La Paz Malecon

La Paz turns out for its malecon every evening. The waterfront runs about five kilometres along the bay, wide enough for a divided promenade with a cycle lane, and it is punctuated by the bronzes that have become the city's signature: the mermaid and fisherman, the leaping dolphins, the enormous shell, the whale tail and the pearl diver, each with its own queue of photographers as the light goes. The bay faces roughly west across a sheltered lagoon, which gives La Paz the sunsets it is famous for - long, saturated, with pelicans crossing the glare and the sails of the marina turning gold. Along the landward side sit hotels, seafood restaurants, ice-cream stands, clam-and-chocolata carts and the kiosks selling boat trips to Espiritu Santo island, whose sea-lion colony and turquoise coves are the region's great day out. The city keeps its own rhythm - a working capital rather than a resort - and the malecon is where that rhythm becomes visible, from morning joggers to families out at ten at night.

What you actually see

• The bronzes - mermaid, dolphins, whale tail and pearl diver.
• The sunset - the bay's famous evening light.
• The promenade life - joggers, families, ice cream and bikes.
• The boat kiosks - trips to Espiritu Santo and the sea lions.

When to go

October to May for pleasant evenings; the sunset hour any day of the year. Summer nights are humid but the promenade still fills.

Honest expectations

It is a city promenade, not a beach - swimming happens at Balandra and Tecolote outside town. Restaurant quality varies sharply along the strip. Cruise days and holiday weekends crowd it.

Nearby

Balandra and Tecolote lie half an hour north; Espiritu Santo island is a boat ride from the marinas.