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Short Profiles of Reader Requested Towns

In their search for a great retirement spot, readers ask us to profile all kinds of towns, from the places they grew up or attended college to places they have visited in their travels or just heard about from other people.  This page is where we address these profile requests.

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Near the southern end of the Baja Peninsula, tucked in the desert sand along the Gulf of California, low key La Paz is the capital city of the Mexican state of Baja California Sur.  Roughly 925 miles south of the U.S. border and with the brownish-red Sierra Gigante Mountains as a backdrop, this oceanside Colonial city is home to nearly 200,000 people, roughly 5,000 of whom are year-round U.S. and Canadian expatriates - including many retirees - in search of a low cost lifestyle in a warm, sunny locale (many more live here for just a few months during the year).  Although popular with snowbirds and RVers, La Paz is not a booming vacation destination and only has five or six blocks dedicated to tourist shops, restaurants and tours.  The rest of the city is for everyday living, and the residents are friendly and welcoming. 

Unlike many cities in Mexico, La Paz has a stable, prosperous middle class (the per capita income is among the highest in the country), and the city is starting to attract more modern amenities.  It is doubtful, though, that La Paz will ever rival Cancun or some of the other flashy Mexico resorts.  The city was founded in 1596, and life here meanders at a leisurely pace.  The cost of living, while is not dirt cheap, is reasonable, and access to the U.S., with daily flights on AeroMexico and Delta, is good.  And while the U.S. media is full of reports about drug cartel killings in Mexico - most of them in the states of Chihuahua, Sinaloa and Baja California Norte and particularly in the border cities of Juarez, Nogales and Tijuana - La Paz has not been swept up in the violence and remains one of the safest places to live in Baja.

La Paz' warm waters and gentle waves are hard to resist.  Thanks to a pleasant breeze from the Sea of Cortez, temperatures stay in the 80s and 90s during the summer and in the 50s and 60s during the winter.   Rich biodiversity and abundant marine life are particular area highlights, and eco-tourism is a growing business with a wide selection of tours offered.   With 900 islands and inlets nearby, there is hardly a better place in Mexico to snorkel and SCUBA dive, and La Paz'  famous fishing waters draw world-class sportsmen from around the globe to compete in lively fishing competitions.   The city is full of festivals, including Carnival and Fiesta de La Paz, and whale watching is a particular delight as gray whales, sperm whales, orcas and blue whales all roam these waters from time to time.   

The cost of living in La Paz depends on one's lifestyle, but $2,000 USD per month is a realistic budget and covers housing, food, transportation, clothing, recreation, health, furniture, appliances and personal use.  Rents for small houses start at around $400 USD per month.  Homes ranges from modest condos to beachfront estates, and simple dwellings start for sale at around $125,000 USD.   It is possible to spend much more.

Health care in La Paz may be the best in Baja.  Central de Especialidades Médicas is a well-equipped, 14-room hospital with minor and major surgery suites and a staff cardiologist.   Hospital Juan María de Salvatierra is a second hospital, and both are open 24 hours. Some doctors may speak English, but it is not the norm, and as is the case throughout Mexico, Medicare is not accepted at either.  Pharmacies are sprinkled throughout the city, but Farmacia Baja California is one of the largest.   There is also a very cute, very modest Red Cross office, and it offers free ambulance service to anyone who needs it.  Medical consultations are 50 pesos ($3.80 USD).

Internet access is available but scattered at various internet cafes.  Omni Services, which doubles as an Internet center and a real-estate agency, offers Internet, Wi-Fi, fax, and long-distance VoIP phone service to the U.S. and Canada for 30¢ per minute.  Various companies offer bottled water for sale and it can be delivered to one's home.   Buses are plentiful but do not really run on time.  Taxis are a good, inexpensive option for getting around town (fares are negotiable).  English is spoken here and there, but knowing some Spanish is necessary.

Not everyone is cut out to retire in Mexico, and the downsides to retirement in La Paz are much the same as elsewhere in Mexico, namely frustrations with unreliable mail, Medicare not being accepted, waiting in line for everything, nothing much running on time, etc.  And while Mexico's drug violence has so far not spilled into La Paz, that could change in the future.  For now, though, retirees with an adventurous spirit and a love of Mexico might want to check out this easy going Colonial city.

Recommended as a Retirement Spot? X Yes   X

An authentic Mexican city with beautiful beaches, kind residents, relaxed ambiance, prosperous middle class, little crime, a reasonable cost of living, easy access from U.S., good medical care, sunny weather and unlimited water recreation, La Paz is a great retirement spot.

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