Discovering Excitement, Gastronomy and Nature in Baja California Sur
La Paz, in the Mexican state of Baja California Sur, has established itself internationally as an ideal destination for travelers seeking to share experiences of beach, adventure, culture, and relaxation with premium quality services and activities.
Therefore, La Paz invites travelers to discover the wonders of the Port of Illusion in an exciting road trip where you can delve into a natural mountain, beach, and desert scenery in an adventure that travels through the most emblematic points of the region.
The route begins traveling southeast of La Paz on the road to San Juan de Los Planes, which sometimes lets you see the splendorous landscape of the Sea of Cortés on the horizon.
The first stop is 40 minutes from La Paz in the towns of La Ventana and El Sargento, two towns known worldwide for being among the best places to practice windsurfing and kitesurfing thanks to their strong gusts of wind that occur between November and April.
However, all year round, it’s possible to participate in activities such as diving, snorkeling, sport fishing, and trips to Cerralvo Island from La Paz.
By Water or Land
On land, this area is special for mountain biking or hiking along the dirt trails, certified by the Mountain Biking Association, which guarantees a safe experience at all times in La Paz.
La Ventana and El Sargento are also sites designed to enjoy a deep rest on the shores of the Aquarium of the World, with enviable lodging options. An example of this is the Glamping, where you can live the experience of camping on the beach under Arabian tents with the comforts of a resort; or in properties like Casa Tara Retreat, based on a wellness concept that stands out for its natural spa treatments, yoga classes, massages with aromatherapy and, at night, the observation of the sky full of stars.
La Ventana Blue Hotel offers spacious loft-style rooms accompanied by a beautiful view of Cerralvo Island, where all the hotel services are available; the property also offers its guests specialized tours in sport fishing, an option for long stays in La Paz.
The trip continues at sunrise with an hour’s drive southeast of the Transpeninsular Highway to reach the town of Los Barriles, certified with the Safe Travels distinction that guarantees the safety and confidence of the area for visitors, being an epicenter for the practice of sport fishing. Here you can find impressive specimens of marlin, dorado, tuna, wahoo, roosterfish, jacks, snapper, and grouper, among many others that attract national and international fishermen to try their luck to catch and release these species throughout the year, in practice regulated by environmental authorities to promote sustainable sport fishing.
Within this emerging destination is the Hotel Palmas de Cortez, distinguished by its offer of luxury amenities and services, in addition to organizing a robust calendar of sport fishing tournaments as an attraction for its guests and the general public, with interesting prizes for those who manage to catch the largest specimens of different species during the year.
The next stop on the trip heads northwest on the Transpeninsular Highway, a 50-minute drive that leads to El Triunfo. A small but picturesque town is full of amazing stories from the 19th century, where the gold and silver mines made it the most populated community in the state and which, today, holds interesting vestiges of mining architecture, such as the monumental La Ramona chimney.
The museums of El Triunfo are a key piece for those interested in learning about the history of Baja California Sur. For example, the Silver Route Museum tells the town’s history, from the arrival of the Spaniards to its golden age, and the Cowboy Museum of the Californias reveals the uses and customs of the cowboy families that inhabited the regions of Alta and Baja California.
The final stop of this road trip in La Paz is a 50-minute drive to the turnoff that leads to the Magical Town of Todos Santos, a place full of colonial buildings, color, culture, traditions, and music that come together to give way to an experience full of magic in its galleries of renowned international artists.
Gastronomy of La Paz
The gastronomy of this place is superior in every way, with first-class restaurants that offer a delicious organic experience surrounded by the unparalleled natural scenery of the desert region.
These include Jazamango, a farm-to-table creation of chef Javier Plasencia; DUM, a fusion concept with a special menu that changes every new moon to offer the best of their planting; The Green Room, facing the Pacific coast at La Pastora Beach, with a fresh menu based on the catch of the day and vegan options; or Oystera, the work of Sonoran chef Poncho Cadena, who combines a “visceral” style, without time or rules, in a menu where, of course, oysters, crustaceans, and shellfish are the hallmark of the house.
A must on this tour are the walks along the beautiful beaches of Todos Santos to relax and enjoy the fine sand and the sound of the waves, which welcome surf lovers to Cerritos beach.
The multiple reddish tones of the sunset invite you to rest in the comfort of the wide range of boutique hotels, such as Guaycura Hotel Boutique Beach Club & Spa or Hotel San Cristobal, among others, which offer privacy and personalized comfort for a moment of deep relaxation.
Upon returning to La Paz, travelers can complement their road trip with the city’s wide range of activities, services, and experiences that will motivate them to return to continue creating memorable moments in “the gateway to the Sea of Cortés.”