La Paz, Mexico Meeting Planning Overview
Set in a landscape where the desert and mountains meet an ocean that teems with life, La Paz is located on a sheltered bay 100 miles north of Cabo San Lucas in the state of Baja California Sur. La Paz is characterized by a warm climate, beautiful environment, tranquil ambiance and a fascinating history: The city once served as a base for Hernan Cortez's conquests during the 16th century. La Paz boasts the highest per-capita income in all of Mexico and meeting venues in La Paz can satisfy even the most demanding group.
Once a secluded destination, La Paz is now highly accessible thanks to its international airport and the trans-peninsula highway, which was completed in 1973. The General Manuel Marquez de Leon International Airport (LAP) services 11 national destinations and has direct flights to and from Los Angeles and San Francisco. Alternatively, a ferry service runs to and from Mazatlan and Topolobampo in the state of Sinaloa.
The city offers 22 hotels and 1,230 rooms suitable for events and groups. Venues in La Paz include Gran Plaza La Paz, a 5 Star hotel that offers 54 luxury suites. Apart from its restaurant, the hotel has six different spaces for events and group activities, which total 6,671 square feet and can host up to 1,000 participants. The Hotel Marina is another 5 Star property that offers 90 rooms and suites as well as a spa. The hotel has four different event spaces totaling 6,101 square feet; the biggest conference room can hold up to 600 people. Events can also be held in the various cultural venues in La Paz, such as the Regional Anthropology and History Museum or the City Theater.
La Paz first caught the attention of tourists with its ideal conditions as a sports fishing destination. However, other available activities include sea kayaking, snorkeling, diving, camping and surfing.
Aside from adventure tourism, the city of La Paz is surprisingly cosmopolitan, and thanks to its status as a duty-free port, many stores offer imported goods. Built in the 1920s, the city's famous malecon ("boardwalk") covers 3 miles of coast. It is lined with bronze statues, restaurants and shops. A number of museums and colonial structures of historical relevance exist in La Paz, as well as an open-air reptile sanctuary.
