Is Balandra Beach, Mexico on your bucket list? If so, this post will give you everything you need to know about visiting requirements and tips to make the most of your trip.
If you’re planning a trip to Baja California Sur, then I’m assuming visiting Balandra Beach (also known as Playa Balandra) is going to be one of the top places on your list like it was on mine.
With its crystal clear waters surrounded by white sandy beaches, enclosed by mountains, and free from any development, who wouldn’t want to visit what some consider to be the most beautiful beach in Mexico?
Here’s the thing though—it can be a bit confusing to plan a visit. When I was planning my own trip, I learned that access to the beach was limited after a boat accident in 2022, and regulations for visiting this Natural Protected Area were put in place by the Mexican government.
The increased limitations have led to conflicting information on the best way to visit Balandra Beach, and with requirements that keep changing, I wanted to give you the most up-to-date information for your visit.
PS—they just instituted a new digital bracelet system, which I’ll cover more in this post!
Most importantly, I want to make sure you learn from my mistakes: When I attempted to visit Balandra, I didn’t get into the beach because it was full! But I was still able to see Balandra Beach (don’t worry, I’ll explain).
I’m sharing my personal experience in this post to help you learn from my fails and tips to help you avoid the same mistakes when you go on your trip. If anything has changed from the information I cover here, please leave a message in the comments and I’ll update this post!
Don’t have time to read the full post? Here’s a quick guide to visiting Balandra Beach Mexico in 2025:
- Visitor Limits: Visitors are limited to two time slots per day from 8 AM – 12 PM and from 1 PM – 5 PM. Only 450 visitors are allowed per time slot.
- Cost to Enter: Beachgoers are now required to purchase a “digital bracelet” here ahead of time which costs 120 pesos per person or about $6 USD.
- When to Arrive: Arriving 1 hour before your designated time slot is recommended to ensure entry.
- Facilities: Bring cash to use basic restrooms and rent things like umbrellas, kayaks and paddle boards at the beach. However there are no food or drink vendors, so make sure to pack your own refreshments for the day.
- Leave No Trace: Please be respectful of this protected area and make sure to pack out all your trash.
- Best Places to Stay in La Paz: For the best hotels right in downtown La Paz, check out Republica Pagana, Baja Club Hotel and Casa al Mar.
- Want to Visit Balandra Stress-Free? Book a tour and let someone else deal with the entry time slots. The best two are this all-day catamaran tour that includes Balandra Beach and swimming with sea lions, and this Balandra and Tecolote hike, kayak and snorkel tour.
- Renting a Car? I’ll never book a rental car in Mexico again without using Discover Cars and selecting their “full coverage” option. This has made all my renting experiences less stressful, and helps me avoid miscommunications and getting hit with hidden fees once arriving at the rental agency.
Ultimate Guide to Visiting Balandra Beach Mexico in 2025
But First, What Makes Playa Balandra So Special?
Playa Balandra is most well-known for its calm and bright turquoise waters, but it offers so much more! It’s actually a bay with seven beaches near the Sea of Cortez and has been a Natural Protected Area since 2008.
What makes it one of the most unique beaches in Mexico is that during low tide, you can walk across the entire bay. This makes Balandra especially ideal for poor swimmers or families with young kids as the water only really comes up to your knees during low tide.
The extraordinary landscape, which I was able to see while hiking above Balandra Beach, includes cacti covered mountains, special rock formations like the famous Mushroom Rock (El Hongo), and a unique juxtaposition of desert landscapes met by tropical beaches. It’s quite something.
Where is Balandra Beach Located?
Balandra Beach is located approximately 30 minutes north of downtown La Paz, which is the capital of Baja California Sur. Here are a couple of maps to give you a better lay of the land.
When you reach Balandra Bay, Balandra Beach is located on the northern side of the bay.
Getting to La Paz: You can fly directly into La Paz, Mexico from Los Angeles, which is currently the only US city that has nonstop flights. However, many people fly into Los Cabos, which is about 2 hours away, and then drive to La Paz to visit Balandra Beach for the day.
Balandra Beach’s close proximity to Cabo San Lucas makes it easy to visit on a day trip. But if you have the time, I suggest spending a few days in La Paz as there’s much more to see beyond Balandra and you won’t have to spend so much time in the car!
