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Feeling adventurous after, oh, two years of being cooped up? La Paz in Baja California promises a wonderland for those who love adventure – whether that’s the relatively tame kind or a bit closer to the edge.
Perched on a protected bay on Mexico’s famed Sea of Cortez (aka the Gulf of California), the city is the major gateway to everything those spectacular waters have to offer. It’s a desert climate, so it is warm to downright hot virtually all year round, just like Cabo San Lucas, located about two hours to the south.
To get to La Paz, take one of the numerous nonstop, 2.5-hour flights to Los Cabos out of LAX. Once there, hire a transport service to drive you north. Or, you can rent a car, but know that once you’re in La Paz, you won’t really need one, as tour companies will pick you up, taxis are plentiful and walking is definitely an option around town.
Get wet
While there are many adventures to be had in La Paz, the ones that get you wet are some of the most exciting. So, plan to be on a boat as often as you can – especially in the months of November to May, when the Sea of Cortez really lights up. That’s when the whale sharks meander in, those massive, gentle sharks that feed on plankton. Snorkeling with a whale shark is a surreal experience for these are the largest fish in the world, and the moment you hit the water with one, you’re suddenly aware of just how small we humans are. The exhilarating rush of swimming with them is hard to compare with anything else; but scuba diving in the Sea of Cortez runs a close second.
Every dive in this underwater wonderland is different, of course, but if you’re lucky you’ll spot six Moray eels among the corals, teeth bared in search of food, then a sea turtle will wander by, followed by a school of spotted eagle rays. And if your luck is really holding, hammerhead sharks might even make an appearance or a perhaps a pod of dolphins will zoom past. One thing is certain: you’re going to romp with seals at Isla del Espiritu Santo, for they live there year-round and love to show off for visitors.
And then there are the whales – so many whales! Humpbacks, gray whales, sperm and blue whales all annually make their way to the waters around La Paz where they have their babies, then stay for months to allow the offspring to get big and strong enough for the migration back to the north. Venture out on a small boat tour to get up close to these majestic creatures – it’s an encounter you will never forget.
My friends and I like making The Cortez Club watersports center our home base for all these aquatic explorations, as they have been in business since 1995 and really know everything about these waters and the denizens of the deep that call it home.
Get dirty
Grab your oldest clothes (and whatever you do, don’t wear white!) to have a completely different experience out in the desert in a Polaris RZR. That fat-tired, wide-open, four-wheel drive vehicle can go anywhere, but for locals and visitors alike, the prime place to go is El Mogote. Found across the bay from La Paz, this wild place is filled with huge sand dunes that are a gas to navigate. It’s a loud, dirty, hot afternoon that can get even dirtier if you try your hand at surfing down the sand dunes and don’t quite keep your balance – and it’s a blast! Numerous companies offer these driving adventures (try Baja Rent for a good guided tour), but the area is so large that you feel like you’re out on your own, with only tire tracks to show that others have been there, too.
Get angling
There’s an awful lot of fish in this sea, so it’s no wonder that deep-sea fishing is a hugely popular adventure centered in La Paz. Anglers are practically guaranteed a catch, be it marlin, swordfish, tuna, wahoo, amberjack, dorado or grouper. In fact, there are big money fishing tournaments through the summer months and into October here. But you can be a beginner and have a wild time with a rod and reel here, as the fishing guides bring all the experience you need. Take a full-day trip and see what you bring home (the guides will make sure you only bring home fish that are in season) and then the real magic of La Paz begins.
It’s such a fishing town that many of the top restaurants are perfectly willing to take your catch and cook it right up for you that night, creating spectacular dishes and even pairing Mexican wines (from the Valle de Guadalupe in northern Baja). Famed chef Hector Palacios of Origen La Paz did just that after our fishing voyage, creating a five-course meal from the dorado and grouper caught earlier. Sea Side, Steinbeck’s and Tailhunter are other eateries that are happy to cook up your catch. And Baja Adventure Co., which offers numerous fishing excursions, clean all your fish and vacuum seal it if you want to transport it all the way back home.
Get sleepy
La Paz has many places to stay. Among them, Costa Baja Resort & Spa is a popular beachfront hotel just to the north of town that boasts a private beach, swimming pool and spa. Baja Club is a boutique hotel in the center of town, just steps from the beautiful three-mile waterfront Malecon walkway that’s filled with sculptures, playgrounds and even a skate park.
Get pampered
Cap off your Baja Sur adventures with a completely different experience by spending your last few nights at the Montage Los Cabos, located not far from Los Cabos International Airport. Their Montage Spa is a gorgeous place, filled with steam rooms, plunge pools and other soothing amenities, where talented massage therapists work out kinks you didn’t know were there. You can even have a treatment on the beach, as the Montage is one of the few Cabo luxury resorts that has both a beach and a protected cove known as Santa Maria Bay that’s perfect for ocean swimming.
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