We come to the final part of the La Paz series. This one might make you hungry. One of the most enjoyable parts of traveling to a new destination is the abundance of food available to sample and taste. And we had plenty to choose from during our stay.
Restaurants
Draft House at the Oakland Airport is our go to eatery when leaving town in the wee hours of the morning. They have made to order egg dishes and other offerings which taste like real food, unlike the preprepared cellophane wrapped grab and go collections.
Our first meal in La Paz consisted of tacos and beer at Restaurantes Bizmark. Seafood is their specialty.
While we feasted on more tacos and beer at La Parrilla Esterito Grill & Beer Taqueria, the mosquitos feasted on my legs. When in La Paz, eat tacos, drink beer, and fight off mosquitos. Instead of, “where’s the beef,” I had to ask, “where’s the veggies?”
There was only one stall at the Farmer’s Market with veges and fruit, so we shared a few empanadas. Perhaps we arrived too late.
The Aramburo Supermercado was where we bought most everything we needed to prepare and cook meals at the house. We might not have found what we needed the first time we walked the aisles, but success was ours on the second or third time around the store.
We passed Las Chascas de Maria Elotes several times on our walks. They often had a long line out the door late in the evening. We thought they sold ice cream or yogurt. Instead, they offered savory corn and fries and chips topped with bacon, grasshoppers, or other unique crunchy things.
At La Peregrina Restaurantes I was hankering for something refreshing to drink so I tried a mojito. Mojito is now my go-to drink. Even the virgin version is cooling and satisfying. They also served up delicious food and deserts to die for.
Arriving early for our dinner at Casamarte we felt special sitting on the porch as we looked out onto the ocean and sunset beyond the malecon.
The service at Los 32 Sabores was superbly attentive, and the food held its own with the competition.
One late afternoon, we clamored to leave the house for an early dinner even though the heat and humidity had not yet dissipated. We found El Zarape’s with advertised air conditioning and an open sign on the door. We ducked inside to cool off and enjoyed a pleasant meal and great service.
It was a battle picking between La Mentita and El Azteca for breakfast. El Azteca won the debate. We’ll have to visit La Mentita next time.
Chilaquiles, omelets, baguettes, hot cakes, juices, and blended drinks and plenty more gave us plenty to choose from. I enjoyed the fruit plate.
For a group of foodies like us, La Paz offered plenty of places to choose from. We didn’t eat all our meals out, though. Jon, Bailey, and Kevin took turns showing off their culinary skills and supplementing our restaurant meals while I washed dishes.
Captain’s Sunset Sail
Our 2-1/2 hour catamaran tour of the bay on July 4 took off from the Marina Palmira in front of Captains’ Sunset Bar. Included were Margaritas, rum punch, and other drinks along with plenty of fruit and tasty appetizer bites prepared onboard to enjoy with our drinks, while lively music played through the speakers.
The best part was meeting the other guests. Many of them were expats from the US who are spending their retirement days in the city or part timers with a plan to do the same.
One woman told us about the different developments on shore. One such story was of a structure that looked half finished. Apparently, construction stopped midway when the building conflicted with the design of the road. So, there it sits. A hunk of concrete. Sullying the view of the beach.
The quiet, relaxing atmosphere grew in excitement when dolphins came to play around the catamaran.
At the end of the cruise, the crew invited us back to Captain’s Sunset Bar where they served dinner for free to all in attendance. Drinks were extra, of course. The celebration was in honor of the United States Independence Day. A classic rock band played live and a whole lot of dancing ensued. It was an event they do every year as a thank you to the locals, yachties, and expats.
And that concludes our time in La Paz. We braved the heat and made the best of it by staying cool in the pool in the afternoon, joining the festivities on the Malecon in the evenings, or relaxing in the air-conditioned house we rented. And of course, filling ourselves with wonderful Mexican food and deserts. If we return in the future, I think a spring or fall adventure would be in order.
Up Next: Our Fall 2023 Adventure back to Missouri in our new trailer.
Safe Travels
The Traveling Todds 