The capital city of Baja Sur, Mexico is La Paz and has a population of about two hundred thousand people. La Paz, Baja California is one of the traditional Mexican port cities with fishing being its chief industry. This city has just managed to getaway from becoming one among the many Americanized cities of Baja Sur. The best thing about visiting La Paz is that because it is not very popular around the world, it is easy to find hotel accommodations, air tickets and other amenities at discount prices, the place is seldom crowded and is quite clean to take a walk through.

Currently, the city features a golf course with 18 holes, a 1700 acres resort, and huge aquarium that is under construction. The tourist zone of the city consists of Malecon, which is a sea wall lined with sidewalks and parks for socializing and strolling. At the southwestern end of Malecon is Marina La Paz, the place where cafes are lining the walkway and an increasing number of vacation homes and condominiums are being constantly built.

Attractions:

The various attractions and activities provided in the city include:

· Anthropology Museum: This museum has photographs of ancient cavern drawings that were found in Baja, Indian villages and a copy of report by Cortes on what he discovered in Baja.

· Hiking: Extensive hikes may be taken on the Laguna Mountains located in the south of the city. A 2-3 days loop includes a waterfall consisting of a huge swimming pool and hot springs. Because there are no definite maintained trails, it is advisable to take a guide on hire. The hike out of the Todos Santos is climbing to the alpine meadows, scenic vistas and pine trees. There are three canyon roads, which cross Sierra de La Lagunas for a challenging and exciting hike through the cottonwoods and the sub-alpine meadows.

· Whale watching tours: During the period from December to march, gray whales can be seen in the waters of La Paz in Magdalena Bay and your hotels or your local tour operators can easily arrange a whale watching tour for you. It is advisable to wear warm water-resistant clothes during the tour and also take a tele-photo lens with you. Normally, the prices charged by these tour operators also include guide as well as meals.

· Snorkeling: There is an abundance of snorkeling locations in La Paz. Although there are rentals available in the area, purchasing your own equipments is a better idea if you want to enjoy long hours of snorkeling.

· Scuba operators: Some of the most excellent scuba diving locations are located in and near La Paz and there are many scuba operators available in the city. The sites include seamounts, wrecks, caves, large pelagics, white coral reefs and sea lions.

· Fishing charters: The city is popular for sports fishing and anything from large cruisers with bathrooms to small panga boats are available for rent. The prices of sport fishing are also relatively cheaper than other parts of Mexico like Los Cabos. The angles can catch sailfish, marlin, roosterfish, dorado, yellowtail, tuna, sierras and cabrillas and the perfect season for fishing deep down the sea is from March through to September.

· Cruises: One of the most popular cruises is to the Isla Espiritu Santo in which is the largest lion colony of sea in Baja.

· Sea Kayaking: With a large number of coves and beaches with calm water, sea kayaking is one of the most popular sports in La Paz. Local tour operators and rentals are available at many beaches of La Paz and the operators will take your kayak to some of the prime locations in the city.

· Calm water of the beaches: The most attractive and famous beaches in La Paz include Playa Balandara, Playa Caimancito, Playa el Tecolote and Playa Pichiligue. Balandara is famous for several coves containing calm water and activities like good swimming, sea kayaking and snorkeling. Caimancito has lot of sand and calm water and a perfect place to sit and eat or drink. Tecolote is equipped with beach chairs, umbrellas and restaurants and the travelers can also enjoy camping with the restrooms, trashcans and fire pits available on the beach. Pichiligue is located 10 miles away north of the town and is popular for restaurants and activities like sun bathing. Other popular beaches in La Paz include Playa La Paz which is convenient, clean and offers a fast escape from city, Playa El Coromel popular for food & drinks, water spades, palapas and some road noises, Isla Espirito Santo famous for crystal clear water, sandy beach and coves, Playa El Comitan, Playa Las Hamacas, Playa Palmira, Playa Del Tesoro and Bahia De La Ventana.

Climate: The climate of the city is typically warm, dry and sunny with an average annual temperature of 23-25°C. Summer months are often humid while winters are cold. Breeze from the Bahia de La Paz keeps the city’s temperature mild. Rainfall is very low with infrequent heavy rains. Usually, the city averages with more than 300 sunshine days every year.

Transportation: The Manuel Marquez de Leon International Airport has served the city of La Paz and the airlines that cater to the city include Delta, Alaska, AeroMexico Connect, Alma, Viva Aerobus and AeroCalifornia. Two of the ferry services also operate from Pichilinque port connecting the city Baja California peninsula to mainland at Topolobampo and Mazatlan. Buses are one of the cheapest ways to travel around and are identified by the destination they are heading towards. Car rentals are also available right at the storefronts and airport. Shared taxi vans or private taxis are also hired for traveling through the destination within the city. You can also request for station wagons.

Accommodation: The travelers can stay in any of the bed and breakfast inns, camps and RV parks, vacation rentals and hotels along with motels, resorts and beach houses available in the area at affordable prices. As the place is not much popular, it is usually easy to find an accommodation and that too at discounted prices. In addition to that, they are quite clean and convenient and are seldom crowded.