tunaeater - 7-14-2018 at 11:23 AM
Folks,
Flying to La Paz out of TJ early August staying at La Concha hotel for 4 nights. Going with my 20 year old son and my buddy and his son. We will have
3 full days and a half day before our 3:00pm fight home. We plan to fish two days and would like to do a snorkeling trip to Espiritu Santo/Tecolote
Beach.
Looking for firsthand/ close to recent experiences on these activities. Also if someone knows the approximate cost for taxis to hotel from airport and
prices from La Concha to town in taxis since we will not have a car.
Suggestions on places to eat, early nightlife,transportation etc. would be appreciated. Haven't been to La Paz in years.....
Thank you
Paul
JZ - 7-14-2018 at 11:30 AM
Video I made of the islands: https://youtu.be/EeM1YBUvEJU
Rent a jeep. Lots of places to offroad past Tecolote. If you are really adventurous, take it the 3 hours from La Paz to San Evaristo. One of the
best drives in Baja.
Lots of bars right on the malecon. Best sushi place in La Paz is out near Costa Baja. Really good and cheap.
BajaBlanca - 7-15-2018 at 12:52 PM
You can Uber in La Paz as well, but we found that cabs were not so expensive.
It's gonna be hot hot hot so great that you are planning water activities.
We were just there this past February and had the best time eating at a different places on the boardwalk (malecon).
If you are up to it, it wd be fun to see your trip report when you get back!
Alan - 7-16-2018 at 10:23 AM
As BajaBlanca says... It's gonna be HOT! But that's okay because that usually applies to the fishing as well.
You have a ton of options so it'll all depend on what you are looking for on this trip and how much you want to handle and how much you want to pay an
outfitter to handle for you.
La Concha is a nice older hotel and while I have never stayed there the lobby and grounds appear to be well maintained so I assume that applies to the
rooms as well. It's at the end of the malecon so it should be quieter and while its not too far away I wouldn't care to walk to the malecon in August
from there.
There are several outfitters that can address your fishing needs if pangas are what you want . 4 people would require two pangas and you can choose
to fish out of Muertos or La Paz. Fishermens Fleet, Tailhunters Intl both run similar operations where you are transported by van to your panga.
Typically lunch and drinks are provided along with cleaning, vacuum-sealing and freezing your catch. Typically better fishing can be found out of
Muertos. They have been having an on going tuna bite for some time now so who knows if it will hold to Aug? This time of year also offers World
Class Roosterfish opportunities. The larger Dorado have been beginning to show and of course there's always a few billfish and wahoo in the counts.
If you all want to fish together on one boat Baja Pirates is the only one I have experience with that can accommodate all of you on a cruiser style
boat. Baja Pirates can tailor your trip to exactly meet your needs and will do as much or as little as you want such as picking you up from your
hotel each morning or even escorting you to dinner. Mosquito Fleet may offer something but I have no experience with them so hopefully others with
chime in.
As far as snorkeling Espiritu Santos it is something you definitely don't want to miss. The easiest way for you to do that is to set it up right
there at your hotel. The Cortez Club is based right there at La Concha and provides tours to Espiritu Santos or snorkeling with the whale sharks
when they are in. I have personally chosen the Cortez Club to swim with the whale sharks because they are the closest to the area where the sharks
congregate. For Espiritu Santos I have always set up tours out at the Palapa Azul out at Tecolote but then I have my own car. For you the Cortez
Club is easier and probably similar in price.
Dining. So much to choose from here so I'll just list my favorites
Tres Virgennes - Beautiful patio dining on Madero and consistently rated as one of the best restaurants in BCS
Marina Azul - Right at the Costa Baja Marina
Sortis - Again beautiful courtyard on Revolucion. This seems to be the hot restaurant in La Paz at the moment and also provides the best brunch in
town every Sunday
Rancho Viejo - Just one block up from the malecon at the other end from La Concha on Marques de Leon (this is the original and still the best). My
favorite for arracherra (flank steak) tacos. Open 24 hours
Taco Fish La Paz - About 10 blks straight up Marques De Leon from Rancho Viejo for my favorite place for fish tacos.
Taxis from the airport are priced ridiculously but they have the concession there so you have no choice. You must pay for your taxis at the counter
inside the airport (to your immediate right as you exist customs). Taxis around town and returning to the airport. For example. I take a taxis to
my condo near the VW dealer when I arrive and get charged about 30 dollars. Calling a taxi to take me to the airport is usually under $10.