Last Updated on December 13, 2025
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Located just a couple of hours north of Cabo San Lucas, the most popular destination in Baja California Sur, is La Paz, a chill and less touristy city, that has a lot to offer without the massive crowds. It has beautiful beaches, amazing scenery, wildlife and great food. Swimming with whale sharks, snorkeling with sea lions, boating, kayaking and beach hopping are just some of the things to do in La Paz, Mexico.
La Paz is the capital of Baja California Sur, which is a state located in the northwestern Mexico. It’s so different from any place in Mexico I’ve seen so far, and I’ve done quite a bit of exploring of the country. Which shows you how diverse Mexico really is.
The city sits right on Sea of Cortez (Gulf of California), which means there are many opportunities for water related activities and wildlife encounters. La Paz is a great destination for whale watching and even though the water can be cold during the season, it’s a great time to see the humpback and gray whales up close. That’s why December – April is one of the best times to visit La Paz (and Baja California Sur).
I recently spent a few days exploring La Paz and it quickly became one of my favorite places in Mexico. The city is definitely a hidden gem. Here are my favorite things to do in La Paz, some fun day trips to take and some useful tips for visiting.
How to get to La Paz, Mexico
By Air
La Paz has an airport with the official name Aeropuerto International Manuel Márquez de León (LAP), located about 11 km outside of the city center. Most of the flights are domestic, so if you are coming from outside of Mexico, you’ll most likely have to connect in one of the big cities like Mexico City or Tijuana.
I was already in Mexico, flying into La Paz from Cancún (with a layover in Guadalajara), but if you are traveling internationally, you might find better connections to Los Cabos International Airport (SJD). Many more international flights there and better deals as well. Los Cabos is just 2.5 hours away and you can easily get to La Paz by bus or a shuttle service. Eco Baja Tours shuttle goes several times a day straight from the airport, arriving at the bus station in La Paz on the Malecón.
If you do fly into La Paz, pay close attention and double check that you are booking your flight to La Paz, Mexico – not La Paz in Bolivia. Very easy to make that mistake.
Once you land in La Paz, the easiest way to get from the airport to the city center is to take a taxi. There is a taxi counter in the Arrivals, where you pay for your ride upfront, then take a ticket and give it to the next available taxi driver outside. Prices are set and vary depending which hotel/part of the city you are going.
By bus
If you are already in Baja California, you can also get to La Paz from many cities by bus. Autobuses Águila, ABC and Eco Baja Tours are the bus companies that run regular service from cities like Cabo, Loreto, Todos Santos, San Jose del Cabo and Tijuana.
La Paz has two bus stations: Terminal Turistica, right on the Malecón and Terminal Serdán (located on Aquiles Serdán).
By car
If La Paz is just one of your stops in Baja California Sur, it’s worth renting a car, so you can get around easily and have freedom to explore. BCS is a great state for road tripping.
Use Discover Cars to compare prices rental companies and choose one that works best for you.
How to get around La Paz, Mexico
Walking
La Paz is fairly compact, and if you stay in downtown, near the Malecón area, you’ll be able to walk to most attractions, many bars and restaurants. The best beaches, however, are outside of the center, so if you plan on any beach days (i.e. visiting Playa Balandra) you’ll need some kind of transportation (car/taxi/Uber).
Biking
Biking is another fun way of getting around La Paz. There are several bike rentals, most you can find on or near the Malecón.
Car
If you stay in the Center, most of the city’s attractions are within walking distance, so you don’t really need a car in La Paz per se. But you might want to rent one if you plan on doing some day trips and to visit beaches (best beaches in La Paz are outside of the city).
I rented a car for a couple of days from Smart Car Rental and can highly recommend them. They have an office in the city but also drop off at the airport if you want the car right as you land.
Things to do in La Paz, Mexico
Walk the Malecón
The seaside promenade, known as the Malecón, is 5.5 km long. It runs from Marina La Paz to Playa Coromuel. It’s lined with palm trees, many cafes and restaurants.
There are many ways in which you can enjoy the Malecón. It’s a great place to walk, bike, run or simply enjoy the water views from one of the many benches. It’s also the best place to enjoy the spectacular Baja sunsets. And evenings is when the Malecon is very lively with everyone out and about.
Find all the sculptures
One of the things you’re going to notice as you walk along the Malecón are many great sculptures. Most of them depict the marine life and history of La Paz. Dolphins, whales, fishermen, shells and of course Jacques Cousteau, who famously called Sea of Cortez “the aquarium of the world”.