How to Visit Balandra Beach, Mexico
Visiting Playa Balandra is a must on a trip to La Paz or Baja California Sur. However, due to environmental concerns, visiting the beach has become more restricted, which is why it’s so important to read all the tips I’m going to be sharing below!
Despite having done so much research ahead of time, I was denied entry to the beach during my visit. Safe to say, I was really disappointed and sad about not getting in. But I still found a way to see Balandra Beach by doing a hike the next day.
Here’s what you need to know about when and how to access Balandra Beach to plan for a hassle-free visit.
Entry Times and Visitor Limits
To protect the natural beauty of the area, access to the beach is limited to under 1,000 visitors per day and divided into two entry time slots:
- Morning: 8am – 12pm
- Afternoon: 1pm – 5pm
The way it works is that everyone at the beach is cleared out at the end of each time slot. So, for example, even if you arrived for the morning time slot around 11 AM, everyone in that time slot will be cleared out at Noon. You’ll definitely want to arrive early to make the most of your time.
What Time to Arrive
Arriving early is crucial, especially on weekends and holidays because only 450 visitors are allowed per session. Most people recommend arriving at least 60 minutes before each time slot to get in line, but a local tour guide mentioned that he’s seen visitors lining up in their cars as early as 5am in the morning which is just bananas!
On our first day in La Paz, we tried to visit around 2pm on a Saturday thinking we’d be fine with a few hours left in the second time slot. We were so wrong! The beach was already full for the day. Plan ahead to avoid making the same mistakes we did.
New “Digital Bracelet” Reservation System
In the past, you had to show up early and wait in line to get in (and you still should arrive early for your slot). However, there’s been a new reservation system implemented by Mexico’s National Park service that requires visitors to reserve their spot in advance.
Note: This is a very new system and there are still some confusing aspects to it which leave me with a few question marks, but I’ll do my best to give as accurate of info as I can!
The first thing to know is that reserving your digital bracelet ahead of time costs around 120 pesos per person (about $6 USD). It’s a small price to pay for contributing to the protection and conservation of this stunning natural area.
But here are the confusing bits that will hopefully clear up with time:
- Though two designated time slots do still exist, the website does not have you select a time slot when you’re purchasing tickets, so it’s unclear if you can show up for either and be fine.
- When booking digital bracelets it looks like there are 150 early reservation spots per day, so I’m unclear if they’re still allowing walk-ups to make up for the other 750 people allowed per day.
- It doesn’t seem like booking in advance cancels out the need to arrive early and wait in line unfortunately, so I’d still recommend showing up early even if you have an advance ticket.
What I do know is that if you book a ticket in advance and show up early in the morning before 8 AM, you shouldn’t have an issue getting into Balandra.
Here’s how booking an advance “digital bracelet” for Balandra Beach works:
- Visit the official reservation site (and I’d recommend translating the page to English if that’s your native language, although it kept kicking me back to Spanish).
- Click the large green button that reads “Secure Ticket”
- You will likely be prompted to login or create a new login
- Select the date you want to visit (oddly enough it does not have you select a particular time slot)
- Enter in your credit card information to pay
- “Digital bracelets” aka a digital PDF ticket will be sent to your email and you can show that at the entrance (I’d recommend pulling this up on your phone BEFORE you get to Balandra because there is no service there).
Important: Don’t purchase digital entry bracelets from anywhere else other than the official CONANP site, as these may be scams.
Different Ways to See Balandra Beach, Mexico
Now that we’ve discussed all the limitations and requirements around gaining entry into Balandra, I wanted to share that there’s actually more ways to see this stunning area than just waiting in line for the actual beach yourself.
Depending on what you’re looking for in your experience, there are some additional ways you can experience this beautiful gem in Mexico.
1. Rent a Car and Self-Drive to the Beach
As we discussed earlier, this is a common way to visit Balandra Beach if you have access to your own rental car. If you’re staying in La Paz, renting a car and driving along Highway 11 gives you the most flexibility for visiting Balandra Beach, plus the roads are paved the whole way.
Upon arrival there is free, but limited, parking. Again, you’ll want to arrive early if you’re driving to gain entry as well as snag one of the parking spots.
