La Paz, the capital of Southern Baja California, in Mexico, is right on the coast of the picturesque Bay of La Paz in the Sea of Cortez. La Paz has a population of about 260,000 people and is the Baja Peninsula's second largest city. However, despite its large size, La Paz has the charisma of a little colonial town.

For centuries, La Paz was known primarily for its pearl fishing, giving it the reputation as "The City of Pearls".  This ended in the mid 1900's, when disease destroyed the oyster beds.

Today the city is known for its fun tourist attractions by the sea such as sports fishing where anglers have been known to catch sailfish, marlin, snapper, sea bass, yellowtail, sierra, dorado, tuna, as well as many other types of fish. The best time to go deep-sea fishing is March to September. Snorkeling, diving, and sailing are also quite common in La Paz.

There is rather low humidity partly due to La Pazs little rainfall. With its high temperatures hardly ever reaching beyond the low 80's, this city is a great place to visit for its water activities.

La Paz, being so close to the whale sanctuary in Magdelena Bay and to desert areas where exotic plants and animals exist, make this city a major center for ecotourism. Between January and March, tourists can book a whale watching tour to see the migration of gray whales in the Sea of Cortez as they return to the Bering Strait of Alaska.

Several of Baja's prettiest islands are just a short distance offshore. Snorkeling is most excellent at the clear and tranquil waters around the islands of Espiritu Santo and Los Islotes, which are near La Paz. It is here that snorkelers find various types of tropical fish, sea lions, dolphins, whale sharks, and hammerhead sharks.

The downtown area of La Paz has a very scenic waterfront sea wall called the "Malecon". This is where lots of people walk around as there are many cafes, bars, and restaurants which offer specialties native to the area such as shark-fin soup or fried calamari. It is in this area that you can see the sailboats in the harbor.

However, in addition to the fun and scenic water attractions, La paz offers the option to indulge in cultural activities such as visiting El Teatro de la Ciudad, a cultural center which includes performances by local and visiting artists such as popular and experimental theatre, music, ballet, and symphonies.

Those who appreciate history can visit The Anthropology Museum, which features photos of paintings found in Baja's prehistoric caves, various exhibits on colonial history and missions, as well as geological history with fossils.