It’s almost like an open-air gallery.
Get a picture with the La Paz sign
Were you even in a Mexican town or city if you didn’t take a picture with a colorful sign? Most Mexican town have one, and La Paz is no different.
La Paz colorful letters sit right on the Malecón (close to Kioskos de Malecón), so you also get the nice backdrop of the water.
There’s also another sign downtown, near the Cathedral.
Bike
Another fun thing to do in La Paz is to rent a bike and go down the promenade (or around the city). There is a bike path that runs the entire length of the Malecón.
There are many bike rentals, most of them on or near the Malecón. I got by bike from TIM (next to Haker), where you can rent by the hour. They have variety of different bikes, as well as other fun toys like skateboards and go carts.
You’ll need to leave your driver’s license as deposit, so remember to bring it with you.
Enjoy the sunset
You can witness some spectacular sunsets in La Paz. Just head to the Malecón and you’ll be able to enjoy it from pretty much from anywhere along the boardwalk.
There are plenty of waterfront restaurants and cafes, so you can grab a drink, watch people go by and enjoy the famous La Paz sunset over the water. A couple of places I really enjoyed were rooftop at Harker’s and Buzos.
Visit Playa Balandra
Playa Balandra is one of the most beautiful beaches in Mexico and an absolute must see when in La Paz. It’s exactly as stunning as it looks in pictures, if not more. I went with sky high expectations, and this beach exceeded them.
It has calm, crystal clear waters with stunning colors, white sand and beautiful landscapes around. It’s a protected area, so there’s absolutely no hotels or other buildings around. It’s completely unspoiled.
Balandra is actually a bay that consist of 7 beaches. The beach closest to the entrance (and the one with the parking lot) is always the most crowded one, but the water is shallow so you can easily walk around to the quieter beaches.
If you go around the cliff from the main beach to the right, you’ll see El Hongo, the famous mushroom shaped rock formation. It got its shape due to water and wind erosion over the years. It’s a popular photo spot, so you’ll often see people in line trying to get their shot. Bring water shoes, as the area near El Hongo is very rocky.
As you first enter the parking lot, there’s a small hill to your right with a path leading up to a viewpoint. Be sure to go up there, because the views are stunning.
PRO TIP: If you are visiting Playa Balandra during the morning slot, don’t rush to the viewpoint. In the early morning (8-9 am) the cliffs cast a big shadow on the beach and water, so you’re not going to get those beautiful colors of the water that you’ve seen online. By 11 am the sun is higher, so you’ll get the famous view with the most beautiful shades of blue.
Visiting Playa Balandra is not like visiting other beaches. It’s a Natural Protected Area and there are certain rules and restrictions in place, so it’s important to plan ahead:
- there are two entry times slots 8 am-12 pm and 1pm-5 pm.
- each entry time has a capacity limit of 450 people
- as of April 2025, there is a new entry fee to access the beach – you have to purchase a digital bracelet on CONANP website prior to your visit (120 MXN) – scroll down to where you see the “Admission fee” and Comprar Brazalete de Conservación (you’ll need to register for an account first).
- if you want to spend the entire day at the beach, you can, but you must leave at the end of the first-time block and get in line again (and have two digital bracelets pre-paid)
Lines to get in begin even up to one hour before each time slot in high season, so I recommend arriving early to make sure you get a spot.
As for facilities, there’s almost nothing there, so pack a picnic and bring everything you might need for the duration of your stay. When I went there, there was a restroom (porta potty style) for 10 pesos in the parking lot, and someone was selling snacks from the back of the car near the beach entrance. There was also a kayak rental on the beach, but it was closed that day as it was extremely windy.
Also, important to know that the phone service at Playa Balandra is really bad.
How to get to Playa Balandra from La Paz:
Car: The easiest way to get to Playa Balandra from La Paz is by car. It’s about a 30-minute scenic drive. Parking is free.
Bus: If you don’t want to rent a car, there’s also a “Playa bus” that goes from the Bus Terminal on the Malecón every hour starting at 9 am until 6 pm (the return bus to La Paz is at 9:45 am, 10:45 am and so on). It costs 70 MXN. The bus is a great and cheap way of getting to the beach, but since the first one leaves at 9 am, it’s not ideal if you want to go there for the morning slot (8 am- 12 pm). There’s always a chance the beach will be at capacity by the time you get there, and you won’t be able to enter until the afternoon slot (1pm)
Taxi/Uber – if you take a taxi or Uber, be sure to arrange your ride back to La Paz in advance, as cell phone service is weak or non-existent at Playa Balandra.
