The Thorough Guide to Balandra Bay, La Paz: Mexico’s Most Beautiful Beach

A complete guide to visiting Balandra Beach in 2024, one of the best beaches in Mexico and an unmissable day trip from La Paz.

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Playa Balandra (Balandra Beach or Balandra Bay) is often called Mexico’s most beautiful beach and ranks among the best beaches in the world. Visiting Balandra Bay is possible on any budget and is a must-do for all Baja California Sur travellers. Pristine white sand beaches are surrounded by rocky mountains and the crystal blue waters are totally unspoiled. Read on to find out more about this stunning location, what there is to do, and how you can visit in this Balandra Bay travel guide. We have also included an interactive map of the La Paz area to add to your Baja California Sur travel resources.

What is Balandra Bay?

Balandra Bay is a protected area north of La Paz, Mexico. It was declared a Natural Protected Area(Area Natural Protegida) in 2008 after campaigning by a local group known as Colectivo Balandra, who worked to promote environmental awareness in the La Paz municipality. Balandra Bay is actually made up of seven beaches and is known for having super shallow tides. Even at high tide the water doesn’t reach more than chest height, making it possible to walk around the headlands and explore each beach in turn. At low tide, large white sandbanks are exposed and you can walk super far out to the sandbar without the water coming above your ankles. Be careful to walk by shuffling your feet as stingrays can be found in the sand and can react to being stepped on by stinging you.

The bay is protected from the Sea of Cortez by dusty-pink, Cardon cacti-covered mountains, making Balandra Beach the perfect destination for a dreamy beach day out. Balandra Beach refers to the most popular of the seven beaches, which is a public beach. Most visitors to Balandra Bay will visit Balandra Beach and we’re going to give you all the information you need to know before you go.

Read next: Everything you need to know about Swimming with Whale Sharks in La Paz

Balandra Beach 2024 update

Following a yacht fire in October 2022, Balandra Beach was closed to the public. The resulting oil spillage and ash was an ecological disaster for the area and polluted the water and surroundings beaches.

As of March 2023, Balandra Beach has been re-opened. There’s currently a limit on capacity and quite a few restrictions, which have been changing regularly, so we’re going to keep this article as up-to-date as possible so you know exactly what’s going on.

Balandra Beach restrictions

Restrictions were originally put in place at Balandra Bay as part of the COVID-19 response. These restrictions included a limit on the number of visitors arriving by road per day (this was a maximum of 400 people per day but changed regularly) and specific time slots, which were assigned on a first come, first served basis.

Following the 2022 yacht fire, restrictions have again been tightened in 2023. There are now two time slots where you can enter Playa Balandra, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Capacity has been capped to 450 people, but this could change. To ensure you get in, it’s recommended to arrive as early as possible.

The first Sunday of every month is for locals only. Only residents of La Paz are allowed onto Balandra Beach and, if you are a tourist, you will not be allowed in.

There are no facilities at Balandra Beach. There used to be a few vendors selling drinks, ice creams and snacks, but this is now also being tightened within the new regulations. There should be no food stalls at Balandra Beach at all, so be sure to pack plenty of food and drink before you go.

Read next: What to eat in La Paz + The 4 Best Spots for Fish Tacos

Balandra Beach hours

Now Balandra Beach has re-opened, there are two shifts in which you can visit. The first slot is from 8:00-12:00 and the second slot is from 13:00-17:00. Police enter the beach to clear visitors from the first session, and again at the end of the second session.

It is possible to visit Balandra Beach during both time slots, which can give you up to 8 hours to explore the area, rather than the allocated 4. To do this, you can just re-enter the beach during the second time slot. If you’re looking for something to do inbetween, consider visiting El Tecolote Beach, which is great for water sports activities due to its rougher waters, or the beautiful Las Gaviotas.

When is the best time to go to Balandra Bay?

Playa Balandra is very popular with tourists and locals alike and, as such, becomes very crowded. Weekends and holidays are the busiest time to visit and can result in large queues to enter. We’d recommend visiting mid-week which tends to be quieter. Try to arrive early as the car park fills up quickly. With the new time slots, we’d recommend arriving at least half an hour before you’d like to enter.

If you’re travelling by bus, it’s worth reading our section below, as the bus timetable doesn’t align with the new time slots and can make timings tricky.

