Description of La Paz by Locals
Friday, January 25, 2008 at 11:48AM
Because La Paz is not a "touristy" city, the atmosphere is tranquil. Nearby diving is spectacular and has been featured on Animal Planet and Discovery Channel. You can dive with sealions on Los Islotes island, wreck dive, or dive with big fish on El Bajo seamount. Whale sharks and mantas come to the bay in the fall and the chances of seeing whales and dolphins are excellent. Fishing is also outstanding, yielding billfish, dorado, and tuna in season. The town itself has a beautiful and well-maintained waterfront. Children play volleyball and the fishermen bring in their catch. People stroll the Malecon shopping or enjoying ice cream or espresso in the evenings listening to local bands. You can sit in the Zocolo by the old cathedral downtown and watch people be themselves with no bums or hawkers selling you timeshares. La Paz is also a university town, so there are good museums, concerts, live theater, and cinemas with current movies in English.
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La Paz is the capital of the state of Baja California Sur and sports 180,000 inhabitants, 4,000 of which are American citizens. It is a real Mexican city with just a nice touch of tourism. It offers a balance between small city activities and tranquility and, at the same time, is central to exploration of whale watching further north, art and architecture in Todos Santos, and the full-on tourist activities of the mecca of Cabo San Lucas, 90 miles to the south. La Paz is also home to a variety of eco-tour companies offering trips to the many off-shore islands, diving with sea lions on Los Islotes, wreck diving, snorkeling, sea kayaking, clamming, sport fishing and whale watching in season. La Paz Bay is best known for its beautiful Malecon (waterfront walkway) which offers strolling, biking, roller-blading, kite-boarding and wind surfing, volleyball, jogging and benches to sit on and enjoy an ice cream cone while watching the famous sunsets over the Bay. Dining is a culinary experience in La Paz with restaurant fares ranging from French to Mexican; corner tacos stands to elegant dining. Culturally, La Paz is home to one of Mexico’s most prestigious marine biology universities, approximately 12 language schools and offers year-round concerts, museums, live theater and cinemas.