La Paz (Mexico)

La Paz is a city in Baja California Sur, Mexico. Often overlooked by travelers drawn to the more flashy nearby Los Cabos resorts, La Paz has a wonderful waterfront and world class beaches. It is on the coast of the Gulf of California or the Sea of Cortez on the southern end of the long peninsula.

Understand
It's a city of 245,000 people (2015) that is clean, safe and attractive. The islands off the coast are a popular destination.

By plane


Taxis, shuttles and vans are readily available from the airport to your hotel but can be pricey. Prices are preset at US$12.50 per person so an airport taxi with four people can run US$50. Buy a ticket at the taxi counter inside the terminal. Expect to pay US$15-20 for a ride to downtown La Paz, as the airport is a fair distance away. As always, settle on a price before entering the taxi or shuttle.

It is best to arrange airport transfers through your travel agent or hotel prior to arriving. Return trip taxis run about US$20 for 1 to 4 people.

By boat
Ferries from Mazatlan and Topolobampo, just outside Los Mochis on the Mexican mainland are serviced by Baja Ferries . Both routes are overnight trips, the trip to Topolobampo taking about 8 hours and the trip to Mazatlan taking about 12 hours. Fares are M$1290 in 2021 for a one-way trip. It's possible to bring your car. Vehicle fees are based on class and size.

All ferries arrive in La Paz at about 30 minutes north of La Paz city. Public transport is limited, but taxis are readily available.

By bus
Autotransportes Aguila offers frequent bus service from nearby cities such as Cabo San Lucas (about 2 hr), San Jose del Cabo (about 2½ hr) and Loreto (about 2 hr), with direct (faster) and local (slower) service. Service is good, although tickets are a bit pricey. Alternatively, Eco Baja Tours operates 7- to 9-passenger vans that go directly from SJD airport to the same La Paz bus terminal used by Aguila.



By taxi
Taxis are readily available throughout town and prices are very reasonable, usually US$5/$10 for just about anywhere, but make sure to agree on a price "before" entering taxi and be clear that it is not a per-person price. Also UBER is available.

Local taxi location & phone numbers:
 * Degollado S/N Tel: (612) 122-0164
 * GMO. Prieto y Bravo Tel: (612) 122-0156
 * Revolucion y Degollado Tel: (612) 122-0857
 * Rosales S/N Tel: (612) 122-0455
 * Abasolo y Sonora Tel: (612) 123-2044
 * Bravo y M. Rubio Tel: (612) 122-0060
 * 16 de Septiembre y 21 de Agosta Tel: (612) 122-0308
 * B. Dominguez y 5 de Mayo Tel:: (612) 122-0770
 * Serdan y 5 de Mayo Tel:: (612) 122-1470
 * 16 de Septiembre y Revolucion Tel:: (612) 122-0790

By rental car
Many car rental agencies (for example, Alamo, Budget, National, Thrifty) have offices both at the airport and downtown. Daily car rental prices are relatively cheap, comparable to a one-way taxi ride from the airport to downtown. An important consideration is that car insurance is very expensive, with some agencies making policies compulsory. In addition, some agencies may put a hold on your credit card for up to half the value of the car, so make sure your card has enough credit.

Driving allows you to visit great beaches located away from town and to take day trips to nearby cities. It is possible to pick up the car at one location, for example at the airport, and drop it off at other location, for example downtown. This allows you to avoid paying a taxi to get to your hotel, plus gives you a convenient way to visit places that are not within walking distance from town.

See

 * Beaches: La Paz is home to various scenic beaches and boat docks. Playa El Tesoro is ideal for quiet, non-motorized watersports in a protected bay ringed with aquamarine shallow water that looked perfect for abundant fishing in the coves. Other popular public beaches a few miles outside of town (about 15 miles north of La Paz, no public transportation available) are: Pichilingue, Balandra and El Tecolote. As of September 2016, a bus ticket from Aguila Transport in La Paz is M$100 (pesos) round trip to the northern beaches. The first bus to the beach leaves at 10:00 and the last bus back to town leaves the beach at 18:45.