2. See Balandra Beach Via Hike
Want to see Balandra Beach, but don’t need to spend a half day there? Or find yourself in a similar situation like I was in where the visitor limit is full? Go on a hike!
Hiking above the beach is arguably even more stunning than being at water level, as you get a more beautiful birds-eye-view of the bay and sparkling turquoise waters.
There are several trails to get epic views overlooking the beach that only take about an hour and a half to hike.
- Balandra Bay Viewpoint – This short 10-minute hike starts right when you enter the beach and takes you up to a lookout. There’s a sharp incline, but the view of the entire bay is worth it! This one is only accessible if you’ve gained access to the beach already.
- Playa El Tecolote to Playa Balandra – This 3.8 mile loop trail brings you to a couple of beautiful beaches in Mexico including Balandra Beach, while giving you panoramic views of the Sea of Cortez and Espiritu Santo Island. What’s great about this trail is that you can actually access the beach while bypassing the line of cars if you’re willing to put in the legwork to do so! The trailhead is located at Playa Tecolote, and based on reviews I’ve read, wearing good footwear is necessary for this hike.
- Mirador Balandra (also called “Sloop”) – This short 2.9 mile out-and-back trail takes you to two different viewpoints that provide incredible panoramic views overlooking the entire bay. In addition to the whole bay, you can even spot the famous El Hongo rock formation. This is the hike I ended up doing and was super happy as I think I got even better photos than what I would have gotten from the beach! Keep in mind, the terrain here is very rocky so be sure to wear proper hiking shoes instead of flip flops. If you’re headed towards Balandra Beach, you’ll find this trailhead off an unmarked highway turn-off on your left a few minutes before the beach entrance.
3. Book a Tour to Balandra Beach
With all the confusion and stress around gaining access to Balandra, this is my top suggestion to guarantee that you’ll see Balandra Beach without worrying about time slots and capacity limits. I included a list of the best tours in the next section, but I highly recommend this top-rated tour.
The Best Tours That Go to Balandra Beach
As you’ve probably gathered from this post so far, visiting Balandra Beach, Mexico is not the most straightforward. Even using the new reservation system is a bit clunky and hard to navigate at times.
If you want the easiest and least stressful way to visit, I would recommend booking one of these highly-rated tours for your visit to Balandra Beach to avoid all the mess of limited capacities and entry time slots.
- Catamaran Tour to Balandra Beach – This full-day tour departing from Cabo San Lucas bypasses all the crazy time slots of the beach and allows you access to the bay straight from the water. On this tour, you’ll spend the day on a luxury catamaran exploring several beaches and areas for snorkeling and kayaking, with all equipment included, not to mention breakfast, lunch and an open bar!
- Balandra Beach & Tecolote Beach Tour – This small group tour directly from Playa Balandra has it all. You’ll spend the day kayaking and snorkeling in the turquoise waters of Balandra, then enjoy a hike to Tecolote Beach with amazing views. Plus, this tour includes a ceviche lunch. If you’re staying in La Paz, this is the best option for you.
- La Paz, Balandra Beach, & Todos Santos Tour – Combining the capital of Baja California Sur, Playa Balandra, and a third stop in Todos Santos, this tour is a great way to explore the whole area on a full-day tour from Cabo San Lucas, plus your admission to Balandra is included to make access stress-free.
When is the Best Time to Visit Balandra Beach?
Between December and April is the best time of the year for visiting La Paz, Mexico in general as it’s the best season for spotting whales, and swimming with sea lions and whale sharks. The weather is warm this time of year but not unbearably hot, and there is little to no rain.
To avoid crowds and waiting in longer lines, a weekday early in the morning is the most ideal time for visiting Balandra Beach. If you want to swim and snorkel, plan your visit during high tide, but if you want to walk across the whole bay with water no higher than ankle-deep, low tide would be best.
If you have to go on a weekend, don’t plan your visit on the first Sunday of the month. This time is allegedly reserved for La Paz locals only, although it was difficult for me to confirm if it’s being enforced.
What to Expect When You Get to Balandra Beach
Upon arrival: No matter which entry time slot you’re in, expect to wait in a line of cars to get into Playa Balandra. The amount of waiting time will vary depending on the time of day and week, but it’s ideal to get there at least 60 minutes before the time slot starts.
