Baja California Sur's Soul — whale sharks, Balandra Beach, and the Malecón's legendary chocolate clam tacos
La Paz is the capital of Baja California Sur and the most liveable, least-touristy city in the Baja peninsula — where the Sea of Cortez meets cobblestone streets and the Malecón waterfront promenade is lined with seafood restaurants serving chocolate clams, tostadas de marlin, and fish tacos that define the region. Balandra Beach, 20 km north, has been repeatedly ranked one of the world's most beautiful beaches. From November to March, whale sharks congregate in La Paz Bay in numbers found almost nowhere else on earth — swimming with them in calm, plankton-rich water is the defining La Paz ex…
Hernán Cortés himself landed at La Paz Bay in 1535 — one of the few times he set foot on the Pacific side of North America. The settlement failed within two years, partly due to fierce resistance from the Pericú people. The bay was repeatedly explored by Spanish galleons seeking the legendary black pearls of La Paz, formed by the local Pinctada mazatlanica oyster; for centuries, La Paz pearls dressed European royalty. The pearl beds were destroyed by disease in the 1940s — a loss that inspired John Steinbeck's 1947 novella The Pearl. La Paz became capital of Baja California Sur in 1830 and re…