One thing that makes La Paz a great place for us is the plethora of beaches within a 20 minute drive from town.  We made great use of these beaches during the two weeks we were in town before moving into our apartment, staying at first one and then another for a whole lot of snorkelling, some paddling and a great deal of sitting and relaxing.  Its funny, because when I’ve talked to others about how much we enjoy sitting on the beach here, some will say how boring they find beaches, and this may be true in other locations, but not here.  Here you will always find something to look at while you sit.  It might be a squadron of pelicans swooping down to find their dinner, or a sailboat lazily progressing from one side of the horizon to the other.  Occasionally the gigantic Baja Ferry can been seen making its way either to or from Mazatlán.  In the water, of course, there is a whole other world just awaiting your arrival.  We always find it so funny to look out at the water, thinking there’s nothing there and then, when we put our faces in with our masks and snorkels on, there are just so many fish!!  Its crazy!  So today I will introduce you to our favourite beaches (or playas) around La Paz.  Each one has its own special characteristics that make it a good destination for a day or two.

Balandra

This is the beach featured in every single post you read about La Paz and for good reason.  It is simply stunning.  With its white sandy beach lying in a protected cove, there are never big waves to contend with.  Indeed, the shallowness of the bay makes it difficult for boats to put in, which just adds to its appeal.  It looks like a giant wading pool, and you have to walk in quite a distance to get to deeper water for swimming.  Of course, what makes Balandra such a beautiful beach also makes it a difficult place to visit during the height of the tourist season.  If you drive out, you have to go very early in order to park or you will end up in the que outside waiting a few hours to get in.  Parking spots are limited to time slots, so its impossible to stay all day if you drive your car in during this time of year.  However, there are other ways to access Balandra.  First, you can take the Playa Bus from La Paz, which will drop you off and pick you up for a minimal cost.  The drawbacks to taking the bus, of course, are that you have to schlep all of your gear onto the bus and then down to the beach.  There are not a lot of options for food at Balandra, so you would also need to bring your own food.  However, if you go this route you are not limited to the time you spend and so you can set up for the whole day, taking the last bus back into town when you have enjoyed it to the fullest.

Another way to get into Balandra is to hike over from nearby Tecolote.  There is a spot to park at the beginning of this hike and its about 2 ½ kilometers to where you can take a trail down onto the beach.  Again, you will be carrying your gear both in and out, so this option is not for those who want to bring a big cooler and a bunch of chairs for the day! However, the hike is glorious and even if you choose to stay up high and just enjoy the view, it is totally worth doing!

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If you know that you don’t want to actually get onto the beach, there is a hike from the other side of the bay which is about the same length and gives you some spectacular views of the bay.  Do it early in the day or on a windy day as the rocks on the hike up and back get pretty hot. 

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Having a paddle board with us came in very handy, as we simply parked our van outside of Balandra near a grove of mangroves.  From here we were able to paddle across and into Balandra Bay.  It was a delightful paddle on the calm water and there was the added perk of being able to land our boards on the beach across from where everyone else was, giving us our own private beach from which to go for a short swim and then lay in the sun to relax before heading back.  This is a fantastic option!

The last way to get into Balandra is by boat.  There are many tour boats leaving the harbour in La Paz and you can book a boat just to Balandra, or do a day trip out to the amazing Espiritu Sanctus island where you will get to snorkel with sea lions, picnic on a beach and then stop at Balandra on the way back.  The boats doing this stop at the beach you can get to from the Tecolote hike, which is pretty unoccupied most of the time. 

Tecolote

Just up the road from Balandra is Tecolote, a very different animal from Balandra.  Here you will find people from all over the world camping out in motorhomes and vans (us included!).  It is a long beach with plenty of room for everyone and with the added bonus of many beach restaurants where you can quench your thirst while downing endless fish tacos and ceviche.  Tecolote is out in the open,  with waves coming straight onto shore and occasionally with a big tide and wind, the tides come right up onto the dirt roadway that leads from one end of the beach to the other.  This can make for some fun jumping in the waves, but can also lead to some unfortunate incidences of vehicles getting stuck in the wet sloppy sand.  When we stayed here, thankfully, we parked the van well back from the surf and avoided what would have been a big problem when we awoke in the morning to see how far the surf had come up the night before! 

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On a calm day, the waves are not too big and at high tide, the snorkelling here at Tecolote is really quite nice.  Depending on what time of year you come down, you may choose to wear a wetsuit or not.  When we first arrived in early December, the water was really warm and we swam in just our swimsuits, but as the water gets chillier, we have begun wearing them if we plan on being in the water for a length of time.  Both ends of the beach at Tecolote have good snorkelling at high tide, but again, you need to watch for a calm day as you don’t want to get thrown onto the jagged rocks in big waves!

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Pichilinque

This is a very popular spot with the i-overlander set.  At any time when driving by on the way out to Tecolote, you can look over and see a variety of motorhomes parked at the far end of the beach.  There is not a lot of room, and I think some of the locals are getting fed up with the number of foreigners taking up the available beach space here, so I would caution being thoughtful if you come out here to park.  Not that anyone bothered us at all, just that I would hope all of the visitors here would be thoughtful as to the impact their stay had on the people who live here.  The people of La Paz are so very friendly and we have had nothing but positive encounters with everyone we have met, which just makes us feel more responsible to be aware of where we stay and how it impacts others.  When we did stay out at Pichilinque, we parked at the far end of the spit, away from the nicer beachy area.  We liked it because it felt a little more remote, but also because it was closer for us to snorkel, there being a boat ramp close to where we parked.  Here, at the beginning of the day and then at the end, local fishers would put into the water, so there was always something to watch happening.  And in the water, there were plenty of fish to see.  On one outing I spotted a really big eel, but of course, no camera with me!  Rats!!! 

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These are just a few of the many beaches in this wonderful area, and all can be reached easily from town either by car or by taking the Playa Bus.  With all of the amazing marine life on display, it is not wonder that Jacques Cousteau called this area “the world’s aquarium”.