City Layout -- Although La Paz sprawls well inland from the malecón (the seaside boulevard, Álvaro Obregón), you'll probably spend most of your time in the older, more congenial downtown section within a few blocks of the waterfront. The main plaza, Plaza Pública (or Jardín Velasco), is bounded by Madero, Independencia, Revolución, and Cinco de Mayo. The plaza centers on an iron bandstand where public concerts frequently take place in the evening, and the malecón is dotted with the bronze sculptures of Guadalajara artist Alejandro Colunga. A 24-hour taxi stand is on the malecón at 16 de Septiembre, or call one at tel. 612/122-0308.

Visitor Information -- The visitor information center of the Hoteliers' Association (tel. 612/125-6844; www.vivalapaz.org or www.visitlapaz.net) is in the 1910 former city hall at Dominguez and 16 de Septiembre, two blocks up from the malecón. They have very helpful English-speaking staff on duty from 9am to 5pm. You can also find the excellent and detailed gotbaja La Paz map (www.gotbajamaps.com) and the English-language Baja Citizen community newspaper (www.bajacitizen.com) in hotels and restaurants.

Festivals & Events in La Paz -- February features the biggest and best Carnaval, or Mardi Gras, in Baja, as well as a month-long Festival of the Gray Whale (starting in Feb or Mar). On May 3, La Fiesta de La Paz celebrates the city's founding by Cortez in 1535 and features artesanía exhibitions from throughout Southern Baja. The annual marlin-fishing tournament is in August, with other fishing tournaments in September and November. And on November 1 and 2, the Days of the Dead, altars are on display at the Anthropology Museum.

Fast Facts

Area Code -- The telephone area code is 612.

Banks -- Banks generally exchange currency during normal business hours: Monday through Friday from 9am to 6pm and Saturday from 10am to 2pm. ATMs are readily available and offer bank exchange rates on withdrawals.

Emergencies -- Dial tel. 066 for general emergency assistance, or tel. 060 for police. Both calls are free.

Hospitals -- The two hospitals in the area are Hospital Especialidades Médicas, at Km 4.5 on the highway toward the airport (tel. 612/124-0400), and Hospital Juan María de Salvatierra (tel. 612/122-1497), Nicolás Bravo 1010, Col. Centro. Both are open 24 hours, and the former offers access to emergency air evacuation.

Marinas -- La Paz has a growing number of marinas: Marina de La Paz, at the west end of the malecón at Legaspi (tel. 612/125-2112; marinalapaz@prodigy.net.mx); Marina Palmira, south of town at Carretera a Pichilingue Km 2.5, Edificio la Plaza (tel. 877/217-1513 in the U.S., or 612/121-7000; eloisa@marinapalmira.com); and Marina Costa Baja, Carretera a Pichilingue Km 7.5 (tel. 866/899-7567 in the U.S.; www.costabajaresort.com). The large ships arrive at the commercial port of Pichilingue, Carretera a Pichilingue Km 2.5, Puerto Pichilingue (tel. 612/122-7010), 17km (11 miles) from La Paz.

Municipal Market -- The public market is 3 blocks inland, at Degollado and Revolución. It mainly sells produce, meats, and utilitarian wares. Hours are Monday through Saturday 6am to 6pm and Sunday 6am to 1pm.

Parking -- In high season, street parking may be hard to find in the downtown area, but there are several guarded lots, which cost from $2 to $5, and side streets are less crowded. Most hotels and resorts have parking.

Pharmacy -- As a city, La Paz has plenty of pharmacies, including a 24-hour one across from the Salvatierra Hospital. Downtown, try the Farmacia America, at Revolución and Delgollado (tel. 612/122-3343).

Post Office -- The correo is 3 blocks inland, at Constitución and Revolución (tel. 612/122-0388); it's open Monday through Friday 8am to 5pm, Saturday 8am to 1pm.

Tourism Office -- Located at 16 de Septiembre at Dominguez in the old city hall (tel. 612/125-6844), it's open daily from 9am to 5pm.

Getting Around

Because most of what you'll need and want in town is on the malecón, or a few blocks inland, it's easy to get around La Paz on foot. Public buses go to some of the beaches north of town, but to explore the many beaches within 81km (50 miles) of La Paz, your best bet is to rent a car or hire a taxi. Several car-rental agencies have offices on the malecón.

Sustainable Travel & Ecotourism

The Bay of La Paz Project: Saving the Sea of Cortez

Although the best whale-watching is in the Pacific, it's the Sea of Cortez that once inspired Jacques Cousteau to call it the "world's aquarium." Apart from gray and humpback whales -- plus remarkable pelagic and reef life -- divers have spotted blue whales and even orcas in this extraordinary body of water, also known as the Gulf of California. Sadly, marine populations have declined between 70% and 90% since the 1960s, and, until now, nothing has been done to ensure that future generations will have fish in the sea.

SeaWatch, a La Paz-based organization dedicated to exposing and stopping destructive fishing practices in the Sea of Cortez for the past 15 years, has launched a public awareness campaign in Southern Baja to stop commercial fishermen from wiping out reefs and snaring hammerhead schools in nets. The Bay of La Paz Project, under the auspices of SeaWatch and three NGOs (Niparajá, the Billfish Foundation, and Pro-Natura), hopes to limit commercial fishing in various high-pressure areas over time, thereby allowing fish populations the chance to reproduce. If you would like to know more or find out how you can help, visit www.seawatch.org or call tel. 503/616-4421.

