paz. This
spot has a warm climate and calm waters that are perfect for
catching pargo, Colorado snapper and yellowfin tuna.
Punta El Mechudo Located 80 km (50 mi) north of the Bahia de La
Paz (La Paz Bay). This place has beautiful scenery and blue-green
waters inhabited by pargo, cabrilla, sierra, dorado and
yellowfin tuna.
Todos Santos Located 79 km (49 mi) south of La Paz, off Highway
9. This is a great place to catch species such as Mexican
skipjack, cabrilla, pargo, and shark while you observe the sea
lion colonies that inhabit the nearby rock formations.
La Ribera Located 116 km (72 mi) southwest of La Paz, off
Highway 9. Thanks to its majestic waters, this is the perfect
location to hook swordfish, sailfish, marlin, tuna, dorado and
roosterfish.
SCUBA DIVING
La Paz is an excellent destination for scuba diving and
snorkeling thanks to its many reefs and the various marine
species that inhabit the waters of the Sea of Cortez.
Isla Espiritu Santo. Located 30 km (19 mi) north of La Paz from
the port of Pichilingue. This is one of the most visited islands
on the Sea of Cortez. It is surrounded by a group of small
islands, including Isla Partida, Los Islotes, La Ballena, El
Gallo and La Gallina. This island has coral banks that are great
scuba diving. You'll find the best spots at San Gabriel Bay,
which has a shallow reef called San Rafaelito, and El Candelero,
where you'll see reefs and underwater caves. At Isla Ballena you
can explore a black coral reef. In this area, you also can
observe sea lion colonies and hammerhead sharks.
Los Islotes. Located 35 km (22 mi) north of La Paz, in the
direction of Isla Espiritu Santo. These are two groups of rocky
headlands where you'll find ideal conditions for scuba diving
and snorkeling. The reefs are anywhere from 6 to 28 meters (20
to 92 feet) deep. In these waters you can spy a wide variety of
species, such as sea lions, hammerhead sharks, manta rays and
tropical fish like surgeonfish, angelfish, bugle fish and
schools of barracuda.
El Bajo. Located 43 km (27 mi) northeast of La Paz. This is one
of the most recommended sites for professional scuba diving due
to its deep waters, which range in depth from 18 to 43 meters
(59 to 142 feet). This spot is well known for the interesting
species that inhabit its waters, including marlin, dorado,
corbina, giant manta rays, whale sharks, hammerhead sharks,
tiger sharks, yellow sharks and black and silver fin sharks.
Barco Hundido Salvatierra (Salvatierra Sunken Ship). Located in
the Canal de San Lorenzo, 20 km (14 mi) north of La Paz. This is
an artificial reef formed by a sunken ferry, which is 91 meters
(300 feet) long and covered with black coral, mollusks and sea
fans. The ship lies about 20 meters (66 feet) deep. While diving
you can see a wide variety of tropical fish species, such as
barracudas, angelfish, parrot fish and grouper.
Isla Cerralvo. Lies 65 km (40 mi) east of La Paz. This island is
30 km (19 mi) long and as wide as 9 km (5.5 mi) on the southern
end. Known for its gorgeous blue waters, this is one of the
largest islands on the Sea of Cortez. At this spot you can dive
in underwater canyons near the coast, which is the habitat of
numerous fish species. You also can explore nearby rock
formations at La Reina and La Roca Carpintero, where you'll see
hammerhead sharks and giant manta rays.
Las Animas. Located 70 km (43 mi) northeast of La Paz, near Isla
Cerralvo. At this place you can do an exciting dive among reefs
that are 17 meters (56 feet) deep, submerged mountains, caves
and steeps. Among the species you can see here are sea lions,
yellow sharks, hammerhead sharks and a wide array of colorful
fish.
NIGHTLIFE
La Paz offers many options to enjoy a night out. You can begin
the evening with a candlelit dinner with lobster and fine wine,
and then you can take a stroll along the boardwalk before
heading out for a night of partying. At the bars and nightclubs
you can listen to good music, go dancing or simply chat with
friends over drinks. We recommend that you visit the boardwalk
area, where you'll find the port's most popular nightspots.
ECOTOURISM
In La Paz's environs you'll find areas where you can observe an
abundance of flora and fauna, proving once again that this
destination offers much more than it beaches.
Serpentario de La Paz Located very close to downtown La Paz. At
this unique place you can observe typical species that inhabit
the Baja California Peninsula region, such as snakes, arachnids
and reptiles, among others.
Isla Cerralvo Lies 65 km (40 mi) east of La Paz. This island is
30 km (19 mi) long and as wide as 9 km (5.5 mi) on the southern
end. Known for its gorgeous blue waters, this is one of the
largest islands on the Sea of Cortez. At this place you can see
interesting wildlife like sea lions and countless bird species,
including booby birds, pelicans, seagulls and cormorants. You
also can observe a wide variety of plant life, particularly
cacti species such as the saguaro and the cardon.
Isla Espiritu Santo Located 30 km (19 mi) north of La Paz from
the port of Pichilingue. This is one of the most visited islands
on the Sea of Cortez. It is surrounded by a group of small
islands, including Isla Partida, Los Islotes, La Ballena, El
Gallo and La Gallina. Among the incredible fauna you'll see here
are colonies of sea lions, especially near the Isla Partida. The
rock formations on the island's west coast serve as breeding
grounds for marine birds such as seagulls, frigate birds,
pelicans and cormorants.
Sierra de La Laguna Biosphere Reserve Located 125 km (77 mi)
southeast of La Paz, off Highway 9. This reserve covers an area
of 112,437 hectares (277,719 acres) and has the only coniferous
forest in the state of Baja California Sur. This reserve has
abundant forest and lowland jungle vegetation, as well as
semidesert areas where you can observe mostly pine and oak trees.
You'll also see small mammal species, birds and reptiles.
San Carlos Located at Bahia Magdalena, 271 km (168 mi) northwest
of La Paz, off Highway 1. This is one of the region's most
important areas for whale-watching. From January through March,
these cetaceans migrate to the warm waters of the Pacific coast
and the Sea of Cortez to reproduce. Among the species you can
observe are orcas, humpbacks, pilot whales, gray whales and the
blue whale, the largest mammal on earth. |
