Conditions are good today. Seaweed levels are low and the water is clear. No significant concerns.
October through May for the most comfortable temperatures and calmest water. Summer (June–September) is very hot (95°F+) but water is warm and jellyfish are minimal. Access requires advance reservation.
Multi-tone turquoise lagoon, waist-deep wading for hundreds of meters, excellent snorkeling at the rocky edges, and total serenity. The Mushroom: a famous eroded volcanic rock formation: stands in the lagoon for photos. No sargassum (Pacific/Cortez side).
La Paz: the city across the bay from Playa Balandra: was founded in 1535 by Hernán Cortés himself, who led an expedition to Baja California searching for the legendary island of pearls described in Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo's novel 'Las Sergas de Esplandián.' He found both pearls and conflict with indigenous Pericú people and abandoned the settlement. The Sea of Cortez (Gulf of California) was called 'the aquarium of the world' by Jacques Cousteau, who explored its extraordinary marine biodiversity in the 1940s–70s. Playa Balandra's iconic Mushroom Rock (El Hongo): a giant boulder balanced on a narrow pedestal above turquoise water: was nearly destroyed in 1995 when a developer planned to use it as a diving platform and anchoring point; a public campaign saved it. The beach became a federal protected area in 2008.
"He makes springs pour water into the ravines; it flows between the mountains.": Psalm 104:10Live seaweed levels, surf, water quality and hotel deals — updated daily. Free.
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