We will be in La Paz until mid May. That should allow us time to get the feel and vibe of the place before we need to move on. There is no better way to do that than to put on our walking shoes. In fact we walked so much I blew out my flip flop (stepping on a pop top, Ha) and Gary had to fix it. The Malecon (their version of a broadwalk) along the waterfront stretches the entire length of the central historic district and is lined with many statues representing the fishing and sea life in the Sea of Cortez.
Beach along the Malecon
The Malecon
A nice shady spot along the Malecon
A boy fishing with nets
From 1616 until 1940 Bahia de La Paz was famous for its natural pearls until the oyster beds were destroyed by a blight.
In honor of the oyster industry
Jacques Cousteau once called the Sea of Cortez ‘the world’s aquarium’. In 2009 the Mexican government renamed “Isla Cerralvo” to “Isla Jacques Cousteau”. When we left our overnight anchorage of Muertos to arrive in La Paz we had to leave early in the morning to pass between what we thought was Isla Cerralvo and the mainland before the winds kicked up and created strong opposing currents. Many in Mexico have not accepted the name change because they were not consulted so most guide books refer to the island under its historical name.
Jacques Cousteau 1910-1997
The Malecon really is the most picturesque part of the city. In other towns we have found pockets of neighborhoods where the architecture catches your eye. Here not so much and I’m thinking the homes and buildings are built very boxy and low because of hurricanes. We have not seen any damage here from hurricane Odile’s visit in September last year like we did in Cabo San Lucas.
A small B & B. It is hilly here so walks are a good workout.
The church off the main plaza
La Paz has big box stores like WalMart that are out of the central district. Within walking distance to our marina we have the local markets where we can get fruits, vegetables, fish, beef and even lunch. Nothing is done ‘in the back’, all the chopping off of cow and fish heads is pretty much done right in front of you. No pictures of this gruesome task.
As we were sailing in last week, I commented to Gary that if you take away the water we could easily be in Arizona. We left the tropics of mainland Mexico and came back to the desert of the Baja and this region is no exception. Though, the water is absolutely stunning. Crystal clear with beautiful turquoise and blues. Cannot wait to get out into the Sea of Cortez. We have been busy exploring on foot and getting our arrangements made for our trip to Arizona for Austin’s graduation. But we move the boat to another marina next week that is outside of town and closer to the entrance to the bay. We can then start planning some trips up to the northern parts of the Sea of Cortez. I read that some areas around La Paz have venomous sea snakes. So more research is needed because this girl is not getting anywhere near sea snakes.
The Sea of Cortez is calling us