As I mentioned earlier, you’ll want to pay for a bracelet ahead of time to guarantee a spot.
Near the entrance, you can rent beach umbrellas and chairs. Bring some cash for this and to use the bathrooms. There are also some permanent palapa umbrellas on the beach, but those get snagged up quickly (yet another reason to arrive early).
At the beach: When you’re finally in, you’ll see that the serene turquoise waters at Playa Balandra are shallow enough to walk across the bay. During high tide the water is about four feet deep, but during low tide there’s not enough water for swimming.
Keep an eye out for stingrays hiding in the sand and shuffle your feet to avoid them! I also heard that especially in the months of September and October, there are sometimes jellyfish in the water. They can be difficult to see and stings are painful, but not poisonous.
Since it is a protected area, the facilities are extremely limited. It’s essential to plan accordingly. No food or drinks are available for sale at Playa Balandra. So you’ll want to bring your own snacks and drinks—don’t forget water as it gets HOT on the beach.
There are only two small bathrooms that require cash payments. Cell reception is also limited in the area. And there aren’t any rubbish bins, so bring a bag to pack out all of your trash.
These regulations help preserve Playa Balandra as one of the most beautiful beaches in Mexico. So please remember to respect the area and leave no trace.
Best Things to do at Balandra Beach
Whether you want to relax, be active, or do a mix of both, there’s something for everyone at Balandra Beach.
- Rent a kayak or paddleboard – Explore the other end of the bay and surrounding beaches.
- Suntan under one of the palapas – These fill up quickly. Plan to rent a beach umbrella or bring your own if you’re not in the front of the line.
- Enjoy the turquoise waters – Swim, snorkel or float at your leisure.
- Hike up to the lookout – Get a higher vantage point of Balandra Bay from the lookout near the entrance of the beach; it’s only a 10 minute hike up to the viewpoint.
- Walk to Mushroom Rock – Get a photo with the iconic rock formation, but absolutely do not climb on the rock.
- Explore more hiking trails – There are multiple trails to hike with varying difficulty levels and distances.
- Visit Tecolote Beach – Grab some food, partake in more water activities, and explore this more developed beach area before or after your visit to Playa Balandra.
Leave No Trace: However you decide to spend your time at Playa Balandra, here are a few things I always do to visit a protected area like this as responsibly as possible. First, leave the area as you found it. Pack out everything you packed in. Wear eco-friendly or reef-safe sunscreen if possible. Don’t feed the animals or wildlife, and avoid playing loud music or making loud noises to keep the experience enjoyable for everyone.
What to Pack for a Day at Balandra Beach
You’ll need everything you typically pack for a beach day, plus a few extra necessities.
- Water and food – Bring enough so that you won’t get dehydrated or hungry during your visit as there are no food vendors at the beach.
- Swimsuit
- Eco-friendly or reef-safe sunscreen
- Hat
- Sunglasses
- Beach umbrella – If you don’t plan on renting one there.
- Towels
- Comfortable walking shoes or sandals for hiking
- Backpack – To fit everything you need.
- Cash in pesos
- A bag for trash – To pack out all your trash.
Other Beaches to Visit Near Balandra
If all else fails and you can’t gain access to Balandra Beach for some reason, you can always visit one of these other beautiful beaches in the area:
- Tecolote Beach
- Playa El Tesoro
- Playa Las Gaviotas
- Playa Pichilingue
- Playa El Coromuel
Final Thoughts on Visiting Balandra Beach Mexico
When visiting Baja California Sur, you have to put Balandra Beach on your itinerary, as it really is one of the most stunning places in this part of Mexico.
Remember to plan accordingly due to entry requirements and limited facilities, and try to visit on a weekday if possible. While I’ve tried to include the most up-to-date info possible (and will continue to update this post), I’d always recommend checking Google reviews or TripAdvisor ahead of your visit for any last minute updates.
Again, if this all sounds confusing and stressful, I suggest booking a tour to leave the planning to the experts!
I hope that this guide cleared up any confusion you had around visiting Balandra Beach so that you can make the most of your trip. Even with the strict regulations and limitations, it’s totally worth seeing one of the most stunning beaches in Mexico!
Have a question about visiting Balandra Beach in La Paz, Mexico? Drop me a comment below!
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