It is our last night in La Paz, Mexico. After a long day of pre-departure errands, we’re on the boat with a glass of wine, watching Pete the Pelican, a nightly visitor, fish from the dock. We’ve spent the last six weeks in La Paz, which is actually about four weeks longer than we originally planned. Plans change when you’re cruising, however, and as we got to know La Paz, it was an easy decision to stick around longer.

With a population of approx. 200K, La Paz is the capital city of Baja California Sur (the southern half of the Baja peninsula). It offers a great blend of culture, art, restaurants and activities, while maintaining a laid-back feel. The people we’ve met are friendly and welcoming, always willing to lend a hand or help us with our “muy malo” (very bad) Spanish. The town’s main tourist draws are the whale sharks – swimming with them is an amazing experience – and trips to the Espiritu Santos islands 20 miles off the coast. On land, one of the best activities is a simple stroll along the malecón, the town’s waterfront. With shops and restaurants on one side of the street and a tiled pathway on the other side, it is alive with people jogging and cycling, children playing, and families and friends enjoying time together.

Another of our favorites in La Paz has been discovering the art around town. Here, it’s not as simple as going to an art gallery and gazing at the paintings and sculptures. The paintings and sculptures are everywhere – some out in the open, some tucked away on a side street, some disguised as graffiti covering entire walls, and some hidden in plain sight in vacant lots turned parks that are easy to miss if you’re not paying attention.

This is a special place. There’s a saying that “the La Paz bungee cord is strong.” We get that. By boat or by land, we’re certain we’ll be back again someday.