Punta Pescadero

Punta Pescadero, Fisherman's Point, is a small fishing village on the point of the same name about 9 or 10 miles north of Los Barriles, at the northern end of Bahía Las Palmas, the 19-mile curve of Sea of Cortez shoreline that runs south to Punta Arena. The townspeople are mainly fishermen, and the bay in front of them is known for calm water and gentle waves. The road north from Los Barriles is graded dirt; the hotel puts the drive at about 16 minutes, and at an hour and a half to two hours from either the Los Cabos or the La Paz airport.

The point is best known for Hotel Punta Pescadero Paradise, the most northerly of the East Cape resorts, established in 1968 by Johnny Mitre and George Escudero on a cliff above a broad beach, with a private airstrip for guests who fly in. Today it has 21 villa suites, a spa, restaurant and bar, tennis court and beach club, with kayaks and paddleboards, snorkeling trips, fishing with guides, ATV rides and horseback rides on the beach. The municipality treats the shore as a public beach, and in 2020 set its capacity at 900 bathers.

Fishing sets the calendar: blue and black marlin and sailfish are easier from June to December, yellowtail from January to July, and roosterfish, jacks and dorado are taken on the fly from the beaches around Los Barriles. From December through March the north wind turns Los Barriles into a kiteboarding capital, and whale sharks draw snorkelers between October and February. Ask at the hotel or in the village about the best place to get in before you swim.

Sources: Go La Paz, Punta Pescadero · Baja Bound (Greg Niemann) · Hotel Punta Pescadero Paradise · Los Cabos Guide (local directory) · Los Cabos Guide, Bahía Las Palmas · Visit Los Cabos, Los Barriles · BCS Noticias (2020) · La Paz municipality, urban plan