 * Islands: The islands in the Sea of Cortez (such as Isla Espiritu Santo) can be visited by boat tours and are well worth the time to check out. For example, a tour to Isla Espiritu Santo leaving from Playa El Tecolote takes about 4 hours. The marine wildlife and world-class views are a huge draw. Think Arizona with the Caribbean!

Do
There's an active night life on the Malecón of La Paz, the street that borders the harbor. You can walk around, go into a club, buy some drinks, etc.
 * Whale Watching Tours – Begin your adventure in the capital city of La Paz. Then on to Port San Carlos to meet the aquatic stars of this tour, the Gray Whales of Magdalena Bay. Snorkeling equipment is provided & a delicious seafood lunch is included in this adventure. On this tour you can go scuba diving with dolphins. They also provide bird watching tours as well.
 * Nightlife – Among popular waterfront night clubs are La Paz Lapa, La Casa De Villa, Hookah, and The Jungle. Also, locals can frequently be found sipping coffee until late at the popular franchise of Exquisito coffee shops. "Maleconeando" is the local slang for something akin to "cruising" in the US, and refers to bumper-to-bumper driving up and down the waterfront at night as a pickup spot and pastime. La Paz is quite safe downtown.
 * Biking – The city of La Paz is spread out, and you will find yourself walking a fair amount. The best way to see the city and surrounding area is by bike. There are a few rental facilities along the Malecon but for the best deals ask if your hotel has a bike for rent. Rentals range from US$2-5/hr. A good day bike is north along the coast to Pichilingue and beyond. There are numerous beaches to stop at and take a dip in the ocean. Make sure to bring water. Bike difficulty is beginner.
 * Sea Kayaking - Adventure travelers can rent kayaks or join guided multi-day paddling tours to islands and beaches on the Sea of Cortez. Get out into the areas where dolphins and whales will come close to see these bizarre land creatures venturing into their habitat. Camp on outlying islands. Note that federal restrictions require use of a registered guide in order to camp and explore some of the islands. There are several kayak rental and guide services in La Paz.
 * Mar y Aventuras
 * Sea Quest

Buy
You can walk around the streets of the downtown in La Paz, you will see a lot of little shopping stores where you can buy artcraft made of seashells, wood and other materials of La Paz.

Eat
Since this is a coastal city, you can get fresh seafood; shrimp, lobster, abulón, snail, etc.

Budget
All these are in the city center:



Drink

 * El Parnazo, 16 de Septiembre #15. Drinks and food and music videos and a deck with a good view over the bay.
 * Tailhunter, Paseo Alvaro Obregon #755. 3-story restaurant and bar, with a breathtaking view to La Paz Bay.

Camping
This is Baja, so the best budget option is always going to be beach camping. There are a number of free camping areas near La Paz. The authorities often try to close these areas (many of which have semi-permanent populations of winter Canadians), but determined campers almost always insist on "reopening" them. For this guide we will only list the legal, for-profit areas.
 * Campestre Maranatha US$16 per night dry camping (no RV hookups) at the north end of town

Budget
Several other hotels are in the downtown area, including: Acuario, Miramar, and Yeneka.

Mid-range
In the Marina Costa Baja where there are berths available to dock your yacht, (as well as restaurants, bars and shopping). Some weekends there are events in the Marina Costa Baja with dance groups, jazz music, samba music and other cultural diversions.

You can find a wide variety of hotels and travel information at the La Paz Hotel and Tourism Website (official site).



Go next
The nearby cities of Todos Santos, Cabo San Lucas, Loreto (Baja California) and San Jose del Cabo make excellent destinations for side trips while visiting La Paz.

It is also possible to take a ferry to mainland Mexico. The ferry goes to Mazatlan or Topolobampo, the latter is an excellent embarkation point for the famous Chepe train through the Copper Canyon.