If you’re unlucky at getting into Balandra Beach, there are plenty of other beautiful beaches near La Paz, including El Caimancito, El Tesoro, Pichilingue and El Coromuel.

Read next: Everything you need to know about Snorkelling with Sea Lions in La Paz

Balandra Beach entrance fee

There are rumours a new entrance fee For Balandra Beach will be implemented in 2024, but it is yet to be put in place. The price of the Balandra Beach entrance fee is reportedly 50 pesos, although recent visitors have not been charged. Entry fees are not uncommon in Mexico and help the state to conserve protected areas. After the huge clean-up effort of the yacht incident in 2022, a small fee could go a long way to the upkeep of the beach and its surrounding area.

Where is Balandra Bay?

Overlooking the Sea of Cortez, Balandra Bay is located on the east side of Mexico’s Baja California Sur Peninsula. The bay sits to the north the peninsula’s vibrant capital, La Paz. The sweeping Balandra Beach faces out into the Gulf of California, which is home to an abundance of underwater wildlife. Balandra Bay is only a 30 minute drive from La Paz and about 2.5 hours from Los Cabos by car.

Read next: The 16 Best Things to do in La Paz

Interactive Balandra Beach map

Use this map to plan your trip to Balandra Beach. We’ve marked the beach with a yellow pin and the bus pick up point with a grey pin.

What is there to do at Balandra Bay?

Balandra Beach might seem like paradise and that’s because it’s a well-protected area. Subsequently, there are no facilities at Balandra Beach so you need to bring food and plenty of water with you, but there’s still plenty to do. The main beach has chairs and umbrellas available to rent, or you can choose a spot of empty sand to relax on and sunbathe. Taking a picnic can be a great way to spend the day with friends or family. And photographers should charge up their batteries, because Balandra Beach is paradise and you’re going to want to take some snaps. Here are the best things to do at Balandra Beach.

1) Walk to a panoramic viewpoint

Balandra Bay has several hikes which can offer stunning views. The main trail from Balandra Beach to the most popular viewpoint doesn’t take very long to walk, and we’d recommend this one to anyone (even if you aren’t a hiking fan). Simply follow the track from the car park up the hill on the right of Balandra Beach (as you look at the sea).

2) Balandra Beach Hikes

There are several other hikes in the Balandra area which offer stunning panoramic views of the Sea of Cortez. These trails range from 1-6 hours and go as far as Tecolote Beach around the headland from Balandra. Here are some of the most popular Balandra Beach hikes:

Playa Balandra Norte

• 4.7km
• 1 hour 30 minutes

Balandra to El Hongo

• 1.3km
• 30 minutes

Balandra to Mirador Tilimbrijie

• 6.1km
• 1 hour 45 minutes

Mirador Balandra (on the opposite headland to Balandra Beach)

• 4.8km
• 1 hour 30 minutes

Be sure to wear proper walking shoes to do any of the hikes though, as trying to hike in flip-flops or sandals can leave you prone to injury. If you’re not a confident hiker, or simply wish to learn more about the area, consider joining a Hike, Kayak and Snorkel Tour.

2) Stand up paddle boarding and kayaking at Balandra Beach

If you’re looking for a unique way to explore the bay, there are usually some vendors selling stand-up paddle boards (SUPs) and kayaks available to rent at Balandra Beach. It’s a bit pricey by Mexico standards – kayaks are 350 pesos per hour or 200 pesos for 30 minutes and SUPs are 300 pesos an hour – but it’s a fun way to explore the bay’s surrounding areas. Some tour operators also offer specialised Balandra Beach SUP Tours where a guide will take you through the mangroves as well as around the beautiful coastline.

3) Explore the mangroves

Some of the beaches at Balandra Bay are surrounded by a network of mangroves, which act as hurricane barriers. There are three species of mangrove at Balandra Bay, red, white and black, and they provide pivotal shelter for certain species of fish. You can explore these delicate eco-systems by stand up paddleboard or kayak.

4) See Mushroom Rock

You can also visit the famous Mushroom Rock. Known locally as El Hongo, Mushroom Rock is a large boulder shaped like a mushroom due to wind and wave erosion at its base. Mushroom Rock actually had to be restored in the 90s after a tourist stepped on it and snapped the top off. It can be a pretty popular attraction at Balandra and tourists queue to get a picture with it (as you can see in the little Instagram vs reality below).

