A Guide to Visiting Balandra Beach, La Paz – Mexico’s Most Stunning Beach 

Have you ever seen a place on social media and thought to yourself “I have to go there”? Well, that place was Playa Balandra also known as Balandra Beach, Mexico for me. I’ll never forget the first time I saw images and videos of Balandra Beach pop up on my social media. The turquoise waters, layered sand, and endless ocean drone shots had me immediately searching for flights to Mexico.

I was lucky enough to make that dream a reality this past winter by making a weekend trip to Los Cabos. As you all know, I’m a full-time corporate girlie but knew I just HAD to see Balandra while I was down there. So I ended up booking a day trip that took me to Balandra Beach, La Paz, and Todos Santos all in one day. It was such a great way to see all of Baja California Sur in a short amount of time.

As a result, I’m excited to share with you a complete guide for visiting Playa Balandra, also commonly known as the most beautiful beach in Mexico. 

This site contains affiliate links. I may receive a small commission for purchases made through these links however, this has no impact on the integrity of my reviews. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Best Time to Visit Balandra Beach

In my opinion, there is never really a bad time to visit Mexico/Balandra Beach. La Paz (where Balandra is located) is a destination that basks in sunshine year-round. In general, visiting La Paz from December through April is generally a good time. This is when the temperature is mild, but still warm, and it’s likely to be dry with little to no rain at all.

If you’re looking for discounted hotels and airfare though, summer is probably your best bet. The summer months in Mexico can be extremely hot and humid. Which if you ask me, makes it the perfect time to go and do nothing but lay on the beach. 

Getting to Balandra Beach

I’ll admit – getting to Balandra Beach from Cabo San Lucas or San Jose del Cabo can be somewhat of a mission but it’s totally worth it. I’ll walk through each of the three main ways of getting to Balandra.

Book a tour – Booking a day trip is a pretty common option for people shorter on time like myself. I booked this tour via GetYourGuide that took me from Los Cabos all the way to Balandra Beach. It also included stops at La Paz, Playa El Coromuel, and Todos Santos. It’s definitely a long day (pick up was at 5am and I didn’t get back into San Jose del Cabo until 5pm) but it’s 100% worth it.

We got to spend a few hours exploring Balandra and even had time to kayak and hike to the top of a small hill. The views were absolutely incredible and our driver, Antonio, was so accommodating and friendly. I highly recommend this tour for all my solo travelers, or anyone short on time. (For the more adventurous type, there’s also whale shark tours available where you can literally snorkel and swim with sea lions and whale sharks near Balandra).

Rent a car – Renting a car is probably the most common way to get to Balandra as it allows you to move at your own pace. If you’re coming from the states, renting a car is pretty easy in Mexico. All you need is your regular driver’s license and proof of insurance.

I definitely saw a lot of people that rented their car from Los Cabos International Airport (SJD) and based themselves in La Paz. The drive from SJD to La Paz takes around 2.5 hours so a lot of people tend to stay in the area for a few days. Next time I visit Cabo, I’m definitely going to stay in La Paz for a few days. 

Charter a boat – Another incredible way of seeing Balandra is to charter your own boat for a few days. Lover Lips Yacht Rentals has some of the best reviews for renting your own luxury boat. This is a great option for big groups or families with kids. In addition to Balandra, they also take you to visit the neighboring islands of Isla Espíritu Santo and Isla Partida.

Both of which are equally as beautiful and essentially undisturbed by tourists. 

General Tips and Recommendations

CAPACITY LIMITS/TIME SLOTS: To ensure a pristine experience for visitors, Balandra Beach has recently limited the number of visitors allowed per day. As of January 2024, there are only two entry times to choose from:

• 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM
• 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM

Each entry time has a capacity of 450 visitors.  When you arrive at the entrance, there will be staff there to count the number of people coming in each vehicle to ensure they don’t go over the capacity limit. This is where booking a tour came in handy as everything was pre-arranged for us. They even did all the hard work of securing a permit beforehand so we really didn’t have to worry about the entrance situation.

We got there a few minutes before 8am and the line was already ~20 cars long so I highly recommend going EARLY if you’re driving in from La Paz or somewhere else. Especially if it’s a weekend. I think weekdays are less busy but Balandra is still extremely popular due to its beauty and limited capacity. 

It’s also important to note that the first Sunday of every month is for locals only. Only residents of La Paz are allowed onto Balandra Beach and you will not be allowed in if you’re a tourist so please plan accordingly!

BALANDRA BEACH FACILITIES: It’s important to know that there are no food and drink vendors at Balandra Beach! Since the beach is considered a protected area, the government is trying to do whatever they can to limit the amount of waste on the beach. This means that you’ll want to pack your own food, drinks, snacks, and beach amenities. 

There are however kayaks and paddleboards for rent but that’s it. There’s also two small bathrooms at the end of the beach. You’ll definitely want to come prepared for your visit!

WATCH OUT FOR STINGRAYS: Even though the water is crystal-clear you’ll want to keep an eye out for stingrays while exploring the beautiful shallows of Balandra Beach. The stingrays usually enjoy relaxing in the sandy bottom and can sometimes be partially buried.

To avoid accidentally stepping on one, the locals say that you should shuffle your feet as you walk through the water. The gentle motion should be enough to alert them of your presence, but give them ample time to swim away. Although stingrays aren’t typically aggressive, an accidental encounter can be unpleasant for both you and the ray.

Things to do on Balandra Beach 

I think my favorite part about visiting any beach in the world, is that there’s usually something to do for everyone. Balandra beach is no different. You can decide to spend the entire day in the sun or you can choose to explore the surrounding area! Keep reading to learn more about my 3 favorite things to do on Balandra beach.

Hike to breathtaking views

There are some incredible panoramic viewpoints around Balandra. When you first arrive, I would head to your right up a dirt hill. This is easily the most popular viewpoint of Balandra Bay because it’s super accessible for all ages. It’s about a 10 minute walk up and you’ll get to see some unforgettable views of the water.

Pro tip: when you get to the viewpoint, stay to the left and keep going. There’s a second rock formation to climb up and the views are much better (and less crowded) there.

There’s also some hiking on the other side of the beach. My recommendation would be to rent a kayak or paddleboard and make your way to the other side of the water.

From there, you can hike up a small path and be standing exactly on the other side of the first viewpoint. The best part is getting to see Balandra from different perspectives, both equally as beautiful.

Paddle through paradise

The waters of Balandra are calm and shallow which makes it the perfect place to rent a kayak or standup paddle-board. As mentioned earlier, there are no vendors allowed on Balandra with the exception of a single kayak and SUP vendor.  

Considered on the more expensive side for Mexico, Kayaks are 350 pesos/hr or 200 pesos for 30 minutes per person while SUPs are 300 pesos/hr– but it’s a fun way to explore the surrounding areas of Balandra.

Unwind on the pristine beaches

If you’ve been following me for awhile, you’ll know that my favorite beach activity is to do absolutely nothing. Since Balandra is a protected area, it never gets as crowded as public beaches do. This means that it’s always clean and the water is pristine.

Balandra Beach: Final Thoughts

If the photos above haven’t already convinced you to start researching flights, then l’m clearly not doing a good enough job conveying just how beautiful and serene this beach is. While a bit of a challenge to get to, it isn’t hard to see why Balandra is named the most beautiful beach in Mexico time and time again.

Visiting other parts of Mexico?

Check out my other travel guides on Mexico here.

Looking for travel inspiration to somewhere else?

Check out all my international travel guides here!