Getting There

By Plane

La Paz's General Manuel Márquez De León International Airport (LAP; tel. 612/164-6307) is 18km (11 miles) northwest of town along the highway to Ciudad Constitución and Tijuana. Both Alaska Airlines (tel. 800/252-7522 in the U.S.; www.alaskaair.com) and Delta (tel. 800/241-4141 in the U.S.; www.delta.com) have nonstop flights from Los Angeles. Aeroméxico (tel. 800/237-6639 in the U.S., or 612/122-0091; www.aeromexico.com) connects through Tucson and Los Angeles in the United States, and flies from Mexico City and other points within Mexico.

Airport colectivos (175 pesos per person) run only from the airport to town, not vice versa. Taxi service (300 pesos, 600 pesos for a van) is available as well. If you fly to Los Cabos International airport in San José, there's a convenient shuttle (3 hr.; tel. 888/829-9925 in the U.S., 01-800/026-8331 in Mexico; www.shuttletolapaz.com) to La Paz bus station on the malecón for 325 pesos one-way.

Most major rental-car agencies have booths inside the airport. Budget's airport number is tel. 612/124-6433 or 122-3107 in town; you can contact Avis at tel. 612/124-6312, or 122-2651 in town, or Hertz at tel. 612/124-6330 at the airport, or 128-4865 in town.

By Car

From San José del Cabo, Hwy. 1 north through the East Cape is the more scenic route, passing through San Bartolo ★★, a mountain town where heavenly homemade macaroons made of thick, fresh-cut coconut, and pralines made from cajeta (goat's-milk caramel) will for some be worth the longer drive, about 3 1/2 hours. A faster route from the south heads north from Cabo San Lucas on Hwy. 19 through Todos Santos to San Pedro, where Hwy. 19 rejoins Hwy. 1 and runs north into La Paz, about 2 1/2 hours. From Northern Baja, Hwy. 1 south is the only choice; the trip from Loreto takes 4 to 5 hours.

Taking Your Car to the Mainland -- Those planning to take their U.S. or Canadian cars on the ferry to the Mexican mainland must obtain a temporary import permit. Additionally, every traveler going to the mainland needs a Mexican Tourist Permit (FMM), available upon your entry into Mexico.

Reserve your space on the ferry as early as possible and confirm your reservation 24 hours before departure; you can pick up tickets at the port terminal ticket office as late as the morning of the day you are leaving. The dock is at Pichilingue, 18km (11 miles) north of La Paz.

Buses to Pichilingue depart from the beach bus terminal of Transportes Aguila (tel. 612/122-7898) on the malecón at Independencia on the hour, from 7am to 8pm, and cost $2 each way.

By Bus

The bus station is on the malecón at Álvaro Obregón and Cinco de Mayo (tel. 612/122-7898). The station is open daily from 6am to 10pm, and taxis line up in front. Buses to the beach at Pichilingue depart seven times a day from 8am to 5pm and cost 22 pesos one-way; buses to San José del Cabo leave from 6am to 9pm, and to Cabo San Lucas (236 pesos one-way) from 5:45am to 6pm. For schedule information all the way from Tijuana down the peninsula, check at the station or with Transportes Aguila (tel. 800/824-8452; www.autotransportesaguila.net).

By Ferry

Baja Ferries serves La Paz from the mainland Pacific ports of Topolobampo (6 hr., daily at 3pm from La Paz, at 11pm from Topolobampo) and Mazatlán (15 hr., Sun-Fri, alternating days from La Paz at 5 or 7:30pm and Mazatlán at 4pm). Tickets are available at the Baja Ferries office in La Paz, on the corner of Allende and Marcelo Rubio (tel. 800/337-7427; www.bajaferries.com) or by phone through their call center. The local office is open daily 8am to 6pm. They do not accept foreign credit cards for payment, so if you don't have a credit card backed by a Mexican bank, to buy a ticket, you'll have to make a deposit into the Baja Ferries bank account. This is easier than it sounds; go to the office, pick up a deposit slip, go to the bank and have it validated, and bring it back in exchange for your tickets.

Passengers pay one fee for themselves (Topolobampo 790 pesos, Mazatlán 890 pesos for a seat, half price for children ages 3-11, and an additional 770 pesos for a cabin with four beds and one bathroom) and another for their vehicles (1,050 pesos to Topolobampo, 2,462 pesos to Mazatlán). The 1,000-passenger ferries, which are accessible to people with disabilities, offer restaurant and bar service, as well as a coffee shop and live music, and a hot meal is included in the cost of the ticket. Cabins and bathrooms are very clean with good showers.

Buses line up in front of the ferry dock at Pichilingue to meet every arriving ferry. They stop at the beach bus station on the malecón at Independencia; it's within walking distance of many downtown hotels if you're not encumbered with heavy luggage. Taxis also meet each ferry and cost about $10 to downtown La Paz.

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