‘A Different Kind Of Fun Than Cabo': Check Out This Baja California City On The Sea Of Cortez

Forbes

19-05-2025

La Paz is a seaside city with a lot to offer visitors, including a seaside Malecon that offers scenic walking and dining in a relaxed setting.
While tourism in Baja California Sur has traditionally been all about Los Cabos (better known colloquially as Cabo), other coastal towns in Baja have begun to attract their own attention, perhaps none greater than the seaside city of La Paz.
In January 2025, La Paz had 194% more international arrivals in comparison to the same month last year, and domestic arrivals were also up 9.2% compared to the previous year.
Located on the Sea of Cortez, La Paz is a university town with a lot to offer visitors, especially in the way of ocean activities, wildlife viewing, desert hiking, and affordability.
Cabo has long been the most popular destination in Baja California thanks to its unrivaled infrastructure (i.e. variety of hotels, resorts, restaurants, etc.), accessibility (direct flights from many places), sandy beaches, rocky, scenic coastline, and fiesta-filled atmosphere.
That last attribute is usually make-or-break for most visitors. Spring breakers delight in this aspect of its personality, while families and beach bums may find it a little overdone.
This is one of the reasons La Paz is experiencing such growth, said Mike Madlock of Go Baja Charters, a Southern California native who has lived in La Paz for 19 years.
A whale shark feeds on plankton and krill near the surface of the bay of La Paz, Mexico. During winter, visitors can snorkel with these gentle giants.
'La Paz is more popular now and is being discovered because people are realizing that La Paz offers a different kind of fun than Cabo,' he said. 'We don't have that fast Las Vegas-style pace, that spring break style, that's in Cabo. La Paz is more for families and people who love the water and like things just a little bit more low key.'
Madlock said there isn't the quantity of offerings found in Cabo, but that there are plenty of solid bars and restaurants in La Paz. Take a stroll along the malecon and grab dinner and drinks during the sunset, then have an after-dinner nightcap at the La Miserable Mezcaleria, a neighborhood mezcal bar.
La Paz has a large student population, who come from all over the country to study at the Autonomous University of Baja California Sur, considered to be a prime choice for students studying marine biology.
'La Paz is not just a vacation destination,' said Karla Baledon, local resident and travel concierge. 'We have the best marine biology university in the whole country, surrounded by the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortez. It's a natural laboratory for students.'
That university vibe translates over to tourism. La Paz is home to Go Baja Sailing, an American Sailing Association School also run by Madlock. Folks come for daily or weekly courses between November and May to become a captain or instructor.
Sailing is particularly good in La Paz thanks to favorable wind conditions and protected, calm seas.
'Last season was the largest in our history in terms of the number of students,' Madlock said. He said La Paz is growing as a sailing university destination because of its excellent wind, relatively calm conditions on the Sea of Cortez, and beautiful, offshore island destinations, like Espiritu Santo.
'Sailing out of La Paz is more like lake sailing,' Madlock said. 'We don't get those big pacific rollers, so when it gets rough, it's more like wind chop.'
La Paz is a haven for spotting or swimming with sea life, with a rotating selection of visitors throughout the year.
You can snorkel with sea lions in areas such as San Rafaelito from September through May, and with massive whale sharks between November and April; Humpback whales are around between November and April; In August and September, orcas pass through La Paz.
Sea lions are native in the waters of La Paz and can be seen while snorkeling.
All of these animals, and more (like dolphins), can be spotted on a 'seafari' experience, said Baledon. Snorkeling and other types of boat tours are also widely available. Destinations for boat tours include the island of Espiritu Santo (a national park) and the infamous Balandra Bay.
It's easy to find a hotel for an average of $100 per night in La Paz, and comfortable Airbnbs—including 'guest favorites'—can be found in the center of La Paz, within walking distance to the malecon, for less than $50 per night. More luxurious accommodations can be had at a nice value.
Boat rentals are also relatively affordable as compared to other destinations. Madlock considers his $1,200 per day (8 hours) offer—which includes a licensed captain—to be amongst the most competitive.
Balandra in the Baja California Peninsula, one of Mexico's most extraordinary bays. These pristine white sand beaches and the adjacent mangroves are protected from the Sea of Cortez by arid, cactus-strewn cliffs. At low tide during the day, the sandbanks are exposed and the ankle-deep water creates different shades of blue and turquoise. The bay is a protected area and only a limited number of visitors are allowed per day.
For some time, the La Paz Airport received direct flights only from cities in Mexico, requiring American travelers to make a connection through an out of the way airport, like Mexico City or Guadalajara, if they wanted to fly into La Paz.
But some recent good news: Direct flights from Los Angeles (LAX) have returned on Alaska Airlines.
'That's a real game changer,' Madlock said. 'We haven't had direct flights from Los Angeles for about 10 years.' Perhaps more direct flights will appear in the next few years.
Otherwise, flying into Los Cabos is an option, so long as you don't mind a little road trip. La Paz is two hours north by car from Cabo, and the drive is very scenic.