Layout of La Paz
La Paz faces north-east across a bay that is closed off by El Mogote, a sand spit several kilometres long that turns the water in front of the city into a sheltered inner lagoon, the Ensenada de La Paz. The spine of the city is the malecón, a waterfront promenade of about 5 km along Paseo Álvaro Obregón, lined with the ferry offices, dive shops and bronze sculptures that mark the sea front. Behind it the old centre is a compact grid climbing gently inland: the cathedral of Nuestra Señora de La Paz and the plaza in front of it, the state government offices, and the market streets a few blocks further back. Because the city grew as a pearling and supply port rather than a resort, the centre is a working one, and the hotels are spread along the malecón instead of concentrated in a single strip.
The road north out of town runs 17 km along the coast to Pichilingue, which is both the deep-water cargo port and the ferry terminal for the mainland crossings, and continues past it to the beaches at Balandra and Tecolote. Manuel Márquez de León International Airport (LAP) is about 11 km south-west of the centre on the Highway 1 side of the city, with a handful of US routes and frequent domestic flights to Mexico City, Tijuana and Guadalajara. Intercity buses use the terminal on the Forjadores corridor at the southern edge of the built-up area; Autobuses Águila is the peninsula carrier and runs north to Loreto and Tijuana and south to Todos Santos and Los Cabos. Highway 1, the Carretera Transpeninsular, passes the city on that same southern side.
Distances from La Paz
| Place | km | Time | How |
|---|---|---|---|
| La Paz airport (LAP) | 11 | 15 min | Taxi, shuttle |
| Pichilingue ferry terminal | 17 | 20 min | Coast road north |
| Playa Balandra | 23 | 30 min | Same coast road |
| Todos Santos | 80 | 1 h | Highway 19 |
| Cabo San Lucas | 155 | 2 h | Highway 19 via Todos Santos |
| San José del Cabo | 180 | 2 h 15 | Highway 1 via Los Barriles |
| Loreto | 355 | 4 h 30 | Highway 1 north |
| Guerrero Negro | 800 | 9 h 30 | Highway 1 north |
| Los Mochis (Topolobampo) | 400 | 9 h | Baja Ferries from Pichilingue |
| Mazatlán | 430 | 15 h | Overnight ferry from Pichilingue |
Beaches and surroundings
The best-known beaches are strung along the 25 km of coast north of the city. Playa Balandra, a shallow bay of turquoise water broken by the mushroom-shaped El Hongo rock, is a protected area with a daily visitor cap and fixed opening hours; Playa Tecolote, a few kilometres further on at the end of the paved road, is open and faces the island. That island is Espíritu Santo, a 80 km² block of layered volcanic rock 25 km north-east of the city, uninhabited, part of the Gulf of California World Heritage listing, and ringed by a dozen bays. The sea lion colony at Los Islotes, off its northern tip, is the usual target of the day boats that leave from the malecón and Tecolote.
Inland and south, the granite Sierra de la Laguna rises to about 2,090 m and is a biosphere reserve with oak and pine forest above the desert, the only such forest in the southern peninsula. The Pacific side of the same range holds Todos Santos, a former sugar town 80 km away that now takes most of the overflow from Los Cabos. La Paz itself is the quiet capital of a state whose visitors mostly land 180 km further south; the beaches map sets both against the rest of the Mexican coast, the Baja California Peninsula page covers the run of Highway 1 from Mexicali down, and the desert climate that keeps the bay clear for most of the year is mapped on the climate map.
Questions about La Paz
Where is La Paz on the map of Mexico?
Two-thirds of the way down the Baja California peninsula, on the inner shore facing the Gulf of California (Sea of Cortez), not the Pacific. It is the capital of Baja California Sur and sits at 24.14° N, about 155 km north of Cabo San Lucas.
How do you get from La Paz to Los Cabos?
Two roads run south. Highway 19 down the Pacific side through Todos Santos reaches Cabo San Lucas in about 155 km and two hours; Highway 1 through Los Barriles and the East Cape reaches San José del Cabo in about 180 km. Buses run both routes several times a day.
Can you take a ferry from La Paz to mainland Mexico?
Yes, from the Pichilingue terminal 17 km north of the city. The crossing to Topolobampo, the port for Los Mochis, takes about nine hours and runs most days; the crossing to Mazatlán takes about fifteen hours and sails overnight. Both carry vehicles.
When can you see whale sharks at La Paz?
Juvenile whale sharks feed in the shallow Bahía de La Paz roughly from October to April. Access is capped and licensed by the federal environment authorities, and swimming with them is only permitted with an authorised operator inside the marked zone.
Is La Paz safe to visit?
Baja California Sur has consistently carried the mildest US State Department rating applied to any Mexican state, Level 2, exercise increased caution, the same level the department applies to much of western Europe. Check the current advisory before travelling.