Secluded beach, South of Pichilingue, La Paz.
La Paz, our furthest point south, is a lovely change of pace. Situated around four hours South of Loreto, this bustling city is named 'Peace' for a reason. With it's long and beautiful Malacón (seafront walkway) and plenty of stunning beaches on the outskirts of town, La Paz is bound to be a favorite to many. For us, other than being able to say we drove the entire peninsula, we found no reason to continue the additional 130 mile trek to the resort town of Cabo San Lucas.
Salvatierra, Colina de La Cruz, 23000 La Paz, B.C.S., Mexico +52 1 612 125 0448
While there are cheaper options in town, we splurged on the two room penthouse suite at Posada Colibri. At 120$ per night this was by far our most expensive room, but there were three of us and at this point in the trip we were happy to have such spacious and comfortable digs. The rooms have strong wifi, great views and come with an excellent poolside breakfast of coffee, tea, fresh breads, fruit, yogurt and eggs. Our hosts were incredibly friendly, helpful and even supplied us with snorkels and tips for exploring the coastline via kayak.
Pichilingue Beach
We were drawn to Pichilingue beach with the promise of kayak rentals, access to other private beaches and a small island nearby which was home to a colony of sea lions. Pichilingue beach is a short and pretty drive out of town taking the Malacón south until it turns into the 11 highway, a total of around 12 miles. We stocked a foam cooler with drinks and snacks and headed on out.
A view from our kayak.
We rented kayaks from the small stand on the beach, a double and a single, strapped in our cooler and got to it. We were quoted a reasonable price per hour for each boat, around 10$. In retrospect, I would have negotiated a price for the day. It is so amazingly beautiful here and you could easily spend several hours exploring the coastline, visiting the little islands and there is no need to rush it. The man in charge of the boats was so very kind and I know he'd be happy to work with you on a good price. It was our intention to head out to the islands, but fate had another plan in store as our cooler began to implode about ten minutes out. So, to the private beach it was!
We so loved this cactus lined beach!
So, our kayak trip was cut short and now we are on this beach and forced to consume the contents of our cooler! As if that was difficult! Luckily, the rock reefs on either side of us looked promising, and our loaner snorkels came in handy. I spent a nice hour or two exploring the reef to the South which was an easy and very rewarding snorkel. The water was warm and a nice depth with lots of pretty fish swimming about and coral in different forms. Plus, not a soul around, just the way I like it!
So, we headed back to the main beach, settled up and decided to check out the restaurant there. I know there are plenty of great spots to eat in La Paz, so unless you are just wanting a beer, I'd skip this one.
On that note, we had been so spoiled up to now with such delicious cheap eats that it was probably impossible to not be a little jaded when it came to our options here. We made a few bad choices, which always becomes easier to do in more touristed areas. Steer clear of the obvious tourist zones and your luck will turn around. It always does!
On that note, we had been so spoiled up to now with such delicious cheap eats that it was probably impossible to not be a little jaded when it came to our options here. We made a few bad choices, which always becomes easier to do in more touristed areas. Steer clear of the obvious tourist zones and your luck will turn around. It always does!
Taco Fish, Gral. Marquez de Leon SN, Esquina con Heroes de Independencia, Centro, 23000 La Paz, BCS, Mexico +52 612 125 7075
Taco Fish was recommended to us by a nice vender at the Nicolas Bravo market. There were a myriad of seafood tacos on offer. This was an interesting taco as the fish was cut off of a giant filet of fried fish. Flaky and juicy, this taco was huge and pretty tasty. They offer a large salsa bar with lots of options, including both cabbage and a creamy slaw topping with plumped raisins. The dining area is clean, bright and open.
Nicolás Bravo, Centro, 23000 La Paz, Baja California Sur, México +52 612 122 1604
Here, as at most carnitas shops, you have to love the canabalistic image of pigs cooking pigs. This theme is so ubiquitous, there ought to be a picture book of them.
These tacos were tasty and necessary to take the edge off after a long search for a nonexistent taco stand. I regretted ordering these 'maciza' (lean) as they could have used a bit of that crunchy, juicy fat and a bit of offal funk, if you know what I mean. Maybe there is a way to ask for it a little 'maciza'? When in a new place, and seeing a window box full of all kinds of pig parts, I usually ask for it 'maciza' just to make sure they don't cut off more than I can chew.
