LOCAL
Food & Drink
HarkerBoardco. Restaurant Bar & SUP shop, is the first Stand Up Paddle Board company in La Paz.
“La Terraza” is an area overlooking the ocean, perfect to appreciate the beautiful bay of La Paz while tasting your favourite foods or a drink (IPA is a speciality here).
Large screens broadcast major sporting events. There’s Wi Fi and a great atmosphere. They offer Eco Adventure tours, rides and equipment sales.
Nomada Organics & Gourmet La Paz
Nomada Organics y Gourmet is a conscious eatery tucked away in La Paz’ center. This woman-owned café & shop specializes in vegan and vegetarian food. They use organic ingredients from local vendors that you can eat in or buy in the shop to cook at home. Buddha bowls, hotcakes, juices, lemonades and even kombucha smoothies made by the owners themselves, this is a spot to get energized.
Capuchino Cafe: Vegetarian and Vegan Restaurant
If you find yourself face to face with an enormous blue monkey mural, you’ve found Capuchino Café. The mural is painted by Ulises Martínez, an Oaxacan artist who specializes in larger-than-life, brightly colored animal paintings. Capuchino is home to some of the best plant-based food in La Paz. They claim to have the ‘best vegetarian burger in all of La Paz,’ and I’ll back that claim, but even more impressive is their dedication to sustainability; supporting the local La Paz organic market, helping with beach-cleaning campaigns, refusing to use plastic, styrofoam or straws, and working with social organizations around the city to raise funds for local projects through their ‘Combos with a Cause’ initiative.
Hambrusia
Right by the Malecón, Ambrosia is traditional Mexican with pizzazz. Take the cornerstone of Mexican street food, the taco. In Hambrusia, these deceptively simple stuffed tortillas become a canvas for culinary experimentation, with the fusion of typical and nontypical flavor combinations and textures. The results are colorful taco brews like octopus-and-beef and, for vegans, baked beet-and-gorgonzola or shitake-mushroom-and-onion-rings. And Hambrusia don’t stop there, from their beet tartare to the famed fish-of-the-day with capers and parmesan cheese, they’ve truly got style when it comes to cooking.
Nemi
Nemi is fairly new to the restaurant scene but in their case age doesn’t match wisdom. Nemi was born with skill and flavor en masse, conducted by chef Alejandro Villagomez, (previously a sous-chef at one of Mexico’s best restaurants, Pujol (n° 12 in The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list)). Inspired by Villagomez’ love for tradition, Nemi has an avant-garde edge too, focusing on contemporary Mexican cuisine and a daily changing menu of fresh seafood and vegans and vegetarian food. Their grilled asparagus with cheese and squash blossoms has become one of my go-tos.
NIM Restaurant & Restaurant Azul Marino
This one comes highly recommended by TripAdvisor, but don’t let that put you off. With an eclectic mix of international and contemporary Mexican dishes, these sister restaurants are probably the most popular local meeting and eating spots in la Paz. Run and managed by two sisters who travelled, studied and completed their culinary skills in many of the more sophisticated cities of the United States it produces an exquisite menu and expert service.
Odayaka
Simply the best and most original freshly prepared a la carte Sushi and Sashimi around. Ten minutes drive along the coastal road heading south out of la Paz, Odayaka is found in the quiet but exclusive Marina Puerta Cortez, formerly Costa Baja.
La Miserable Mezcaleria
“Para todo mal, mezcal, para todo bien, también.” (For all evils, mezcal, and for all good as well)
This is the slogan of mezcal. And La Miserable is the number one spot for the experience. The bar has an extensive selection of mezcal from all over Mexico, and its staff are always happy to take customers on the traditional journey. They offer mezcal cocktails, as well as poured neat, and have a tasting option for when you want to explore a world of agave flavors. La Miserable also serves a few dinner options, which you can enjoy in their outdoor patio along with your drink, such as their special Saturday-only pozole, a Mexican stew dish, which can be veganified if asked.