Explore Mexico’s most beautiful beach by Transparent Boat! You’ll see Mushroom Rock, as well as seabirds, sea lions and more on this unique Balandra Bay Tour.

5) Walk out to the sandbar

The main reason Balandra Beach is famous is because it’s super shallow waters reveal large expanses of white sandbanks at low tide. This allows you to walk far out into the bay, and also walk around the headlands to explore the other beaches. Animals like fish and turtles can be seen in the shallows, while frigate birds and pelicans can be spotted above water. Be sure to shuffle your feet so as not to step on an unsuspecting stingray.

How to get to Balandra Beach by bus

You can get the Playa Bus from the La Paz Malecón Bus Terminal (which is also the Aguila Eco Baja Tours Bus Terminal). Buses run from La Paz roughly every 2 hours at 9:00, 10:00, 12:00, 14:00, 16:00 and 18:00. The bus usually drops you within the Balandra Beach car park, but this is not the same spot where you’ll catch the return.

The bus costs 60 pesos per person, each way.

The return bus goes from the main road. You have to walk out along the side of the road that leads to Balandra, which takes about 10 minutes. There’s no pavement along this road so we’ve marked the pick up point on the map above. The bus is supposed to run every two hours, but often will just arrive when it arrives. The bus from Balandra Beach to La Paz should pick up at 10:40, 12:40, 14:40, 16:40 and 18:40. It can get very busy, so there’s no guarantee you’ll get a seat.

As you can see from these bus timings, they don’t align with the new entrance time slots. If you take the first bus of the day, you’ll arrive over an hour and a half after the morning time slot starts at 8:00. So if you’re taking the bus, we’d recommend catching the 12:00 bus for the afternoon time slot at 13:00. You can then either take the 16:40 bus back or hang around for the 18:40, but you won’t be able to stay on the beach after 17:00.

How to get to Balandra Beach from La Paz

The easiest way to get to Balandra is to hire a car and park in the car park marked on the map above. Balandra Beach is only a 30 minute drive from La Paz. From Los Cabos (Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo) the journey takes around 2 1/2 hours. Having your own car can also allow you to explore some of the other beaches in the area. The Balandra Beach parking lot is limited to 80 vehicles and can fill up quickly.

It is possible to get to Balandra Bay by Uber or DiDi. But there’s very limited phone signal at the bay so it might be a struggle to order the return journey. You could always schedule your journey in advance if this is the option you’d rather go with.

It’s also possible to arrange a taxi to either drop you off, pick you up or take you both ways. Most taxi companies don’t speak English so you’ll need to brush up on your Spanish or ask your hotel or closest Tourist Information point to help you. Both Uber and taxi should cost about 150 pesos ($8) each way.

You can also visit Balandra as part of a tour. Lots of tour companies offer trips to Balandra Bay from La Paz as either part of a land or sea tour, or as a stand-alone trip. This is our favourite option and you can find out more about available tours in the next section.

The best Balandra Beach tours

Taking a Balandra Beach tour by boat allows you to avoid all the complicated entry restrictions altogether. There has previously been no limit on how many people can arrive by water, and how long you can stay in Balandra Bay. It also allows you to stop on any of the beaches so, despite Balandra Beach’s public beach by the car park being super touristy, you can end up with a private part of Balandra all to yourself.

Combining a visit to Balandra Beach with Swimming with Whale Sharks is a popular way make the most out of your day. We really enjoyed visiting Balandra Bay as part of La Paz VIP Tour’s Sea of Cortez Wonders Tour. We arrived at Balandra Bay before any other tour so had several empty stretches of sand to choose from and ended up with lunch on a private beach, which we had all to ourselves! One worry with tours is that your time in the destination will be rushed, but we had plenty of time to relax on the beach and paddle in the shallow waters. Alternatively, you could book onto a Hike, Kayak and Snorkel Tour of Balandra Bay. This dedicated Balandra Beach tour will really allow you to soak up the surrounding natural beauty of the bay.

If you’re keen to visit more of the beaches in the area, you can take a Half Day Private Tour of the Beaches of La Paz, which includes some of La Paz’s best beaches. A similar tour also includes the opportunity to hike, kayak and snorkel at Balandra and Tecolote Beaches.

If you’re looking to visit Balandra Bay from Cabo San Lucas or San José del Cabo, you should consider joining a La Paz tour from Los Cabos, which includes Balandra Beach. Or you can book this highly-rated day tour, which includes the charming town of Todos Santos, as well as Balandra Beach and La Paz.