Tour: For those who prefer organized tours, there are day trips to Balandra and El Tecolote beach like this one, that include pick up/drop off, transportation and lunch.
Boat tour: You could also take a boat tour that makes a stop at Playa Balandra.
Have a beach day at Playa El Tecolote
Just down the road, about a 5 min drive away, is another beach Playa El Tecolote, which makes for a fun stop either after or before Balandra. Depending on which time slot you chose. The two beaches are so close to each other, so why not check them both of them out.
It’s a beautiful beach with crystal clear turquoise water, lounge chairs to rent and several restaurants. I made a stop there for lunch after my morning visit to Playa Balandra
The Playa bus also stops there, if you don’t have a rental car.
This La Paz Beaches Half Day Tour takes you to 6 best beaches in the area!
Visit Museo de la Ballena y Ciencias de Mar
One of my favorite things to do in La Paz, Mexico was visiting the Whale Museum. It’s a great place to learn more about the whales, dolphins and other marine life. I especially recommend visiting it if you are in La Paz in the winter and doing any whale watching. I think the museum visit complements the whale encounters in a nice way.
The museum may be small but has an impressive number of great displays and educational exhibits. Especially on the amazing sea creatures that can be seen in Baja California. There are many real skeletons of whales, dolphins and bones of various marine mammals.
The Whale Museum is located several blocks from the Malecon inland (it used to be right on it, but it moved). Still within a walking distance from the waterfront. One hour is all you need to see everything, and you can visit on your own or take a guided tour, also one hour, that they offer.
Museo de la Ballena is open from Monday-Saturday (closed on Sundays) from 9 am – 2 pm. The entrance fee is 100 MXN with a guide (about 1 hour tour) in either Spanish or English. If you prefer to visit on your own, it’s 80 MXN.
Swim with whale sharks (in season)
Speaking of whales, La Paz is one of the best places to swim with the whale sharks.
Swimming with whale sharks is one of the seasonal things to do in La Paz, Mexico. Typically, the season runs from mid-November to mid-April, although the beginning or/and the end can vary depending on weather conditions. Sometimes whale sharks leave earlier due to water conditions and lack of food, which was exactly the case during the 2024/2025 season.
Swimming with Whale Sharks in La Paz is strictly regulated and there have to be at least 6 whale sharks in the designated area for 3 consecutive days for the tours to run. If the number drops below 6, tours are suspended until the sharks (hopefully) return. Sometimes they do and sometimes they don’t.
I was in La Paz the first week of February and had a tour booked, that got canceled because most of the whale sharks left the bay early. And they never returned. Nature is unpredictable.
Book your Swimming with Whale Sharks in La Paz, Mexico here.
Take a boat trip to Espiritu Santo
By far one of the best things to do in La Paz, Mexico is to take a day trip to Espiritu Santo, an uninhabited island, north of the city. This island is known for rock formations, beautiful beaches surrounded by the clearest water, and amazing wildlife. One of the highlights of the day trip is swimming with the sea lions, a bucket worthy experience. The island is also home to dolphins, sea turtles, all kinds of fish and birds.
Espiritu Santo Island is a protected area and was declared a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and National Park. You can only access it by boat, which takes from one hour to 90 minutes (depending on sea conditions) and the best way to do is with a tour. This is the Nr 1 tour in La Paz, so many companies offer it. I booked mine with MéXplore Tours and highly recommend them (more on that later).
The main stop on the tour is Los Islotes, a group of small rocky islands, that is home to the largest colony of sea lions. This is where you get a chance to swim with them, which is the definite highlight of the day for many people. Since this is a protected area, you can only snorkel with a guide and have to have your lifejacket on. And if you go in the winter, you’ll need a wet suit, as the water is very cold. Depends on your tour operator, sometimes they are included, other times available for rent for an extra fee.
Know that swimming with sea lions is not allowed from June to August as it’s the mating season.
After swimming with sea lions, the next stop was Ensenada Grande, a beautiful beach where we got to hang out and have lunch. As we started making our way back to La Paz and made a stop at San Gabriel Bay to see the Magnificent frigates birds. And to top off the already amazing day, we got to see some humpbacks as we were approaching La Paz.
