La Paz

The holiday retreat of La Paz is the laid-back capital of Baja California Sur, known for its stunning sunsets and beaches. The city is a perfect base from which to explore the magical surrounding landscape. Although it has excellent beaches, it is not known specifically as a beach resort, but is a tranquil Mexican port which has retained a charming colonial atmosphere. La Paz is a 'real' city where locals go about their daily business among the tourist shops, fancy restaurants and tour operators. The most romantic feature in the city is the waterfront promenade, or malecón, around which city life revolves, stretching for several kilometres along sandy beaches. Much of the dining and nightlife most popular with travellers is found along this walkway and it is the best place to catch one of the city's famously spectacular sunsets while on holiday.La Paz is the eco-tourism capital of the country, surrounded by desert and situated in a large bay on the Sea of Cortez, with a variety of outdoor tour guides offering excellent trips. The region boasts astonishing plant and animal life, the varied and dramatic geology of the inland deserts, mountains and oases, and the Sierra de la Laguna Biosphere Reserve. Beautiful unspoilt offshore islands offer naturalist hiking, as well as amazing diving and snorkelling from pristine beaches with hammerhead sharks, dolphins, sea lions and gigantic whale sharks. The islands are the destination of kayakers, sailors and boat cruises, and the bay is a popular yachting stopover. La Paz is a fisherman's paradise and its international fishing competitions are world famous. To the north of the city, along the Pichilingue Peninsula, are some magnificent beaches, backed by mangroves and the cactus-studded mountains of the desert.Besides the eco-tourist activities on offer, La Paz boasts plentiful shopping, a varied nightlife, excellent fish and seafood, and comfortable accommodation, offering visitors everything they need for a relaxing and stimulating holiday.