La Paz

Located 183 kilometers north of Cabo San Lucas, La Paz, where Cortés landed in 1535, means “peace” and this port town does indeed have a peaceful feel. A rather large city with 200,000 inhabitants, La Paz is the capital of Baja California Sur, with a library, anthropology museum, and a theater with performances by local and visiting artists. All of the action and tourist attractions run along the main street, Obregón, where you find restaurants, boutiques, and hotels. There is a relaxed, laid-back, old-fashioned demeanor to the town—a far cry from the trendy upscale ambiance of Los Cabos. Except for a few locals, no one much uses the narrow beach in town: the water does not look too appealing and the beach is not too clean. If you want to swim, on the road to the port where the ferries and freighters arrive, there are a few inviting coves wrapped by cactus-studded hills where the water is clear. However, most people come to La Paz for sport fishing, which is world-famous, or to take a ferry to the mainland.