Balandra Beach in La Paz Mexico
La Balandra beach in La Paz Mexico may be one of the most beautiful beaches in Mexico. Hidden beside the dry mountainous desert of La Paz Mexico, Balandra beach is a paradise with crystal clear, glassy like water that is as calm as a swimming pool.
An overwhelmingly strong, yet calm energy takes over you when you are at Playa Balandra which may be the most special thing about this beach. It feels like a magical place!
This odd shaped rock is one of the things that make Balandra unique!
Where is La Paz Mexico?
La Paz Mexico is not as well known as Cabo San Lucas, yet it is only a two hour drive from Cabo. I took a day trip to La Paz to see Balandra beach during a week long trip to Cabo. Cabo San Lucas is fun and full of beauty, yet it was a nice to explore a new area and get a change of scenery in La Paz.
The view from the car while driving through La Paz to Balandra beach. Beautiful!
First Impression of Balandra Beach.
Balandra beach is great for a relaxing day on the sand and perfect for swimming.
There are paddle boards and umbrellas for rent, however, it is a good idea to bring your own beach gear or at least a towel to lounge on the sand. There are some mini palapas for shade on the beach, but since there are not many, you may need to get there early for one!
Perfect place for snorkeling! And yes there are lots of fish to see!
Can you snorkel at Balandra?
Balandra is not a well known snorkeling destination, but I brought my own snorkel gear with me anyway! I never go to the beach without it! At first glance, it doesn’t look like there would be much going on under water, but I was surprised at what I found!
There are fascinating and colorful coral formations growing on mini islands underwater. Small colorful fish swim and take refuge in crevices of the coral.
https://youtu.be/n23Yq_VyYBY
If you are looking for bigger fish, there are lots just along the rock walls (to the right of the beach). The video above that will show you the best location for snorkeling and a preview at what you may see!
Bring your own snorkel gear or rent some before your get to Balandra. It is also a great place to learn to snorkel if you have not done it before. The water is shallow, clear and calm as a pool. I can’t think of better conditions to learn to snorkel!
The water is calm and clear. All the water you see here is not even knee deep. Take a look at the people walking far out in the water!
Balandra is an Oasis among the desert. You will take a drive through the desert to get there.
How to get to Balandra Beach?
You can rent a car to reach Balandra. If you are in Cabo San Lucas and do not want to drive, you can book a tour or a driver for the day. I suggest booking with Oscar at Travel Cabo Tours who will also drive you to La Paz to swim with whale sharks if that interests you. I will leave their contact information at the bottom of the post if you would like to contact them. Prices are very reasonable so I highly recommend them. You can learn more about swimming with whale sharks in La Paz here.
I hope you get the chance to visit Balandra beach to experience the “magic” of this place that is like no other. It is well worth the trip.
Have you been to a beach like Balandra? Or do you have questions about visiting Balandra? I would be glad to answer them in the comment section below!
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Hi! Stephanie here! I’m going Cabo this weekend and I wanted to book for balandra beach! What can I do? Or who can I contact?
Hi! I sent you an email with more info last week, I hope you recieved it.
I am going to be in Cabo in June. We are with a group of 12 people. WE would like to make a day trip to Balandra. What do you offer for day trips?
Hi John – I hired a guide to take me to Balandra and I do not manage the tours. I can share the contact info of the guide I hired if you want to message me on Facebook here https://www.facebook.com/littlebirdietravel/ I will also try to email it to you, hope you get it. Thanks!
Hi all! We’re so excited for our trip to Cabo. We’re staying at the Ziva, but we’re active people and know we’ll be restless in the all inclusive environment. We want to be in sand and the beach and it seems like what we’re looking for won’t be in the areas we are staying, so we heard about Balnadra and are excited to come in!
Can someone give an estimate of full cost to rent a car and gas for the day trip? We plan to leave around 6a and get there in about 3 hours. And stay for 4-5 hours and come back to the hotel? There’s 8 of us travelling, but probably 2-4 of us going. What are the price differences of hiring a private guide vs tour shuttle vs renting?
Would like to get more specifics! Thanks!
Hi, you should be excited! I dont have estimates on car rentals or shuttles. I did not find any shuttles to balandra when I was there. There were tours to the La Paz area for upwards of 200 per person which is a bit steep. Luckily, I got in contact with the guide I mentioned in my post and I was able to get a better deal.
My first recommendation is to email my contact in Cabo directly and ask what he can arrange for you and your party of 4. I will email you his email address and info. He arranges tours and does some himself also. It has been a while since my last visit so you would have to speak with him to see what he can arrange for you.
Secondly, if you want to visit a nice beach where you can swim closer to Cabo, consider Chileno Bay. I also wrote about it on my blog. You can swim and snorkel there. It is only 15 to 20 min from downtown Cabo.
Balandra beach is definitely worth the trip if you can make it.
We’ll do both! haha! Thanks so much! Really!!!
Hi! I am planning on traveling to La Paz from Cabo but do not have a vehicle. Also, I am coming in from a Carnival Cruise ???? (I will have a window of about 6 hours firmly to travel there and back)
Do you think that is do able? Please email any suggestion. My name is Adrian mucho gusto!
Hi Adrian. I have cruised to Mexico and it is a lot of fun. With a 6 hour window, I wouldnt try to make it to Balandra and back, its not enough time unfortunately. I would spend the day doing a boat tour of lands end. Some of the boat tours that go to lands end also go to Santa Maria beach where sometimes you can snorkel if water is calm.