Baja California Sur, and more specifically the town of La Paz, is home to some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, each boasting crystal-clear waters and stunning views. Not sure where to begin? Don’t worry, I’ve made it easy for you to decide which one to visit first! I say “first,” because, in reality, I suggest you visit them all if you have the time.
Playa Balandra
Balandra has been named Mexico’s best beach on multiple occasions, and is found in most of the initial photos you’ll see if you google “La Paz, Mexico.” Balandra Bay is technically home to seven different beaches and is considered a wetland surrounded by three different endangered species of mangroves. This beautiful slice of shoreline can accessed by car, bus, or boat and is many people’s top favorite beach in La Paz (though personally, it’s third on my list).
To get there by bus or car takes about 30 minutes from downtown La Paz, and access to the beach is free but limited. When we visited (2023) you didn’t need a reservation, but needed to arrive near opening time to secure one of the 80 parking spots. (Open hours seem to change frequently, but in the summer of 2023 it was split into two shifts, 8-12 and 1-5, I believe).
It is important to note that there is no cell reception in this area- a good friend learned this the hard way when she took an Uber to get to the beach, but then couldn’t call one to get back, and had to hitchhike.. while that can be quite an adventure, I don’t recommend it as your Plan A.
The beach has permanent palapas for shade but there are no bathrooms or restaurants, so bring everything that you will need. There are a few hiking trails to explore and the water is extremely shallow and calm, allowing you to often walk all the way across the bay to the other side- what a treat!
Playa Tecolote
Personally, Playa Tecolote is my favorite beach in La Paz. It is located at the end of La Paz Bay, where the road dead ends if you continue driving after passing Balandra. The beach faces Isla de Espíritu Santo and is a perfect spot to enjoy many various water activities like tubing, paddleboarding, kayaking, jet skiing, and snorkeling, which are all available for a fee.
There are plenty of palapas for rent here, and at most of the restaurants, a significant portion of your palapa rental can be used as a credit for food or drinks at their restaurant, making it a great deal. There is a beachfront massage tent which I never took the time to enjoy, but other friends who did only had great things to say. This is my number one beach in La Paz because it has the same beautiful blue water as the others but it also has various restaurants available to enjoy, an abundance of water sports to partake in, good music, shade, and bathrooms.
Playa Pichilingue & Playa Tesoro
I paired these two beaches in the same category because they are less than 5km from each other and have very similar elements. They are both 15-20 minutes from downtown and provide small dirt parking lots, restrooms, calm waters, simple restaurants, and local vibes.
Both of the beaches are low-key and great for paddleboarding, swimming, or relaxing with a book and soaking up the sun. When driving from downtown La Paz you will reach Playa Tesoro first and shortly after you will find Playa Pichilingue.
Each beach has a restaurant on it, but the hours vary and are not reliable all of the time, in my experience. You won’t have vendors bothering you to buy towels, snacks, or jewelry on these beaches, they are very local beaches that most gringos don’t seem to visit.
Playa Coromuel
Playa Coromuel is the first beach you will encounter on Highway 1 leaving downtown La Paz, with a convenient location, ample parking, multiple vendors, and plenty of palapas this beach easily makes the “best of” list. If you arrive and are not able to secure one of the permanent palapas, don’t worry- one of the various food vendors will be happy to (eager to) set you up with an umbrella and chairs and bring you all the micheladas of your dreams, pictured below. If someone in your group has a mobility impairment, this beach is wonderful because it has a wooden ramp that leads to the sand, ending at large palapas that provide shade with wooden bases, which are easy to access with a walker or wheelchair.
Playa Coromuel is a white sand beach with idyllic snorkeling conditions and a beautiful cliffside backdrop. Don’t get too excited (like I did) when you see the waterslides that drop into the gulf, as they are no longer functioning. But there are plenty of other water activities to make your day full if you want to indulge in them!
Playa El Saltito
This stunning beach that offers a panoramic view of the Sea of Cortez is located south of La Paz and is the only beach on the list that you can’t access via bus. You absolutely need a car to reach this beach and should be prepared to drive on dirt roads. Some online sources say you need a 4×4 vehicle to get to Saltito, but in May of 2023, we accessed this empty beach with a Nissan Sentra with no issues.
Visiting El Saltito is a one-of-a-kind experience that will require you to bring your own umbrellas, chairs, snorkeling gear, snacks.. everything, as there is absolutely nothing there (including restrooms and cell service) except for sand and beautiful views.
You can snorkel right off of the shore to explore a vast coral reef where you will find plenty of captivating marine life to swim with, the best spot is to go to the left side of the beach when facing the shore. When we were there we got lucky enough to get to snorkel with huge schools of puffer fish, it was a dream come true!
If you’re a beach lover, La Paz should be on your “must-visit” list for sure. We lived there during 2023 and cant wait to go back in 2025! Happy Travels!
The Ambitious Passport 
Very nice
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