La Paz Is the Mellow Mexico Vacation You Need Right Now

In the 1530s, rumors of pearls that could make a man filthy rich brought Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés to what’s now La Paz, Mexico, near the southern tip of the Baja Peninsula. There, off the shores of an uninhabited, rust-colored island called Espíritu Santo, Cortés found what he’d been promised, and the area became the center of the world’s pearl harvesting industry.

After 400 years of extraction, a combination of disease, pollution, and overfishing led the industry to its demise in the 1930s. The oyster beds, which once grew lustrous natural pearls, had nothing left to give. (See also: Steinbeck’s The Pearl.) Pearl tycoons pivoted to ventures like hospitality, establishing the capital of Baja California Sur as a vacation destination.

Today, on the shores of the sea that bears the conquistador’s name, La Paz hums with life after pearls. Oysters bearing plump, precious gems are still out there, now protected from excessive cultivation. Dolphins, sea lions, whale sharks, and the same gray whales that pass by Oregon every December and March swim in the jewel-colored waters. Year-round bikini weather and perpetually blue skies—except at sunset, when they glow pink and gold—draw visitors from cloudier climes to walk laps along the malecón, the coastal boardwalk where new restaurants and hotels capitalize on ocean views. Add bike rentals, stylish bars and cafés, and artisan markets, all within a few blocks, and the spine of the city is busy yet unhurried, like the constant but gentle lapping of the ocean. Joggers and rollerbladers weave past friends meeting for coffee as couples smooch on benches, and somehow no one collides. Their schedules vary, but they all abide by beach time.

Nonstop flights from PDX to Los Cabos are four hours. From there, it’s an easy two- to three-hour drive to mellow La Paz. If you don’t want to rent a car, reserve a shuttle bus for around $35. It leaves from the airport and can also take you to nearby towns, such as La Ventana and Todos Santos.

Eat

Street taco and seafood joints dot most corners in La Paz. Under a covered patio on a busy street corner, the family-owned Tacos De Pescado El Estadio has been slinging yellowtail and shrimp tacos since 1974; current price is $1.50 a pop. Two blocks from the beach, nook up in the rattan chairs at Biznaga Baja Bistro and fill the table with shareable Mediterranean-Mexican plates—citrusy beet salad, chili-marinated pork belly tacos, grilled bass with candied garlic, and spicy beef and noodles in a lemony broth. Along the malecón, Quemadero serves organic wines from Baja Norte, and, as a translation of its name (“a place of burning”) suggests, uses flames to cook most of its menu. Try the smoky octopus with ink mayo. Not ready for bed? The restaurant’s low-lit club and lounge is open 11pm–5am Fridays and Saturdays.

An hour away in Todos Santos, on the Pacific side of the peninsula, make a reservation at the Michelin-recommended Dum, where a sandy path leads to an outdoor dining room in a preserved palm jungle. Chef Aurélien Legeay builds French-Mexican tasting menus ($78–92 per person) that change every new moon and feature in-season and traceable resources from local farmers—think tomato salad over bay scallops and tobiko, creamy risotto with anise, and tender veal gizzard with basil mashed potato and artichoke. On the way down, pick up locally made tortillas, freshly baked conchas, and, if you’re game, a jar of roasted and seasoned grasshoppers at market and restaurant Agricole Cooperativa.

Stay

Follow the mirrored sign on the sidewalk through two carved wooden doors to the 32-room Baja Club (rooms from around $280), set in a renovated Colonial-style villa steps from the beach on the malecón. After an included breakfast—papaya, chocolate muffins—in the sunny central courtyard, lounge like a whale on white-and-orange-striped chairs by a sand-lined pool with bar service.

Also downtown, all 12 rooms (from around $250) at the even cozier República Pagana have private balconies with views of the ocean bay. Sunset means a passionfruit and chili margarita on the rooftop terrace, where an Insta-worthy ceiling curves and arches like the animal bones in a Georgia O’Keeffe painting. (Nonguests can visit the roof with a reservation at the hotel’s restaurant, Azotea.)

In the city’s historic center, Hotel Catedral La Paz (rooms from around $150) is across the street from a brick neoclassical Catholic church where bells chime every hour. Swim laps in the year-round rooftop pool and air-dry on the sun terrace before grabbing espresso or dinner nearby.

A 15-minute drive north, away from the buzz of downtown, La Paz Bay’s Hotel Indigo Puerta Cortés (rooms from around $250) has a golf club, pool, spa, and two on-site restaurants. Borrow the resort’s paddleboards and launch from its private white-sand beach.

Play

La Paz’s sugar-white sands contrast sharply against its lagoon-blue waters. The most secluded beach spots are on the topographical wonder Isla Espíritu Santo, where Cortés found his precious pearls. Now a national park and UNESCO World Heritage Site, you can only get there with a guide: Take a day trip with We Boat Baja or a glamping overnighter with Todos Santos Eco Adventures. Rather beach hop on your own? On the mainland, Playa Balandra forms a crescent in the warm turquoise bay, with views of the surrounding lava rocks. (Don’t miss the mushroom-shaped rock formation.) Capacity is limited by city staff to 450 visitors per time slot (8am–noon or 1–5pm) to mitigate crowding. Don’t fall for buying tickets online; entry is free but staff will turn visitors away once they reach capacity.

On another day, wake up early to climb Cerro de la Calavera (Skull Hill) for panoramic views of the city, sea, and sky. Wear hiking shoes and bring water for the three-mile out-and-back trail, which starts right off the highway and stretches through the desert, past cacti and copal plants, and up to a rocky outcropping that indeed resembles a cranium, with two lookout holes as eyes.

Over in Todos Santos, take a surf lesson at Cerritos Beach and spend the rest of the day watching other tourists flail during theirs. Refuel with a strawberry smoothie from Cerritos Beach Dogs, a nonprofit café and dog rescue where you could spend all day playing with the puppies—or bond with one and impulsively decide to adopt. Their small team will help you organize transportation or make recommendations for flying home with your new companion.

Wind and Water 

Every winter, many in the Pacific Northwest’s wind sports community migrate, often in vans, for the powerful winds and temperate waters of the Sea of Cortés, the long and narrow gulf that separates the peninsula from mainland Mexico. But even as the villages of La Ventana and El Sargento (40–50 minutes by car from La Paz) become adventure hubs, you don’t have to know how to kitesurf or hydrofoil to play.

Rent a mountain bike from Tatehuari Experience and pedal through giant cactus gardens and down to the ocean—e-bikes make navigating the sand a breeze—on trails built and maintained by local riders. Or hike them, if that’s more your speed. To get on the water, rent a paddleboard from any number of spots, such as Baja Kite and Surf. Winds usually don’t pick up until noon, so drop into a morning yoga class at Casa Tara, a tucked-away resort with grass-roof buildings and a view of Jacques Cousteau Island (rooms start around $120 if you want to enjoy the infinity pool and sexy canopy beds). When hunger strikes, Baja Bites is the go-to, cash-only lunch spot for fish tacos drizzled in a zesty chili oil. Renaissance Coffee Box, meanwhile, is a can’t-miss roadside roaster in a shipping container, while beach bistro La Tuna hosts the folk- and jam-centric BajaWonderGrass in April (Kitchen Dwellers, anyone?).