Just a short drive north of La Paz is Playa Balandra. It’s a stunning horseshoe-shaped bay, with crystal-clear waters and the famous El Hongo (Mushroom) rock. It’s one of the most picturesque places I’ve ever seen, and an incredible place to explore or simply unwind for a few hours.
Planning Your Visit
Balandra’s growing popularity has led to increasingly tight regulations with each passing year. If possible, try to visit during the week and make sure to arrive early.
My Experience – May 2023
I decided to rent a car, and chose a midweek visit to avoid the crowds. At the time, there were two times you could enter each day – an 8 am entrance, and another at 1 pm. You could only stay a maximum of 4 hours.
I opted for the afternoon slot. I got there at 12:10 on a Wednesday, and 27 cars were already in line ahead of me. There were vendors that came by while we waited. Of course I couldn’t resist the nieve (ice cream) guy and had a piña colada for 30 pesos (about $1.50 USD).
The line started moving at 12:30. When I got to the gate, entry was free and no wristband was required. This was contrary to some things I had read online, and one site in particular that had kind of portrayed itself as the ‘official’ Balandra site. The only instruction they gave us at the gate was to make sure we left by 5 pm. I was parked by 12:45.
All the palapas were occupied when I first stepped on the beach. I decided to head up to the lookout point first. After that, I waded around the bend from the main beach and towards El Hongo. The water was gorgeous and clear, and it was about waist-deep for me most of the time. The only rocky patches were near the shoreline. I did fine without water shoes.
People started leaving after a couple of hours, and around 3:30 I found a good spot under one of the palapas. I left a little early to head up to El Tecolote before sunset. Amazing place.
