I went to La Paz, Mexico for one thing and one thing only, whale sharks. Yet, I fell in love. This was my first time to Mexico and I have always been apprehensive. In La Paz, I felt safe. The people were friendly, the food was delicious and the adventures were endless!
Scuba Diving
We started our trip off with scuba diving with The Cortez Club. I really wanted to dive El Bajo, a dive site well known for hammerhead sharks. When we walked in to check-in for the next day an instructor was talking about going out to El Bajo the next day, what are the chances of that! Her nickname was the “Hammerhead Whisperer,” unfortunately we did not see any hammerheads. It was a windy day and visibility was not awesome. For our second dive we headed to a Chinese shipwreck purposefully sunk named Fang Ming. Fang Ming is as a small ship with many easy swim throughs, perfect for penetration. We meandered our way through all the rooms of the ship and on our way out we were met by a massive sea turtle.
Glamping
The next day was Thanksgiving and we were off for some glamping on the island of Isla Espíritu Santo with Todos Santos Eco Adventures. It was truly amazing to fall asleep to the sound of waves crashing and to wake up for some hot tea/coffee by the water. Our days were filled with snorkeling and hiking and nights spent eating, drinking and playing games. The best snorkeling was at the Los Islotes sea lion colony, the juvenile sea lions were very playful. The staff and food at the camp were out of this world, I wanted to stay longer! With no wifi or service, you can truly cut yourself off from the rest of the world. This was the most relaxed I had been in awhile.
Whale Sharks
Swimming with whale sharks was the first thing ever on my bucketlist. I traveled to Thailand & Australia in hopes to encounter a whale shark and failed. I knew La Paz was almost guaranteed, so I chose RED Travel Mexico for this endeavor for their sustainable approach to travel. Whale sharks truly are the gentle giants of the sea and to see them in real life is awe-inspiring. We were able to swim with multiple whale sharks and even saw some dolphins on the way back!
Culture
Besides all the animal encounters, walking around the small city of La Paz was one of my favorite things. You must take a stroll to the Catedral de Nuestra Señora de La Paz (pictured below). Continue your stroll by walking down the street of Constitución to view some beautiful graffiti art. Quench your thirst by grabbing a beer at Harker Board Co and watch the sunset from the rooftop. Next, walk down the Malecón admiring the sculptures with an ice cream in hand. And end the night with a few cervezas at a watering hole on the main strip for the best people watching.
If I had the chance to go back and do it again, I would do a few things differently. I would definitely scuba dive with the sea lion colony at Los Islotes. Snorkeling with them was cool, but diving with them would be even better! I would also stay in the city of La Paz, rather than on the outskirts. We liked exploring the cities food and culture so much that we kept having to take taxis and Ubers to town.
I am a certified Mexico Specialist, book your adventurous travels to La Paz with me today!
If you liked this post, check out My 2019 Top Travel Destinations!
