Boat slips at Marina CostaBaja.
Location, Location, Location: La Paz, Mexico
November 1, 2005
Mexico’s most popular tourist destinations—Acapulco, Puerto Vallarta, Cancún and Los Cabos—were sleepy coastal villages until only a few decades ago. Now, La Paz, the capital city of Baja California Sur, appears to be on the brink of becoming Mexico’s next big international destination.
The once-remote fishing town, founded in 1535, recently celebrated its 470th birthday. But it was not until 1973 that a paved road was built from the town to northern Baja and the United States. Until then, its principal access had been by sea. With real estate prices skyrocketing in nearby resort towns, many buyers are looking to La Paz, roughly two hours north of Cabo San Lucas and situated along the protected shores of the ecologically rich Gulf of California, as a locale to live the ultimate beach lifestyle.
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Ocean view
from the villas of Marina CostaBaja. (Click on image to enlarge.) “We think La Paz is the future of Baja,” says John Fair, president of Denver’s Fair Enterprises, a company in the first stages of an ambitious development plan in La Paz called Paraiso del Mar. “The water is gorgeous, and the mountains are set right on the water. And unlike Cabo, which exists only because of tourism, La Paz is an established town, which is still affordable. There’s a lot of momentum in La Paz. People love the laid-back, friendly atmosphere of the town, and we want to keep it that way.”
Recently described by the New York Times as one of the best places in the world to retire, La Paz is enjoying a growth spurt. The first large-scale developments are now starting to take shape, but there is still plenty of time to get in on the action.
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