Balandra

Balandra is the beach that appears on every Baja California Sur poster, and the reality holds up: a series of linked coves inside a sheltered bay where the water is so shallow and so clear that at low tide visitors walk out a hundred metres in ankle-deep turquoise, with white sand, mangrove fringes and desert hills all around. Its mascot is El Hongo, the mushroom rock - a slender-stemmed formation on the shore that has been knocked down and rebuilt more than once, and is now firmly off-limits to climbers. The bay is protected as a natural area and, crucially, capacity-managed: daily visitor numbers are capped and time windows enforced, with a checkpoint on the road, because the previous free-for-all was destroying the place. What remains is calm swimming perfect for children, kayaking and paddleboarding, a short hike up the headland for the classic view down onto the coves, and no development at all - no hotels, no bars, minimal facilities, which is the entire point.

What's there

• The turquoise shallows - wade-out water across the bay.
• El Hongo - the mushroom rock on the shoreline.
• The headland viewpoint - the coves seen from above.
• The desert frame - cactus hills meeting white sand.

When to go

November to May for mild weather; arrive early, since daily capacity fills and entry closes. Weekdays are easier than weekends and holidays.

What to expect

Facilities are deliberately minimal - bring water, food, shade and take rubbish out. No climbing on the mushroom rock. Jellyfish appear seasonally, and the checkpoint turns away arrivals once the cap is reached.

Nearby

Tecolote beach and its restaurants sit around the point; La Paz's malecon is half an hour south.