La Paz solo travel: what could go wrong if you travel to La Paz alone? Or maybe what happens if you try? Here’s my personal experience about solo travel to La Paz, Mexico!
📮 Trisha, I am glad you made it to Baja California! Woohoo!!! I live in San Diego and I am a fan of your work. I always loved seeing your Puerto Vallarta and Sayulita posts. Since I have a 9-5, those destinations are a bit complicated for me. I always just have 4 days of travel so Baja California is always ideal for me! Glad you are here! How is La Paz right now? Is it safe to visit La Paz? How’s your current experience there? I hope you can share some insights! I supported your coffee fund because I really want to thank you for all the honest posts! Gracias!
Helen Jolly, USA
Hi Helen!
Thanks for the coffee! I really appreciate it! I just moved here two weeks ago with my dogs and we’re having a blast! I’ve been to La Paz many times for short visits but this is the only time that I decided to base myself here.
I’ll be staying here for a few more weeks but I will share with you my initial experience with La Paz solo travel safety. If you have any questions that weren’t answered in this post, please get in touch with me, and I’ll update this article. Good luck, and I hope to meet you if you visit La Paz!
Xx,
Trisha
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La Paz solo travel: is it safe?
La Paz is safe to visit, and I feel very comfortable here. I can walk everywhere, even in the middle of the night. Of course, as a female traveler, I still get attention, but please note that I am a person of color and fluent in Spanish – our experiences might be different when it comes to getting attention.
A friend of mine who also lives in La Paz is American and when we are out, she gets a lot of attention from being blonde. Again, the attention I am talking about is not to a point where she gets attacked – they don’t even speak to her! She gets the look, which sometimes makes her very uncomfortable.
Numbers online say La Paz is not a very safe city and is at medium risk. However, as always, all my solo travel safety tips are based on my personal experiences. The goal of this blog is always to share genuine experiences so what’s written in this article is very personal.
Like in many destinations in Mexico and all over the globe, there are petty crimes in La Paz like pickpocketing and bag snatching – but in a very subtle way.
It’s really strange how many articles I read online painted a picture of La Paz as a notoriously dangerous city but when I came here, I did not feel that way.
La Paz solo travel experience
As I said, this is not my first time visiting La Paz. I’ve been here a couple of times because I personally think that Baja California is such a great place to live in! I rented an apartment in La Paz for $650 USD. These days, I have to rent a house because I am constantly moving with two big dogs.
My Asian ethnicity is not usually super visible to most Mexicans (like where I lived in Puerto Vallarta, Sayulita, Mexico City, and Guadalajara), but here in La Paz, everyone knows I am Asian at one glance! It’s really very surprising for me because I never get this comment especially I speak Spanish fluently.
People on the streets would be like: “Thailand, Korea, Japan…???” and so on. When I say, “Philippines,” they say, “ahhh, Manny Pacquiao!!!” Since Mexico is a boxing country like the Philippines, Manny is a very famous icon in Mexico. Some even talked to me about Imelda Marcos!
The people of La Paz are very warm and friendly. I’ve observed that not everyone is as chatty unless you start the conversation. It’s probably because I always walk around with my dogs. In Mexico, people are afraid of dogs so they tend to shy away from people accompanied by dogs. Not to mention my dogs are not small!
My landlord and his wife are both Mexicans and are super friendly. They check in on me all the time. They also picked us up at the airport since I have two big dog crates. They also helped me with vaccinations in La Paz. As a temporary resident in Mexico, I can get a vaccine all over Mexico. They gave me all the information and I’m scheduled to have my vaccine next week.
Literally living next to me is a French girl. Below my apartment is a lesbian couple. I was so surprised to be in a compound full of women and some of them are foreigners! When we move abroad, having neighbors like this usually gives us the confidence to live in a certain country.
This made me feel comfortable living in La Paz, Mexico. It’s not that important to many of us but for me, I always need to know who my neighbors are.
Arrival in La Paz
I flew into La Paz International Airport, one of the cheapest airports to fly into Mexico. Many travelers opt to fly in Cabo but even if Cabo is just a 2-hour drive, the flights are more expensive as it is a popular tourist destination.
I stayed in an apartment and the host was super kind to pick me up. I had arranged this after booking the apartment because I was traveling with two dogs. The host came with a monster truck and helped me load the dog cages!
Many people would ask me why I would trust someone I do not know to pick me up at the airport. First, I speak Spanish, and I can pretty much read the vibe of the host. Second, I also asked around on Facebook groups about the host and they know him! The community in La Paz is small and everyone knows each other!
In my previous trips to La Paz, I also rented a car from La Paz International Airport and paid around $14 per day. Of course, that’s the flat fee and does not include gasoline, safety deposit, etc. Overall, I believe renting a car in La Paz is cheap. Plus, it’s a car city and public transport is not very reliable.
Is La Paz safe at night? Can I walk alone?
Before paying the downpayment for my apartment, I already know the area a little but I still asked the landlord about safety. Mexicans are usually honest about safety so when I asked if it’s okay to walk at night (I don’t really want to spend a lot of money on Uber as much as possible), he said that it’s one of the safest neighborhoods in La Paz.
