La Paz is the calm capital of Baja California Sur, stretched along the Gulf of California with desert hills behind it and a long waterfront malecón in front. It lacks the resort gloss of Los Cabos, which is exactly the point. The city is better for evening walks, seafood, kayaking, whale-shark trips in season, and day boats to Espíritu Santo Island.
The centre is easygoing rather than spectacular. Jardín Velasco, the Catedral de Nuestra Señora de La Paz, and the Museo de Arte de Baja California Sur give you a compact civic core, while the malecón pulls everyone back to the water at sunset.
The real magic lies north of town. Balandra is one of Mexico's most beautiful shallow bays, Playa El Tecolote is a better beach for a lazy seafood lunch, and the protected islands offshore are among the Gulf's great wildlife areas. La Paz suits travellers who like their beach towns functional, local, and marine-minded.