Find Your Chill Zone on the 4 Best La Paz Beaches

Mexico has nearly six thousand miles of coastline, so there is no shortage of nice beaches there. However, the La Paz beaches are notable for their hidden corners, super-chill vibes and lack of crowds. These four top beaches in La Paz Mexico each offer something unique, from offshore coves to perfect sunset strolls.

Explore the Top Four La Paz Beaches

We were in La Paz as part of a bucket list trip with Red Travel Mexico. They are a tour provider on Baja with a social impact ethic and a knack for spotting marine life.

They had created an action packed itinerary for us which included spotting grey whales and kayaking in Magdalena Bay, and snorkeling with whale sharks and sea lions in Las Paz. While I was beside myself with excitement to do those things, I also wanted to make sure that we spent some chill time exploring the beaches in La Paz.

Tecolote Beach in La Paz

Tecolote beach sits on the northernmost tip of the peninsula which shelters La Paz from the Sea of Cortez. Tecolote isn’t as sheltered as Balandra bay, but the one mile stretch of beach is great for strolling and it has nice views overlooking Isla Espiritu Santo.

The beach can get busy on weekends and public holidays, but it’s generally pretty quiet. You’ll find some folks camping and RVing, day trippers, a handful of small restaurants and a whole lot of quiet. The restaurants have beach loungers which they will let you use if you purchase some food and drink.

This is a great beach to visit if you are going to La Paz as a day trip from Cabo. If you have a rental car, simply take the La Paz-Tecolote road north out of town, keeping the water on your left. You can also take the inexpensive public bus out to the beach but it only runs once an hour.

We took an Uber, which cost $11USD each way. There is no mobile service on Tecolote beach, which contributes to the chill vibe. But it also means that you can’t use your app to summon the driver back. So, you’ll need to pre-arrange for a return pick-up from the beach.

Balandra Bay Beach in La Paz

Balandra Bay is one of the most spectacular La Paz beaches. It is on the same peninsula as Tecolote, but its positioned in sheltered bay with a shallow, sandy entry, perfect for swimming. There are no services available on the beach, which is part of the appeal. You can avoid the noise of restaurant music and aggressive vendors. There are some permanent fixed umbrellas, which you can snag if you get there early.

You can get automobile access to Balandra Bay using the same routing instructions above. However, there are some hidden coves in Balandra Bay that are better accessed by boat, which is what we did. We took the Red Travel whale shark snorkeling tour, which also includes a lunch stop at Balandra Bay. Not all of the tour providers do the lunch stop, so if you like the idea of doing both in one day, use Red Travel or check the itineraries carefully.

Isla Partida & Espiritu Santo Beaches

Espiritu Santo and 244 other nearby islands are part of Mexico’s UNESCO heritage designated efforts to preserve the rich marine life in the Sea of Cortez. The UNESCO designation was part of a successful local effort to prevent development of Espiritu Santo. This means that the island is pristine, providing a home for birds and marine life, but not for permanent human habitation. However, you can visit a series of ten or so small sheltered coves along the western shore of both Isla Partida and Espiritu Santo islands.

The undeveloped nature of both islands means that getting there is not simple. There is a low-impact glamping provider offering a seasonal “safari” experience. We didn’t do that, but I would sure love to on a return trip. Rather, we visited a secluded cove on Isla Partida as part of our sea lion snorkeling experience with Red Travel.

Our day trip included a two hour boat ride out from La Paz, some gymnastic snorkeling with sea lions, a quiet lunch on Isla Partida and a boat ride back. The day peaked with a dose of sea lion induced adrenaline followed by a gentle mellowing of beach time. It was perfect.

The Malecón in La Paz

Las Paz has a population of 244,000 people but it still has a small town feeling. The Malecón is the social hub of La Paz for both tourists and locals. It stretches for two miles along the town frontage.

There are a few small beaches dotting the Malecón, along with play structures, benches, sculptures, ice cream shops and everything else that you need for a perfect sunset stroll.

We do love us some Mexican food here at Wayfaring View and you can find a lot of seafood and traditional Mexican dishes along the Malecón and in the interior streets on the north end of town.

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Explore more of Mexico with these beautiful beaches on the Oaxaca coast.

Get Prepared with These Three Beach Essentials

• SteriPen: While some hotels in La Paz provide filtered water, not all of them do. You can avoid the expense and environmental disaster of plastic bottles by bringing a SteriPen. It kills 99.9% of bacteria and protozoa, is USB rechargeable and fits easily into your gear bag.
• Microfiber Beach Towel: This microfiber beach towel comes in cute patterns, dries quickly and won’t take up much space in your bag.
• Reef Safe Sunscreen: Some of the ingredients in traditional sunscreens have been found to be harmful to reefs and marine life. Consider switching to a “reef-safe” sunscreen when you are swimming in open water. Think Sport has been tested and recommended by Wirecutter and has 4.5 star reviews on Amazon.

Arm yourself with your microfiber towel and a strong spirit of adventure and enjoy exploring the La Paz, Mexico beaches. You’ll find them far more chill than Cabo and the marine life component makes them a very special experience. As they say in Mexico, Buen Viaje!

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