If you’re only interested in visiting Balandra Bay, Visit Balandra offers panga or skiff (small boat) trips from La Paz to Balandra Beach. They depart twice a day at 09:00 and 12:00 and return at 12:00 and 15:00. Private transportation and lunch can also be arranged.

Alternatively, you can explore Mexico’s most beautiful beach and the city of La Paz on a Beach and City Tour.

Things to know before visiting Balandra Beach

• There is a capacity limit of 450 people
• You can only enter in two timeslots, morning and afternoon. You can enter both
• There are no facilities at the beach, so pack plenty of food and drink
• There is no mobile phone signal or data coverage at Balandra Beach
• There is very little shade, so pack a beach umbrella, or you can rent one
• Shuffle your feet if you walk into the bay, as stingrays can bury under the sand
• Balandra Bay is a protected area so leave no trace, pick up your litter and take it home
• Be courteous of other visitors and don’t play loud music
• Use reef-safe, natural sunscreen that won’t hurt Balandra’s delicate eco-system
• Snorkelling is allowed, but don’t touch the flora, fauna or corals
• No jet skis or boats (unless licensed tour boats) are allowed in the bay
• No fishing is allowed at Balandra
• Stick to the paths and don’t walk over the sand dunes

Balandra Beach FAQs

Is Balandra Beach safe?

Balandra Beach is completely safe. As a Natural Protected Area, the beach is well conserved and government officials often patrol the area. With the new entry time slots, there are more officials around a police presence to ensure the restrictions are adhered to.

Some of the paths can be rocky, so it’s advisable to wear sturdy walking shoes if you plan to do any hiking. And stingrays can be found in the bay, so it’s important to shuffle your feet when walking in the ocean, as a stepped-on stingray can sting in response.

Why is Balandra Beach closed?

Balandra Beach was closed in October 2022, following an incident which involved a yacht catching fire and sinking. The bay was closed as a huge clean-up operation was underway. As of March 2023, Balandra Beach has now been reopened.

Is Balandra Beach open?

Yes, Balandra Beach is open as usual. There are time slots for entry and a capacity limit, but it is once again possible to visit.

Is Balandra Beach free?

It has been reported that a small 50 pesos Balandra Beach entrance fee will be introduced and that this money will go towards conserving the park. However, this has yet to some into effect as recent tourists have reported they weren’t charged to enter Playa Balandra.

Can you swim on Balandra Beach?

Yes, you can swim in Balandra Bay. It can be very shallow, especially during low tide, so it might require you walking farther out into the bay to be able to swim. The water is super clear but there isn’t much coral to see. Remember to look out for stingrays and not to touch marine flora and fauna.

Can you swim at beaches in La Paz?

Yes, La Paz has some of the best swimming beaches in Mexico. It’s probably not advisable to swim on the beaches off the La Paz Malecón, but further north you’ll find some beautiful white-sand beaches with crystal clear waters.

Does La Paz Mexico have good beaches?

Yes, La Paz’s beaches are some of the best in the world. Check out El Caimancito, El Tesoro, Pichilingue, Las Gaviotas and El Coromuel, which all have beautifully clear waters. El Tecolote Beach is also a great beach near La Paz for water sports activities, due to its rougher waters.

How far is Balandra Beach from La Paz?

Balandra Beach is a 30 minute drive from downtown La Paz. It is located in the outer municipality of La Paz city and is easily accessible by car. There is also a regular public bus service from La Paz to Balandra Beach.

How far is Balandra Beach from Los Cabos?

Balandra Beach is a 2 and a half hour drive by car from Los Cabos (Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo). Autobuses Águila operates a bus from Los Cabos to La Paz, where you can change to get to Balandra Beach. Alternatively, you can book onto a La Paz tour from Los Cabos, that includes Balandra Beach.

Is La Paz worth visiting?

Absolutely, La Paz is worth visiting. It’s a charming city with plenty to do, a great food scene and exciting marine wildlife activities including swimming with whale sharks and sea lions.

Read next:

The 26 Best Things to do in La Paz

What to eat in La Paz + The 4 Best Spots for Fish Tacos

Everything you need to know about swimming with Whale Sharks in La Paz, Mexico

Everything you need to know about Snorkelling with Sea Lions in La Paz, Mexico

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