One of Mexico’s Safest Beach Cities Near Cabo Could Soon Have More Direct Flights

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When I fly down to Baja, I love the high-energy luxury of Los Cabos. But sometimes, especially during peak season when the Tourist Corridor is backed up and the Marina in Cabo San Lucas is packed shoulder-to-shoulder with crowds, we want to experience a completely different, quieter side of Mexico. When we need to truly unplug, we rent a car and drive two hours north up the coast.

My destination is La Paz.

As the capital city of Baja California Sur, La Paz sits directly on the protected, tranquil waters of the Sea of Cortez. It is widely considered by expats and frequent travelers to be one of the absolute safest, most authentic coastal cities in all of Mexico. For years, the biggest barrier keeping mainstream tourists away from this stunning, calm alternative to Cabo was the sheer lack of direct international air connectivity. If you wanted to visit, you usually had to fly into Los Cabos International Airport (SJD) and drive.

But that dynamic is rapidly changing. Thanks to the massive success of a recently launched route, local tourism officials are now aggressively negotiating with major airlines to bring even more direct international flights straight to La Paz.

If you have been looking for a safe, laid-back beach destination without the massive crowds, here is why La Paz needs to be on your radar and how getting there is about to become significantly easier.

The Alaska Airlines Success Story

The catalyst for this sudden push for more connectivity comes down to one highly successful route.

Not too long ago, Alaska Airlines took a calculated risk and launched a direct flight connecting Los Angeles (LAX) directly to the La Paz International Airport (LAP). The local hospitality industry watched this launch incredibly closely, knowing that if the flight failed, it would severely damage their chances of attracting other major carriers.

Fortunately, the route has been a massive, undeniable triumph. According to Agustín Olachea Nogueda, president of the Association of Hotel and Tourism Companies of La Paz, the Alaska Airlines flight is consistently operating with an occupancy rate hovering around 80%. In the aviation industry, filling 80% of the seats on a relatively new international leisure route is a massive win.

Local officials are now taking those exact occupancy numbers straight to the negotiating tables with other international airlines, proving that the demand for this quiet Baja city is very real and highly profitable.

Expanding to the Central US and Canada

With the Los Angeles route thriving, La Paz is looking to expand its reach. Olachea Nogueda recently confirmed that the local tourism sector is already deeply involved in negotiations to connect the destination with the central United States.

While the specific airlines have not been officially named yet, tapping into the central US market would be an absolute game-changer. It would allow millions of Americans to bypass the massive layovers in Los Angeles or Dallas and fly directly to the Sea of Cortez. Furthermore, an unnamed airline has already expressed serious, formal interest in launching a direct flight straight out of Calgary, Canada, catering to the massive demographic of Canadian “snowbirds” who flock to the Baja peninsula every winter to escape the freezing temperatures.

Olachea Nogueda noted that expanding air connectivity is a gradual, methodical process, as airlines need to carefully observe market behavior before fully committing aircraft to a new route. But the momentum is clearly building.

Why Travelers Are Choosing La Paz

If you are wondering why airlines are suddenly so interested in this city, you only need to look at the local tourism data.

While Los Cabos is famous for its massive, crashing Pacific waves and high-end mega-resorts, La Paz offers an entirely different ecosystem. The city is famous for its spectacular Malecon (a miles-long paved waterfront boardwalk), incredible boutique hotels, and access to arguably the most beautiful beach in Mexico: Playa Balandra.

The waters here are exceptionally calm, shallow, and crystal clear. It is the premier destination on the peninsula for swimming with whale sharks, kayaking through untouched mangroves, and enjoying world-class sportfishing without dealing with aggressive shorebreaks or black-flag warnings.

The hotel sector is actively scaling up to meet this new demand. The municipality currently boasts 215 hotels representing over 5,200 rooms. The strategy is clearly working; during the peak of this past summer, La Paz achieved a very healthy average hotel occupancy rate of 68%, marking a three-point jump over the same period in 2025.

How to Get There Right Now

While we wait for the new direct flights from the central US and Canada to officially launch, reaching La Paz is still incredibly easy.

If you do not live near Los Angeles to catch the direct Alaska Airlines flight, you can simply utilize the massive infrastructure of Los Cabos. The Los Cabos International Airport (SJD) is the third best-connected airport in all of Mexico, receiving dozens of daily flights from almost every major US hub.

Once you land at SJD, you can easily rent a car or book a private shuttle for the stunning, two-hour drive north along the modern highway. It is a highly scenic, incredibly safe drive that transports you from the chaotic luxury of Cabo straight into the quiet, authentic charm of the Baja capital.

If you are tired of paying ultra-premium prices for crowded beach clubs, you need to visit La Paz before the new direct flights arrive and the secret is completely out.