El Minero Bar and Restaurant
Located in the old gold and silver mining village of El Triunfo in the mountains of Baja California Sur, Mexico about an hour’s drive from La Paz and Todos Santos, El Minero features a few signature items such as homemade sausages, fresh seafood, paella, artisanal cheeses, homemade condiments and old-fashioned draft root beer floats. They also offer a selection of draft Baja Brewing beers, quality wines, tequilas, mezcals and house cocktails, including two types of margaritas.
Accommodation
Cactimar, Off-Grid Eco-Ranch Bungalow
A 30-minute drive out of the city will lead you to Cactimar, an ecological ranch, hidden in amongst the coastal dunes and flanked on all sides by giant cacti, wildlife and overlooking the blue waters of the la Paz bay. Its bungalows overlook an isolated beach, from where, if you’re lucky, you might catch sight of whale sharks and dolphins without even having to leave your room. Cactimar allows visitors to enjoy the unspoiled landscape of the Mexican coast up close with minimal impact on the flora and fauna of the area. Besides providing you with an experience of living in the Mexican desert the French couple offers horseback rides across sandy dunes and along solitary beaches, as well as equipment for snorkeling, kayaking and parasailing.
Rancho Ancón
Rancho Ancón is a spectacular house, anchored on top of a hill, halfway between La Paz and the town of La Ventana. The Rancho is only accessible by car, as it’s a 20-minute drive away from either one of these cities. However its isolated location is actually one of the house’s strongest characteristics. It transforms the hill into a remote private island, with a spectacular view that stretches out into endless blues and greens, to La Ventana, and beyond that, across the Sea of Cortez and Isla Cerralvo. With a mountain-view patio BBQ, well equipped kitchen, capacity to easily sleep 6, and a perfect WiFi connection, this is a wonderful place for small groups and families.
Casa Esterito
This unassuming, inexpensive little hostel at the far end of town might be one of the more interesting socially alive places to hang out. Found in one of the older fishermen districts of La Paz, which is still relatively untouched by the newer developments, Casa Esterito’s young travellers and local staff make for enthusiastic conversation and unrivalled local tips. Miguel, an alternative tourism student at the university here, and former freedive student of mine, was to a large degree, builder and creator of its Casa Esterito’s eclectic style and has infused it with a great vibrant energy.
The Mantarraya Outpost
The Mantarraya Outpost is a bed-and-breakfast located in the center of La Paz. It’s just a few blocks away from the Malecón, La Paz’ large waterfront walkway with uninterrupted views of the sunset, statues by Mexican artists celebrating the sea life and the town, and an array of popular restaurants and bars. Luisa, the host in charge of the Outpost, prepares freshly-squeezed orange juice, fruits, eggs and tortillas, the typical hearty Mexican breakfast, for guests every day. The Outpost consists of three quiet guest bedrooms, plus a private garden area for visitors to lie in hammocks and relax in the outdoors. It’s an intimate, home-like experience in the very heart of La Paz.
Casa Marysol
Casa Marysol, is a more upmarket (and urban) accommodation option bang in the center of La Paz. It’s literally a one-minute walk away from the Malecón, which means you can taste the salty sea air and watch the sun setting against the ocean from your bedroom balcony. The white-and-blue villa contains two bedrooms (each with a private bathroom and balcony), a roof deck, parking space and a backyard patio adorned with desert flora, a pool, a jacuzzi and a BBQ. Despite its many amenities, Casa Marysol is not without an eco conscience. The owner, Monica, has built rainwater capture basins for the house, in order to reduce water waste. She also uses only non-toxic cleaning materials and provides reusable grocery bags and recyclable bins for visitors.
Posada Flores Boutique Hotel
Located only a few blocks from the very heart of la Paz, this boutique hotel is a treat for the design-minded. Keeping in line with the colonial character of the older residential area of La Paz, Posada Flores has a luxury ambiance with the classic modernism of a traditional Mexican hacienda. Its rooms are a creative combination of artesanal stonework, hardwood beams, and careful detail given to the choice of furniture and decor. If you want to finish your evening with a good mezcal and an unrivalled sunset you couldn’t find a much better location.