We continue our visit to La Paz with a look at the sights we saw around town, plus a guided hike, breakfast, and beach time.

Sights Seen About Town

Murals and architecture, both new and old, gave us a glimpse into the history and lives of the locals. Walking, as our main mode of transportation around town, allowed us an up-close view of the newly renovated or constructed buildings and structures in their last days of decay and everything in between. Each building—some enhanced with painted murals—provided unique personalities my camera lens could not ignore.

The contrast between daylight and nighttime tells a whole different story about the the building.

This was an interesting little park and a great place to stop and cool off in the shade near the water feature. Coro en Armonia (Choir in Harmony) was created by Benito Ortega Vargas. Each mask appears to sing a different note of the musical scale.

If it hadn’t been so hot, I could have walked for hours taking photos of unique and interesting sites.

Rancho San Lorenzo Guided Hike and Organic Breakfast

We got up early for our Rancho San Lorenzo Guided Hike and Organic Breakfast at a working ranch. A rental car—picked up the night before—was required for us to make the trip to the tip of the peninsula north of La Paz. At 9:00 am, we piled out of the car to meet our guide Eduardo (Lalo) Mendez, from Guadalajara.

The 1,000-acre desert ranch and preserve are populated with wild and tamed animals alike. Siting between the Coyote Mountains and the Sea of Cortez, there’s plenty of diverse terrain for the animals to roam. Rabbits, foxes, deer, and the occasional mountain lion have the run of the place, while goats, donkeys, horses, chickens, and ostriches are safe, cozy, and well-fed in their respective pens or corrals.

Lalo, gave us an option for a strenuous hike or one less strenuous. We agreed the less strenuous would be best, since I was still nursing my broken wrist and wearing the brace just in case I might fall. Along the trail, Lalo would stop to point out rock formations in the mountains and hills, small caves, and the local flora and fauna, or talk about the history.

We spied a variety of birds in the sky or resting on desert cactus. The vultures were most interesting as they found their perch atop the spikey Mexican cardón, or elephant cactus. Lalo was quick to tell us these saguaro look-alikes are another species entirely. The cardón can grow double the height and weight compared to their cousins to the north and live nearly twice as long.

We stopped to rest and hydrate at a mesa that overlooked the sea before turning back to the ranch house where breakfast waited for us.

On the outdoor patio, fresh squeezed orange and guava juice and plates of fresh fruit (pineapple, papaya, mango, plantains, grapes, cantaloupe) was the first course of our colossal breakfast. Then came the creamy beans, eggs, machaca, toast, and handmade tortillas. It was the best breakfast ever after a hike. Oh, and to top it all off, they brought Jon a giant slice of chocolate cake for his birthday. We all helped him eat it.

One would think the guided hike and the breakfast were enough for the day. But no, there was more. Included with the hike was a trip to the beach. Two rancheros loaded up a trailer with a cabana, chairs, kayak, paddle board, and drove us along a dirt back road to the beach. We stayed a few hours sinking our toes in the sand, wading and swimming in the warm water, and watching the pelicans patrol above us.

Hikes and breakfast are not all Rancho San Lorenzo offers its guests. How about a morning horseback ride and breakfast, or a sunset horseback ride and dinner? There’s also a house that accommodates 12 people, or select the smaller one that accommodates 4.

Up next: We have two more parts to wrap up our La Paz adventure. We’ll look at the art and history museums, an art walk, restaurants, and a sunset sail.

Safe Travels