Playa Balandra
ONLY IF YOU'RE ALREADY THERE

Mexico · La Paz, Baja California Sur · #1 of Mexico's ten by fame

Playa Balandra

A protected bay with two entry slots a day, 450 people each.

How we rated it: up one for first place on the fame list (six of seven lists name it), down one because entry is controlled by reservation. Photo: Matthew T Rader · CC BY-SA 4.0

The hang

Balandra is the beach the most lists agree on in Mexico: six of the seven we read. It is a protected natural area about 25 minutes' drive north of downtown La Paz, not in Cabo San Lucas, whatever the internet says. Entry is controlled by CONANP: every adult needs a paid digital bracelet, 125 pesos for one slot, and a reservation for one of two daily slots, 8am to noon or 1pm to 5pm, with 450 people per slot. In high season, December to April and holidays, slots can sell out. Inside there are no shops, no restaurants and no gear to rent. We measured 392 metres of sand.

The real intel

Status, dated 2026-10-01: Open under controlled access: paid digital bracelet and a time-slot reservation.

Best months · warmest sea
September (30.0 °C), then August and October. Coolest: February (20.3 °C). One year of data, 2025.
Best months · emptiest
Outside December to April and holidays, when the slots sell out.
Getting there
About 25 minutes' drive north of downtown La Paz. Parking is limited and tied to your reservation.
Cost reality
125 pesos a person per slot, as a CONANP digital bracelet. Free for children under 12, INAPAM seniors, people with disabilities and La Paz residents with ID.
The catch nobody tells you
Two slots a day, 450 people each, booked in advance; nothing to buy inside.

The year at Playa Balandra

Warmest sea in September. Fewest wet days in January, February, March, April and June. Pick your fight.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Sea (°C)
21.1
20.3
20.8
22.4
23.9
25.3
28.2
29.5
30
29.4
28
25.5
Air (°C)
18.7
20.4
21.7
23.9
26.3
28.6
30.5
31.2
30.2
28.7
26
22.9
Sun (h/day)
10.5
10.9
11.3
12.3
12.5
13
12.7
12.3
10.6
11
10
9.1
Rain (days)
0
0
0
0
1
0
4
7
14
4
1
3

One year of data, 2025, from Open-Meteo at this beach's coordinates. A rain day is 1 mm or more. The red bar is the month to aim for in each row.

The neighbours

2 beaches within 6 km, as the gull flies.

  1. 2.0 kmEl Tecolote1,993 m of beach, measured. Not rated yet.
  2. 4.8 kmPlaya Cantamar69 m of beach, measured. Not rated yet.

Straight-line distances from the mapped beach shapes (OpenStreetMap). Roads are longer, and in Bali they are much longer.

The crowd

Capped at 450 per slot.

The facts · we measured

Length
392 m
Mean width
19.9 m
Area
7,801 m²
Warmest sea (2025)
30.0 °C in Sep
Coldest sea (2025)
20.3 °C in Feb
Sea by month, °C
Jan 21.1 · Feb 20.3 · Mar 20.8 · Apr 22.4 · May 23.9 · Jun 25.3 · Jul 28.2 · Aug 29.5 · Sep 30.0 · Oct 29.4 · Nov 28.0 · Dec 25.5

Questions people ask

Do you need a reservation for Playa Balandra?

Yes. Every adult needs a paid CONANP digital bracelet (125 pesos) and a reservation for one of two daily slots, 8am to noon or 1pm to 5pm, with 450 people per slot.

Where is Playa Balandra?

About 25 minutes' drive north of downtown La Paz, in Baja California Sur. It is not in Cabo San Lucas.

Sources

More beaches

Praia de Odeceixe

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