And he’s right! Even if I am walking around without the dogs, I feel very safe. The streets are super well-lit and there are always a lot of people around. FYI, my walks from my home to the Malecon of La Paz take 30 minutes. For the duration of that walk, I never feel very paranoid even if it was almost midnight.
In these walks, I also see a lot of white people around. I am in a posh community though the house I rented is not that big. I was just lucky to have found this Airbnb which happened to be in an upper-class neighborhood.
All streets of La Paz also have bike lanes. They love biking and exercising here! Since it’s too hot, you will always see people biking and jogging from 9:30 PM until midnight so there’s a lot of movement at night – you’ll never feel alone and unsafe.
If the people around you are discouraging you to travel alone, it’s better to talk to someone who has the same goal or intention as you.
La Paz Mexico safety tips and advice
No stoplights in La Paz
… but I feel safer without the stoplights! Cars automatically stop for you when you are about to cross the streets. Everyone drives slow because not all the main avenues have stoplights! The streets of La Paz prioritize bikers and pedestrians, it’s such a great city to walk in!
Men in cars will honk at you
This is super annoying! I feel very safe walking around La Paz but men in cars always honk and whistle! This is not even a subtle car honk but a really annoying one. Sometimes, it freaks me out, especially if I am caught off-guard.
Then you realize, they are honking is their way of expressing that you are good-looking and that you are getting attention. They don’t really mean harm. If you get invited to jump in, say no unless you know the person.
They can be really friendly but you still don’t know their humanity so don’t ever jump in cars with boys you don’t know! And seriously, I said men because women don’t really honk at men walking on the streets.
Men in cars will stop and talk to you
But really, don’t worry. They are harmless. Just don’t jump in the car with them. I have to be honest with you though – I’ve joined some joy rides but only if I felt good.
There is always that feeling of chemistry (romantic or not) that will make you say, “sure, these people are harmless.” I just don’t really recommend it if you don’t speak Spanish. They might get the wrong message.
In the evenings, take cash from supermarkets
Supermarkets in La Paz have ATM machines inside and they close at 11:00 PM. In any case that you need to take cash in the evening, you can go to any Chedraui and Walmart to take money out. It’s always the safest option! If you have a Mexican bank card, you can also take cash from the counter but you have to buy something in order to withdraw money.
Public transport in La Paz is safe
Sometimes, when I don’t want to walk 30 minutes from my home to the Malecon (or if I am without the dogs), I take the bus. La Paz has a very efficient bus system that only costs 10 pesos ($0.50 USD) per ride!
The buses are always full of locals. I don’t think I’ve been on a bus where I saw foreigners. I chat with locals while on the bus, and they always give me tips! I learned the bus routes because of chatting with random passengers.
Police are everywhere in La Paz
A lot of police officers swarms La Paz. Even the National Guards are here! There are also tourist police that are always around. These are the ones whom you should ask for help in case of an emergency.
Get travel insurance
I hate it when people travel without insurance! I only pay $40 USD per month for mine. At these very trying times, you should not go anywhere without travel insurance. We’re not invincible anymore. Make sure you do this before leaving your country – you don’t want to spend big bucks on Mexico in case of an emergency.
How to meet people in La Paz Mexico
Here are some of my local tips for La Paz solo travel:
Go to La Miserable mezcaleria
La Miserable is a super cool hang-out for young people. It’s a very small place and the bartenders are very friendly. You can sit there by yourself and just chat with them while having drinks! There are also traveler musicians who play here on the weekends. They are very interesting people to talk to and practice your Spanish with!
Bumble or Tinder in La Paz Mexico
Honestly, everyone who appears on Bumble and Tinder in Mexico is in Los Cabos. It’s just a 2-hour drive away but it’s so surprising how most people on the radar are from there! Well, most of the people on these dating apps are looking for a romantic date but I sometimes end up with matches with who I get along and become friends!
Couchsurfing hangouts in La Paz Mexico
If you are not comfortable with dating apps, Couchsurfing is very active in La Paz. You can only access the hangouts via a mobile app. Every now and then, people post about having coffee, going on hikes, or day drinking on hangouts.
You can join these hangouts or even make one yourself! You’d be surprised how many solo travelers like you are also in La Paz. I love this app so try it and let me know about your experience!
Practice your Spanish with everyone
Be chatty. Whether you are in a bar or a street food joint, just keep talking in Spanish. Mexicans love it when foreigners try speaking in Spanish. The conversation will go on and on if you initiate the conversation in Spanish.
You’d also be very surprised how a lot of people in La Paz can speak decent English, but not all. La Paz is a famous destination with Americans so they are very used to tourists here! The city’s income is also dependent on tourism so they do everything for people to have a good time here.
I recently became friends with the hotdog man at the corner of my house and we’ve chatted a lot about his family and how he started his small food truck. It does help if you already have prior knowledge of Spanish. Just don’t be afraid to engage because Mexicans are friendly!
✈️ Ready for your trip to La Paz? This blog thrives on reader questions, so feel free to ask questions about La Paz solo travel using the comment box below. You can also sign up for 1-on-1 solo travel coaching with me if you need more help!