Mc-Fisher, Morelos s/n (e/ Madero y Revolución), 23000 La Paz, Baja California Sur, México
Isn't it gross when people post photos of half eaten food? I know, and it is my pet peeve, but forgive me. Mc-Fishers offered up a variety of unique and tasty tacos. I can think of no other way to show you the intricacies of this delightful taco. Written on the menu as marlin relleno, this was a jalapeño stuffed with smoked marlin and deep fried. Crunchy, smoky and spicy, this taco is bound to be a favorite, unless you compare it to the chili relleno taco at La Teca in Oaxaca, but that is another story, dear friends! We did enjoy several interesting tacos here in addition to straight up fish. The pulpo (octopus) was tender and sweet in a buttery garlic sauce. We also took the opportunity to try the manta (manta rey) taco since we had been on the lookout. It came as a kind of flaky hash of the meat, which seemed promising, but had an unfortunately strong iodine taste. I have had really delicious manta rey before and without a trace of iodine flavor, so it may have been a fluke. My advice might be to go heavy on the marlin relleno.
Antonio Navarro s/n (esq. Belisario Dominguez), 23000 La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico
We had a few tasty nighttime tacos at Tacos el Chino. We grabbed a six pack at the corner store *and made sure drinking was OK*. The super friendly waiter gladly opened them and we gladly ate up a variety of tacos. There was a salsa bar with lots of salsa and veggie options to fix up your meaty tacos. One stand out was a campechano (mixed meat) of cabeza (head) and carne asada. Cabeza can be such a delight and this was. Crunchy, fatty and full of flavor, mixed with the smoky carne asada and their perfect salsas, this was a winner. We also had a pretty great chorizo taco which was similarly crunchy and fatty with the added bonus of being super vibrant in color. I'd show you a picture, but that fell firmly in the 'bad photo of good food' category. They also had creamy, perfectly tender pinto beans served up in little dishes.
When my flash accidentally went off, so did this guy!
I offer this friendly reminder about taking photos in your own country or in others: always make sure you ask before taking a shot which is in someone else's space. I typically only take photos of the food in front of me (which is annoying enough!) and if I would like one of the folks preparing my food, I always get the go ahead first. Though my flash going off was accidental and innocent, it righty upset this man who was just trying to have dinner at his local taqueria off the tourist path. Even after apologizing profusely, I felt awful. So always get the go ahead before taking photos, even if you just want a shot of the sign, OK?
Blvd. Dominguez y Márquez de León, La Paz 23000, BCSMexico, Mexico +52 612 128 4647
The guacamole at Asadero Rancho Viejo was a nice snack with our beers and the Arrachera (skirt steak) taco was truly outstanding. Nice thick slices of arrechera were smoky and will leave you with juice dripping down your chin. You won't care. We also had a chili relleno here which was quite good and really cheap, 4$ for a large stuffed poblano, crispy and hot and full of creamy molten cheese, with a nice tangy tomato sauce on top and rice and beans.
This place is famous with locals and tourists alike. It is a bit more expensive and a little fancier than other spots, but the service is good and the food seemed consistent. I'd say this is a solid choice, especially if you need a bit more than tacos.
This place is famous with locals and tourists alike. It is a bit more expensive and a little fancier than other spots, but the service is good and the food seemed consistent. I'd say this is a solid choice, especially if you need a bit more than tacos.
Dominguez 274 (e/ Constitución y 5 de Mayo), 23000 La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico +52 612 128 5594
After so much food and so many beers, mezcal is in order, and lucky you!
The friendly folks here know a lot about mezcal. I know Alipus is hardly unknown, but these nice people offer so many others which are.
Mezcalaria la Miserable has a really excellent selection, the owners are kind and knowledgeable and is stumbling distance from your hotel. What could be better! We sampled several, obviously, and the stand out, the house Tobala, came from (of course) a plastic jug behind the counter. Ask for this, or something similar.
Plus Chapulines to boot!
So, is this the last hurrah?
Do these two look ready to swim with some whale sharks, or what!?
Hardly, dear ones! You still have to make it the 900 or so miles back to Tijuana! Enjoy! Tips on the return trip shall be posted soon.