The Best Places to Stay and Do in La Paz

A mushroom-shaped rock formation called El Hongo rises from the shallows of this protected bay outside La Paz, and it has become something of an unofficial mascot for one of the world's genuinely spectacular beaches. Strict regulations cap visitor numbers and freeze development, so the water stays that improbable turquoise and the sand stays clean. Seven coves sit within the bay, the tide never clears chest height, and you can walk between them all.

A colonial villa from the early 1900s on La Paz's Malecón boardwalk, renovated by Grupo Habita into a boutique hotel where weathered brick walls face a crisp modern structure of balconies and patios. Garden rooms are tucked and cozy; upper-floor suites get palatial without tipping into fuss. The location is a quiet argument for skipping Los Cabos altogether, with the best of a genuinely charming city starting right outside the door.

The kite surfers and windfoilers are here on purpose: La Ventana's conditions are the whole point of this boutique resort, not a happy accident. Closer to La Paz than Los Cabos, it sits far enough from civilization that "off the grid" appears in the brochure without irony, though the villas have full kitchens, private patios, and, in the penthouse category, rooftop Jacuzzis. The restaurant leans into Baja peninsula cooking. Upscale adventure, not five-star coddling.