Balandra Beach, La Paz, Baja California Sur
In December 2013, my wife and I visited La Paz. La Paz is located in Baja California Sur, Mexico, on the Sea of Cortez. One of the highlights of our trip was a day at Balandra Beach.
Balandra is located about 30 minutes north of La Paz, and can be reached by bus or car. The buses run from the La Paz tourist terminal, located on the Malecon. The schedule varies, but they will have it at the station.
The beach is a beautiful light sand, and the beach itself is in a cove or inlet enclosed by high rock cliffs.
The water is very shallow, you can walk across the bay from one side to another. There are many warnings about small stingrays which live here, and it is advised to shuffle your feet so as not to step on one and get a nasty sting.
You can also climb on the bluffs to get a beautiful view of the beach and surrounding coves.
Following the shoreline to the right, you eventually come to a balanced rock. It appears to be natural, but we did see some steel reinforcement in the narrow area. This rock is quite famous in the La Paz area and can be found on t-shirts, posters, and even replicated inside a fountain in front of the city cathedral.
Walking along the rocks and shore brings you many interesting views such as the one above.
…and if you walk far enough, you might just find your own secluded beach with no one else around.
There are many shells (or at least pieces of shells) on the beach and often in piles where the tides have left them.
There are no bathrooms or changing rooms at Balandra. There is a food truck set up, along with some kayak and chair rentals. There are also palapas along the beach, but they are certainly first-come, first served. This is a fantastic beach, and well worth the effort. Click the photos for larger images, and enjoy!
Keep me posted on new travels.
Enjoy your site!!
Hello Peter! I’m from La Paz and as I was reading your blog it caught my attention what you wrote about the rock, which here is called “El hongo de Balandra” meaning Balandra’s fungus. It is or was actually natural, that’s why it’s so famous, but the steel reinforcement you guys saw is actually because some years ago some tourists climb the rock and “rode it” too hard until they knocked it down. So we had to put it back together with the steel reinforcement but it still keeps its natural form.
Great blog! Hope you enjoyed your time here and you have liked the city.