Balandra, La Paz and Todos Santos
Description
When you visit Balandra beach, what you will enjoy the most are its calm and shallow waters that allow visitors to enter up to 500 meters into the sea with water up to their knees, making it safe for all ages. Undoubtedly the greatest characteristic of Balandra is the peaceful landscape and the icon of the destination, the rock called the Mushroom, which has this peculiar shape due to the erosion process caused by waves and ocean currents. Any time of the year it is ideal to visit this beach framed by the hills that plunge into the Sea of Cortez. Balandra is also a special place in Mexico for its biodiversity, since the mangroves that surround it are unique at the national level and have flora and fauna protection and conservation areas. This beach is recognized as a Natural Monument of the Gulf of California, where you can go hiking with well-established and safe routes. Balandra is located 27 kilometers east of the city of La Paz.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Balandra is the most beautiful beach in Mexico. Its crystal clear turquoise waters and white sand dunes are set against a desert backdrop of red-hued hills and prickly cardon cacti that dot Baja California, The calm shallow waters of the lagoon are perfect for swimming, SUP and kayaking. At the inland edge of Balandra Beach, the powdery sand and blue water transform into a mangrove forest where thousands of brightly colored small fish dart through the tree roots.
Then we will go to eat to later take a tour of the city to observe the Mission of Nuestra Señora de La Paz, House of Culture, old government offices, the boardwalk, Casa del Artesano with the original pearls and free time.
Before returning to Los Cabos we will make a stop in the Magic Town of Todos Santos where the Hotel California is located.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Be at the meeting point 15 minutes before the pick up time.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(18)
Our overall experience with this tour was incredibly disappointing. We paid $250 USD, only to be mistreated, ignored, and stressed out the entire day. If you are traveling with a baby or do not speak Spanish, do not book this tour. Our guide, "Eric", was incredibly rude, arrogant, and unprofessional. He completely ruined the trip for my family. 1. Broken Itinerary & Mismanagement According to the itinerary, we were supposed to have 3 hours at Balandra Beach. Instead, we only got 2 hours because Eric forgot to pack the breakfast sandwiches that were included in the package, forcing us to make an unplanned stop. When he made a mistake, he laughed it off and expected us to take it as a joke. However, when we arrived 15–20 minutes late to the meeting point after exploring Balandra Beach (granted, everyone else was also 5–10 minutes late), he treated us entirely differently. He became hostile, used aggressive and vulgar language when addressing to us, and repeatedly blackmailed us by threatening to abandon us and drive off. Because it was a shared tour, we understood the need for punctuality, but we did not pay to be abused like this. 2. Disgraceful Treatment of a Family with a Baby We were traveling with a 1-year-old baby. As "punishment" for being late, Eric withheld the juices and cookies that were explicitly included in our package. Keep in mind, he had "already" forgotten our breakfast sandwiches earlier. He then intentionally made us run to catch up while carrying all of our luggage and a baby in our arms under the blazing sun. We were exhausted, dehydrated, and deeply uncomfortable until we reached the next stop and could buy our own food and drinks to recover. Just because we had a baby, im not expecting to have special treatment but a basic human decency is needed. 3. Language Barrier & Lack of Guiding We explicitly paid for and selected an English-speaking guide. Instead, Eric spoke Spanish almost the entire trip, giving deep, detailed explanations to the rest of the group. When he spoke to us, he only barked out the meeting times and some basic information and threats and provided zero actual tour information or commentary. We felt completely excluded. Because of his constant threats to leave us behind, we were too anxious to even enjoy the sights and spent the trip huddled near the van just to ensure we wouldn't be stranded. 4. Terrible Vehicle Conditions The transport van was an absolute cooking oven. They loaded it to maximum capacity with 13 people, and the AC was virtually non-existent. Everyone inside was sweating profusely for the entire duration of the trip. Conclusion Management needs to stop prioritizing maximum profits over basic customer service. If a customer pays for an English guide, honor that request. If amenities and snacks are promised, ensure they are delivered. Most importantly, management needs to thoroughly review their staff and hire people who know how to treat paying customers with basic human decency. I would absolutely not recommend this tour to anyone.
Rene was terrific! Constant education and sharing of history and background of various points on the trip. Rene was thoughtful, helpful and spoke English and Spanish. He was terrific and the trip would not have been the same without Rene! Todos Santos was really cool, what a special little town that makes you want to come back and explore.
It is a very long excursion, but so worth it! Balandra is beautiful, bring a cooler if possible! And make sure to hike to the top of the mountain ! The views are incredible! The next stop has waiters to bring drinks and food, the water is much calmer and the wind isn’t near as bad. Make sure to walk around LaPaz and Todos Santos. Jesus was a great guide also!
If you’re staying in Cabo San Lucas, this is a great way to explore La Paz Todo Santos and Balandra Beach. Our wonderful guide Bernardo spent time telling us about interesting sites along the way, we got to spend a good amount of time in each of the spaces and we were treated to a wonderful lunch. I was the only person in the group that didn’t speak Spanish and Bernardo took time to explain everything to me in English. I really appreciated that. I was so happy I found this tour and definitely recommend!
It was worth it, despite being squished in the back seat of the van. Our driver Bernardo was great and showed us some cool spots. Would definitely recommend!!!
This trip was great! Variety of places to see and experience. Fish tacos for lunch were delicious! Kafaya and Julio were great! They kept things moving in a timely manner, kept us informed with information throughout! They made this excursion an enjoyable day!
Excellent trip and very courteous staff. Your trip to Baja California is not complete without visiting the tranquil beaches of Ballandra and La Paz. I was very impressed by how clean the water is. Definitely recommend this to fellow travelers.
The guide & driver were great. The bus is not configured very well. 50% of the view is the seat back in front of you.
We purchased the three stop tour that included Bolandra Beach, La Paz, Todos Santos. We paid $125 per passenger. They had good communication, messaging us through WhatsApp plus email. First stop was Bolandra beach. Medium passenger van picked us up from our hotel Sunset Beach at 5:45 AM. We received a breakfast sandwich and a juice for the trip. It was about a 2 Hour hrs to the beach. Once we arrived, they give you the option to rent an umbrella and two chairs for 350 pesos, I don’t think you truly need it because you spend more time in the water walking around plus if you arrive in AM the sun isn’t as intense. We spent an hour and 25 minutes there which was just about right. They do have portable clean bathrooms. They have a cool hiking trail. The water is crystal clear with lots of visible small fish swimming. Next drive was to a public beach that has a lot of vendors. The water is still clear, but the sand is rough. Spent about an hour there. Next stop was included lunch at a near by restaurant, you have the option of picking between a hamburger, fish tacos, chicken fajitas. Food was good. Next stop was the downtown/boardwalk of La Paz. Very pretty very clean very safe walkable region. Lots of charming character. Spent about an hour there. We had a hour and a half drive to Todos Santos. Neat small town with Hotel California as main attraction. Stop was about an hour. Had about another 45 minute drive back to Cabo. Overall trip was about 12 hours. Our driver who went by the name of Ed, very knowledgeable, gives you some good history background. Overall, it was a nice trip that felt like a good value. Would recommend it.
This is an amazing experience. The beach was beautiful it's truly an amazing site to see and enjoy. Our tour guides Carlos, Alexis & Agusto were absolutely great. A must if in Los Cabos.
