Why Families Will Love La Paz
La Paz is a small, colonial city with breathtaking white sand beaches, and the tranquil, marine-rich waters of the Gulf of California. The La Paz region also includes the areas of Todos Santos, Espíritu Santo Island, and the Sea of Cortez known to many as “the world’s aquarium” by Jacques Cousteau because of its pristine nature. La Paz offers an array of gastronomic attractions ranging from rustic ranch to table to fashionable Instagram-worthy spots.
13 Things to do in La Paz
La Paz features miles of white sand beaches and endless opportunities for outdoor adventure including paddle boarding, kite surfing, kayaking, SCUBA diving, whale watching, swimming with whale sharks, sportfishing, hiking, mountain biking, and much more. If you want your kids off their devices and outside doing stuff you will love it here.Swim with Whale Sharks
Go Whale Watching
Hang Out at a Beach
There are many incredible beaches in La Paz and one of them happens to be one of the top in the world. That’s the one we will start with.- Balandra Bay: Often voted the most beautiful beach in Mexico, Balandra is right outside the city 17 miles north and is breathtakingly beautiful. To get here you can drive over and park in the free parking lot. You can also take a 40-minute bus ride from the terminal turística (the tourist terminal). I had no idea when I was headed here that they have a beach that is of this quality. It is somewhat dependent on when you visit, but at the right times, this looks a whole lot like Whitehaven Beach in Australia which we considered one of the most amazing places we’ve ever seen. There are just not that many places where you can see so many hues of blue in one spot. This is one of them and well worth the visit.
- El Tecolote Beach: Found in an isolated beach community located 15.5 miles from the city of La Paz, past Puerto Balandra, on State Highway 11. It is one of the most extensive beaches in the area with white soft sand, gentle waves, and little undertow. You can find water skiing and jet skiing are here as well as a boat that goes to Isla Espíritu Santo, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.
- El Coromuel: We drove past this area a few times and when I saw some waterslides I had to find out what beach this was. Turns out this beach is great. There’s free parking which allows for easy access. Also here is are restrooms, a bar, beach chairs, umbrellas, and a pier. There are two water slides that go into the ocean here, but I couldn’t determine if they were free.
- Pichilingue Beach: A family-friendly beach, 12 miles north of La Paz’s ferry terminal. This sheltered bay has no shade, but with fewer waves, white sand, and turquoise water it’s an ideal place to swim and kayak.
- Tesoro Beach: This beach is a good alternative if there are too many people at Balandra beach.
- El Caimancito: This beach is only 2 miles from La Paz and a popular spot for locals. With white sand, lots of parking, and no vendors it’s a peaceful spot.
Take a Walking Tour
Spend the day at a Beach Club
Isla Los Islotes
Take Advantage of the Malecon
One of the most iconic parts of La Paz is the Malecon. This walking trail runs 3 miles along the beach and includes a bike path. Along the way, there are statues, a BMX bicycle park, a skate park, playgrounds, beach volleyball courts, and more. I regretted not bringing my rollerblades. La Paz is an ideal city for rollerblading.Kiteboarding
Off-Road
Sadly, I didn’t get to do any off-roading while here, but I saw many others doing it. There seemed to be an abundance of offroading trails to enjoy.Sandboarding
Hiking
One of the things I hadn’t expected was such great hiking. I love to hike, so this was a welcomed surprise. Here are some trails worth checking out:- Cerro de La Calavera
- Punta Gorda
- Arroyo Santa María
- Cerro Atravesado
- For more ideas check out All-Trails.
Go Fishing
This area boasts some of the top sports fishing. When you visit will determine what you are allowed to catch so be sure to factor that in if you are wanting to fish for a specific type of fish. Although you can fish year-round, the fish you can catch are seasonal. Some of the potential fish you could catch include marlin, tuna, cabrilla, wahoo, and dorado.Surf
Go surfing in Todos Santos. If you do not know how to surf sign up for lessons at one of the surf schools.Hotels in La Paz
There are many places to stay in La Paz. It’s full of adorable boutique hotels, glamping, and VRBOs.
Staying at Baja Club Hotel in La Paz was so lovely. It’s a boutique hotel right along the Malecon with sweeping views of the city and water. The hotel is a restored colonial-style villa, dating from the early 20th century combined with a newly built four-story extension, containing 32 guest rooms, a spa, and a rooftop sunset bar with a wonderful view of the bay. For families that need two beds be sure and book a balcony double room.
I had a very peaceful stay here. With a popular bar next door, I thought I might hear it at night but it turned out to be a silly concern. The rooms are very quiet. I appreciated having a Bluetooth speaker so I could play my white noise app and I was happy to have drinkable water placed in my room. The bathroom layout is a little odd but I could see the benefit if there were two people traveling together. The bed was comfy, and their restaurant had pretty good Greek food. Breakfast was slow, so be sure to get there at least 30 minutes earlier than you originally planned for.
You can stay in a canvas tent or a bunk room in a cabin if that’s more your speed. The tents are well equipped with solar power, vanity, hammock, patio table and chairs, and more. The bathrooms are communal and you will be taking a bucket shower. All of this makes for an immersive experience, to say the least.
Best Restaurants in La Paz
I didn’t expect La Paz to be a foodie city but it is.
Enjoy creative flavorful cuisine locally sourced and designed by Chef Hector Palacios. They also have unique cocktails and intriguing desserts. What I enjoyed here the most is the atmosphere. The setting on the patio is so lovely. It is located at Agustin Arriola M. 25 B, Zona Central, 23000 La Paz.
Hambrusia is a taco lover’s dream come true. (I have the authority to declare that since tacos are my favorite food.) Dining here you can expect great ingredients and innovative combinations. I don’t recall the names of anything I ate, but it included a lot of pork and it was so freaking good. Located at Belisario Domínguez 1245 23000 La Paz..
Claros Fish Jr. serves authentic Mexican tacos at super affordable prices! They have an awesome salsa bar with tons of choices, ice-cold beers, and excellent margaritas! The atmosphere is great with a chill vibe and the service is rock solid. Menu highlights include the paceno taco made with shrimp, melted cheese wrapped with bacon, the cameron a la coco aka coconut shrimp, and the pulpo quesadilla made with soft octopus pieces. Located at Nicolás Bravo 33 Col. Centro 23006 La Paz.
A beautiful meal in an even more beautiful setting. It’s really magical during sunset. I had some sort of beet salad that was delicious and a steak that was simply perfect. They also have an interesting signature drink that’s kind of like a margarita. There was a live band on hand that was so good I thought it was just a recording until I saw the clarinet player.
How to Get to La Paz
American Airlines offers seasonal flights from Dallas Fort Worth directly to La Paz’s airport Manuel Márquez de León (LAP). They have flights that will run on Saturdays round trip from December to April and then again from June through September to La Paz. You could also fly into Loreto 4 hours away or Cabo San Lucas 2 hours away. American also has direct flights to La Paz from Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport.La Paz is the perfect destination for families wanting to visit a safe city in Mexico with all the expected perks. This is especially true for families traveling with tweens and teens since there is an abundance of fun outdoor activities that should keep them happy.
Special thanks to La Paz for hosting me on this trip and a special shoutout to our charming, good-looking, smart, well-informed, skilled driver, tour manager Ivan.
