So, let’s visit! After all, it’s only two hours away. Toss your overnight bag into the rental car and head north on Highway 19. Halfway there, you’ll pass through the magical town of Todos Santos—worth a day trip for sure. When you get into La Paz, turn left at McDonald’s onto 5 de Febrero. Follow it down to the Pemex gas station and make a right onto Topete, which becomes Obregon once you reach the malecón. Prepare to have your breath taken away. Park and stroll, or check into a hotel along the malecón. There are several lovely ones to choose from: El Arco, La Perla and El Moro are sure bets. Grab a city map when you check in. You’ll need it for your tour. Today you’re doing the beaches; tomorrow it will be the city.

Take a right, and head out of town along the coast. You’ll pass Marina Palmira, La Concha Beach Resort before reaching Marina Costa Baja—with its new, upscale marina, lovely Fiesta Inn, condos, restaurants and shops. Pull in, park and take a look around. If you’re hungry, choose a restaurant and enjoy lunch while admiring the yachts and the swooping pelicans. Afterward, continue north past the Pemex plant to Pichinlingue. This busy port is where ferries from Mazatlán and Topolobampo dock, carrying a few tourists, but mostly semis bringing goods from the mainland to the rapidly growing state of Baja Sur. There are lovely beaches all along the road to La Balandra, where you’ll turn left and pull into the parking lot.

La Balandra is a famous natural monument shaped like a mushroom with a very skinny stem. It has been knocked off its precarious perch by storms more than once, and has been painstakingly restored and shored up in recent years. To find it, you have to walk around the corner to your right and then along a pristine, deserted beach. At the end of this beach is the mushroom. Swim, take photos, and have a brief siesta before hitting the road again for your destination—just a minute away.

Tecolote Beach is a local favorite. Facing north toward Holy Spirit Island (Isla Espíritu Santo), the beach is long, wide, with spun–sugar sand and warm, jade green water, framed by jagged mountains. There are four restaurants there, but our favorite is Palapa Azul. Order a meal or a snack. The seafood is the freshest, the menu extensive and the margaritas delicious. Palapa Azul rents kayaks, jet skis and offers tours to the island, where you can fish and even snorkel with sea lions.

Had enough beach time? Drive back into the city and prepare for the evening. A sunset stroll along the malecón is mandatory, and your destination is a gourmet restaurant with the best view in La Paz. It’s El Patrón, and it will delight you. After dinner, a visit to the Tequila Bar and Grill for a nightcap—or for some serious night clubbing—is in order. Here you’ll find an eclectic crowd of local Mexicans and Americans, along with a few fortunate tourists. As the evening progresses, so does the action—here and in every other nightclub along the malecón.

Next morning, it’s time to explore the city. Your first stop is Ibarra’s Pottery, a family–owned operation that produces some of the most exquisite, colorful, hand–painted pottery you will find in México. After that, drive a few blocks to the Regional Museum of Anthropology and History (Museo Regional de Antropología e Historia), where you’ll view exhibits showing Baja California Sur from prehistoric to missionary to colonial and recent times.

A few blocks away is the Our Lady of Peace Cathedral (Catedral de Nuestra Señora de La Paz). Built from 1861 to 1865, it is the city’s spiritual center. Across the street is the main town plaza, founded in 1876 and named Jardín Velasco after the then mayor. La Paz is famous for its ice cream, so this is your chance to enjoy some on a bench under a shade tree admiring the gardens, the church and the fountain depicting La Balandra. Just behind you is the former government house and the city theater and art gallery–– definitely worth checking out.

Our last official stop is the Mercado Municipal Madero, just a few blocks to the south. You’ll know you’re close when you see people loaded down with bags of goodies—everything from fresh fruits, vegetables, meat and fish to clothing, watches and CDs. This is a colorful, lively place with friendly vendors. From this point on you are free to wander about. There are shops to explore, restaurants to peer into and, of course, the malecón beckons. The Casa del Artesano is the best place to shop for local arts and crafts, and the prices are much less than in Cabo. Enjoy one last stroll, with perhaps lunch at Kiwi right on the water before you head south.

If you’re not the adventurous type and prefer a tour guide to lead your way, consider a daylong excursion to La Paz with Bestours, leaving from Los Cabos every Wednesday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. For reservations and more information, call (624) 124-0151.

Outdoors and Activities Article - Seeing the Sights - A City Tour of La Paz
Los Cabos Magazine - Issue #12 - Spring 2007