Things To Do in La Paz, Mexico
La Paz, Mexico Attractions
La Paz combines the unselfconscious bustle of a small capital port city with beautiful, isolated beaches not far from town. Well on its way to becoming the adventure-tourism capital of Baja, it's the starting point for whale-watching, diving, freediving, sea kayaking, climbing, and hiking tours throughout the peninsula. Arrange any of those activities, plus beach tours, sunset cruises, and visits to the sea lion colony, through recommended tour operators Baja Expeditions (tel. 800/843-6967 in the U.S., or 612/125-3828; www.bajaex.com); Baja Diving, Obregón 1665-2 (tel. 612/122-1826; fax 612/122-8644; www.clubcantamar.com); DeSea Baja Adventures, Marina Palmira L3, Carretera a Pichilingue Km 2.5 (tel. 310/691-8040 in the U.S., or 612/121-5100; www.deseabaja.com); Fun Baja, Reforma 395, on the corner of Guillermo Prieto (tel. 612/121-5884 or 125-2366; www.funbaja.com); or in travel agencies along the malecón. You can also arrange activities through agencies in the United States that specialize in Baja's natural history.
Most tour agencies offer city tours of all of La Paz's major sights. Tours last 2 to 3 hours, include time for shopping, and cost around $15 per person.
Historic La Paz
When Cortez landed here in 1535, he named it Bahía Santa Cruz. The name didn't stick. In April 1683, Eusebio Kino, a Spanish Jesuit priest, arrived and dubbed the place Nuestra Señora de la Paz (Our Lady of Peace). It wasn't until 1720, however, that Jaime Bravo, another Jesuit priest, set up a permanent mission. The mission church stands on La Paz's main square on Revolución and Independencia.
La Paz, Mexico Shopping
La Paz has little in the way of folk art or other treasures from mainland Mexico. But the dense cluster of streets behind the Hotel Perla, between 16 de Septiembre and Degollado, abounds with small shops -- some tacky, others quite upscale. This area also holds a very small but authentic Chinatown dating to the time when Chinese laborers were brought to settle in Baja. Serdán Street, from Degollado south, offers dozens of sellers of dried spices, piñatas, and candy. On Tuesdays, there's a natural products street market in front of Buffalo BBQ from 9am to noon; on Saturdays, it decamps to the street in front of Corazón Café.
La Paz, Mexico Nightlife
A night in La Paz logically begins in a cafe along the malecón as the sun sinks into the sea. Have your camera ready.
A favorite ringside seat at dusk is a table at La Terraza, next to the Hotel Perla (tel. 612/122-0777). La Terraza makes good, schooner-size margaritas. Papas & Beer (tel. 612/128-5145; www.lapaz.papasandbeer.com) is the star attraction for the late night set at the trendy Vista Coral entertainment center, located at the very start of the malecón at Marquez de Léon. Jungle Bar (tel. 612/125-7666), on the malecón at 16 de Septiembre, has spring-break-style Ladies' Night and shot specials, open until 2am Sunday to Wednesday, and till 4am Thursday to Saturday. For a lower-key night on the town, La Encantada gallery and wine bar (tel. 612/185-3469), on Dominguez between 5 de Mayo and Callejón Constitución, showcases local jazz musicians in the garden until 10:30pm Monday to Saturday.
For dancing, two of the hottest clubs are Casa de Villa (tel. 612/128-5799), where current pop music has young paceños (La Paz locals) dancing till late on the second-floor terrace above La Paz-Lapa on the malecón, and Las Varitas, Independencia and Dominguez (tel. 612/125-2025; www.lasvaritas.com), which plays Latin rock, ranchera, and salsa. Both are open from 9pm to 3 or 4am Thursday through Saturday (occasionally open earlier in the week as well), with cover charges around $5 (the charge may be waived or increased, depending on the crowd).