Espiritu Santo is a protected island, so the only way to get there is with a boat tour. I went with MéXplore Tours and cannot recommend them enough. This is the top-rated company in La Paz for any boat excursion. The group was small, and we had a marine biologist as our guide who really knew the sea and the wildlife. Delicious lunch and drinks on the beach were included, and we were provided with wet suits (water was really cold in February). It was a spectacular day from start to finish. It’s easy to see how this is one of the most popular things to do in La Paz, Mexico.
You can book your day trip to Espiritu Santo here.
Visit Museo de Arte de Baja California Sur
If you are into art and love visiting museums, you should check out the Museum of Art (Museo de Arte de Baja California Sur). It has a nice art collection from local and national artists. It’s not too big, so won’t take up much of your time. And there’s no entrance free, so it’s one of the free things to do in La Paz, Mexico.
And if museums are not your thing, you should still go and see the street lamps outside.
The museum is open Tuesday – Sunday (closed on Mondays) from 10 am – 6 pm. Free to visit.
Stop at the Cathedral of La Paz
While you’re exploring the downtown area of La Paz, why not stop at the Cathedral, known as Nuestra Señora de La Paz. This is a beautiful church with a simple façade and twin towers. You can enter for free if you’d like to see the inside.
The Catedral of La Paz is right next to a nice park, Jardín Velasco, which is a great place to relax in the shade.
Find Street Art
La Paz has plenty of cool street art, a lot of it featuring nature and marine life. Many colorful murals are in and around the downtown area, so if you take a walk there, you’ll run into several. Just head a few blocks inland away from the waterfront towards the Cathedral and start taking random side streets.
Hike Cerro de la Calavera
Just outside of the Center of La Paz is Cerro de la Calavera, a hill you can climb for some amazing views of the city, the sea and the surroundings. It has the typical Baja landscape and a really cool rock formation, that is one of the best spots in La Paz to watch the sunset.
Locals like to go there to hike or run and while it’s visited by tourists as well, it’s definitely not a tourist hot spot. Great place to spend some time in nature, get beautiful views and a little workout. And it’s one of the completely free things to do in La Paz, Mexico.
Both the entrance and start of the hike are not obvious. As you head North on the Malecón, go past a big marina (Club de Yates Palmira) and right after there will be a City Express Hotel (yellow building). The entrance is more or less across the street from that hotel. Cross the street and the parking lot and go down the dirt path with a chain link fence on one side. The hill will be on your right, and you should see the start of one of the trails.
The first trail you see is not too long, but steep and rocky. Best to wear shoes with a good grip as some of the rocks are loose and it’s easy to slip. It took me about 30 minutes to get to the top, but I made photo stops. There is another path that goes around, this one is a bit longer hike but the incline is more gradual.
If you have a car, you can drive and park in the parking lot right by Cerro de la Calavera. Otherwise, it’s about a 45-minute walk from downtown.
Enjoy sea food
Finding good food in La Paz is not hard and the city is heaven for anyone who loves sea food. Thanks to its location on the coast, you’ll be able to enjoy the freshest and tastiest fish, octopus etc.
There’s also a great 3-hour Food Tour that takes you to many great local spots in La Paz, some you’d probably never find on your own. You’ll get to try all the best regional dishes and visit a local market. The walk around the city will take you past top landmarks, and you’ll learn some of the history of La Paz. So, it’s like two tours in one.
Enjoy craft beer with a view
To enjoy craft beer and roof top views head to Harker Board Co, right on the Malecón. They have several great beers on draft and serve food as well. Because of its location, Harker’s offers amazing views out over the sea and is great spot to enjoy the sunset. Go early if you want one of the seats facing the water.
If you go downstairs, they also rent paddleboards and offer various tours.
Take a day trip to Puerto Chale to see gray whales
Between end of December and April, gray whales migrate from the Arctic to the lagoons in Baja California Sur to mate and give birth to their calves. If you’d like to encounter them, the closest to La Paz is a small fishing village Puerto Chale, which is on the Pacific side of Baja California Sur.
I was in La Paz in February, which along with March, is the prime time to see gray whales in Baja. Since I had a rental car, I decided to make the very scenic 2.5-hour drive to this remote village and get a chance at the gray whale encounter. This is a very picturesque ride with stunning desert landscapes and more cacti than I’ve ever seen before.
Now, Puerto Chale is a small village with about 250 residents. They fish year-round, and during the whale watching season, the top and pretty much only attraction there are the gray whales. I recommend contacting one of the places that do whale watching tours and confirm their availability that day. Since it’s THE attraction of the season, and most people who arrived had a reservation.
