Lonely Planet

Balandra Beach, on theBaja Sur Peninsula in LaPaz, looking towards thesmall island of EspírituSanto in the distance56 Lonely Planet Traveller October 2017THE SUN IS DIPPING LOWin the sky over BalandraBeach, 17 miles north of LaPaz, but the groups of friendsand families who’ve cometo while away a Sunday afternoon by thesea are determined to eke out every lastmoment of the day’s heat. As the tidecomes in, two men lift their plastic picnictable up out of ankle-deep water and carryit to shore, a half-drunk bottle of rum stillbalanced on it precariously.Further up the beach, a group of teenageacrobats from Tijuana are taking it in turnsto throw each other, pirouetting high intothe air, until inevitably – perhaps the resultof too many cervezas – they miss their catch.The fallen gymnast just laughs it off, rollingover in the soft, white sand. American popmusic pumps from an unseen stereo. Kayaks5. La PazSwim, kayak or paddle board your way around white-sand beaches and rocky coastlinesof green and orange return to the bay, easyto spot against the turquoise sea. As sunsetapproaches the sky becomes a miraculousshade of red. Even the clouds appear to havebeen dyed pink, like candyfloss. Familiestake it in turns to traipse to the far end of thebay to take the obligatory selfies in front ofBalandra’s signature mushroom rock.As they clamber back up the dusty brownslopes dotted with cardón cactuses to wherethey’ve left their cars, it is easy to see whypeople are drawn here from across Mexico,attracted by the white sand and the warmazure water. A cracked tile sign near somegovernment-built sunshades declares thatthey were ‘Hecho con Solidaridad’ – ‘Madewith solidarity.’ It’s a beach that welcomesall with open arms.By contrast, out at sea lie some moreexclusive beaches. Espíritu Santo,``````a 31-square-mile island in the Sea ofCortez ringed by mangroves and volcanicrock formations, was declared a UnescoBiosphere Reserve in 1995 and thenumber of visitors there are carefullylimited. It is officially uninhabited,although at certain times of the year it ispossible to stay overnight on the island atCamp Cecil, a series of safari tents set upwith real beds and furniture on the longstretch of La Bonanza Beach. Live-in chefsGiovanni and Ivan serve up excellent BajaMed fare, and can organise everythingfrom kayaking and snorkelling to birdwatching and nature hikes.Espíritu Santo is an hour by motorboatfrom La Paz, and it’s common to see schoolsof dolphins playing in the boat’s wake.For the more adventurous, it’s alsopossible to reach the island by kayak or