Playa El Tecolote
La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico

Playa El Tecolote sits where the coast road ends at the tip of the bay north of La Paz, Mexico, a long white beach with Espiritu Santo Island across the water. A row of palapa restaurants serves fresh fish and cold beer. It feels like a proper day out, and the sand is long enough that you can walk away from the noise.
Locals come for the palapa lunch and the view of Espiritu Santo, and the long sand gives everyone room, though weekend afternoons pack the restaurant end.
How we score beachesWalk toward the western end for quiet. The eastern end is where the RV campers settle in, and weekend afternoons get busy.
Cars park right on the sand and on the gravel near the palapas, with plenty of room outside peak weekend afternoons.
The beach is flat and the path from the parking area to the sand is short. Paid toilets and kayak or tour rentals are on site, though sand is soft near the palapas.
Crowds ease up between May and October when most visitors stay away from the heat, and those months bring the warmest water. Winter is cooler and breezier, with the strongest weekend crowds.
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