Review: Hotel Marea Is a Beachfront Steal in La Paz, Mexico

26.02.2024 - 20:08 / matadornetwork.com

It doesn’t take much of a search online to figure out what my hobbies are — after all, I’m a travel editor, and I write about the things I like to do when traveling. Usually, that involves some kind of outdoorsy activity, like mountain biking, hiking, scuba diving, wildlife watching, or something else in that vein.

So it’s not a surprise that I love La Paz, Mexico — a colorful, laid-back, and beachfront town about two hours north of Los Cabos on Mexico’s Baja Peninsula, in the state of Baja California Sur. While it offers all kinds of outdoorsy activities (whale watching is one of the most well-known), scuba divers know it’s the gateway to the colorful Sea of Cortez. And the Sea of Cortez has some of the best diving in North America, with wildlife like whales, hammerhead sharks, sea lions, giant rays, and all kinds of reef fish, coral, and other creatures.

But all that aside, one of the best things about La Paz is that it’s way more relaxed than Los Cabos, with a welcoming malecón (boardwalk) that attracts both locals, foreign tourists, and domestic visitors. It feels more like a real town in some ways than Los Cabos, which can sometimes feel like the only people there are American tourists.

The outdoor breakfast area at Hotel Marea. Photo: Hotel Marea La Paz

But a quiet boardwalk can still be loud, which is no good if you’re trying to sleep because to get up to scuba dive or meet a tour guide at 6 AM. Fortunately, there’s one hotel that sits about a minute walk from the southern end of the La Paz Malecón: Hotel Marea La Paz. It’s inexpensive, comfortable, has a fantastic breakfast restaurant, and offers guests access to a huge private beach with some of the best sunsets in La Paz. Here’s what to know about Hotel Marea La Paz, one of the best lodging secrets in La Paz.

The outdoor breakfast area at Hotel Marea. Photo: Hotel Marea La Paz

Hotel Marea is small. It’s a boutique hotel with just eight rooms, so you don’t need to worry about loud neighbors. Rooms have balconies with views of the garden and ocean, with quick Wi-Fi and bags of custom coffee blended just for the hotel’s guests.

One of the best things about Hotel Marea is the rooftop palapa, open for all guest to use. There’s a full outdoor kitchen and dining room, plus a couch and cozy chairs. It has views of the water and great breezes. All rooms have mini-fridges with beers and sodas (priced at a reasonable $4-ish each), but the outdoor fridge in the palapa is large enough to store groceries and additional personal drinks.

Custom coffee (and some of the coolest coffee mugs) come standard in every room. Photo: Suzie Dundas

We used the palapa quite a bit in the afternoons after our morning dives. We didn’t’ see any other guests use the space during our