I contacted Guillen’s (one of the companies that offer the tours) the night before and secured a spot on a 10 am shared boat. It was 600 MXN for the 2-hour excursion, they also offer private tours for 4,000 MXN. Camacho’s Tours is another good company to go out with.
Gray whales are known for being very curious and friendly and you might have seen images and videos of them approaching the boats. While that behavior is common, this is wildlife and nothing is guaranteed. We saw plenty of whales up close, but none of them swam up to the boat. Still, seeing these amazing creatures so close was an unbelievable experience, well worth making that drive from La Paz.
After the tour you can grab lunch at one of the eateries, that serve sea food often caught that same morning. Doesn’t get any fresher than that. Antojitos Janny is a great little place run by the entire family.
If you decide to take a day trip to Puerto Chale on your own, there are a couple of things you should know before driving there. First, fill up your tank before you go! You’ll be driving for nearly 2 hours with literally nothing around. You won’t see a gas station you get to Las Pocitas, which is about 45 min away from Puerto Chale.
Also, be sure to drive in the day light and avoid driving at night. There are no streetlights and there are often animals near or even on the road. Plan your drive so you return to La Paz before it gets dark. Also, the cell service is very weak.
If getting there on your own sounds like too much, you can also book a tour from La Paz like this one. Everything will be taken care of for you.
Taka day trip to Todos Santos
Todos Santos is another fun town to visit from La Paz. It’s about one hour away, so easily done as a day trip. This is a really charming and walkable town, with cobblestone streets, pastel-colored buildings and papel picado fluttering in the wind. So typical for many Mexican towns. Todos Santos is also, unsurprisingly, one of the Pueblos Mágicos in Mexico.
You can spend the day walking around the historic downtown, visiting art galleries and cute shops.
Of course you need to make the obligatory stop at Hotel California. Despite the rumors, the hotel has no links to the famous Eagles’ classic “Hotel California”. But even though the famous song was not really about it, Hotel California is one of the landmarks in Todos Santos and worth stopping by even just for a photo.
It’s easy to visit Todos Santos on your own, either by car (if you rented one) or by bus. The Bus Station in Todos Santos is right in town. You can also book an all-day guided tour to Todos Santos from La Paz.
Where to eat in La Paz, Mexico
Obviously with just one week in La Paz, I barely scratched the surface when it comes to restaurants in the city. But below are some of the places I’ve tried, loved and can highly recommend.
Restaurant Milacho – incredible restaurant away from the Malecón. Doesn’t look like much from the outside, but the food is delicious, beautifully presented and portions very generous. Must try in La Paz, Mexico.
Harker Board Co – great spot for craft beer, some snacks with a killer view from their rooftop, especially for sunset.
Tacos Baja – do yourself a favor and go to Tacos Baja at least once. I stumbled upon this place while walking around the city and it turned out to be my favorite place all week. Amazing tacos, fresh sea food, many great toppings to choose from a self-serve bar. Very friendly and welcoming service. Say hi to Ernesto! (it’s closed on Wednesdays)
Mariscos El Torro Güero – this is THE local spot for seafood. It’s a bit off the beaten path, about a 20–25-minute walk from the Malecón. Extensive menu with many choices, all reasonably priced. Octopus was delicious. It’s a big open-air restaurant, packed with locals.
Taqueria Los Prietos – if you need a break from sea food and are craving some Tacos al Pastor or Asada, this is your spot.
Taco Fish – great fish tacos and big portions. They have two locations: one right on the Malecón, the other in the central area of La Paz.
Where to stay in La Paz, Mexico
If you are visiting La Paz for the first time you’re there for just a few days, you want to stay in the heart of the city. Hotels along the Malecón or within a short walking distance to it are perfect, as that puts you close to the water, most sights and many restaurants.
Hotel Catedral La Paz – this boutique hotel is located in the Center of La Paz, right next to the Cathedral. The waterfront is just a short walk away. It has a nice courtyard, rooftop pool and a terrace with plenty of lounge chairs. The rooms are modern, comfortable and spacious. There’s also free parking (which will come in handy if you rent a car) and free breakfast is included in the rate.
Hotel HBlue Centro – this is hands down one of the best hotels in La Paz, Mexico. It’s in the great location, just 3 blocks away from the Malecón. Rooms are modern and comfortable. Everyone loves the rooftop pool and terrace, that is perfect for enjoying the sunset.
READ MORE:
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