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Scientists, government officials, and residents gathered at the Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur (UABCS) on May 31 for the first Foro Balandra, a day-long event focused on the conservation and future management of one of the Baja peninsula’s most visited protected areas. The Balandra conservation forum brought together researchers, students, naval authorities, and environmental managers to share data on the lagoon’s biodiversity and discuss how to balance growing tourist demand with ecological preservation.
Balandra’s Protected Status Dates to 2012 Federal Decree
Balandra, a shallow turquoise lagoon roughly 25 kilometers north of downtown La Paz, earned federal protection in 2012 when the Mexican government designated it an Área de Protección de Flora y Fauna (Flora and Fauna Protection Area). That decree placed the site under the oversight of CONANP, Mexico’s national natural protected areas commission, which manages access rules and conservation policy. Before the designation, the area had already won a 2008 nationwide vote organized by the nonprofit Fundación Mexicana para la Educación Ambiental, naming it the most beautiful beach in Mexico.
The lagoon system covers roughly 2,512 hectares of mangrove channels, dune formations, and shallow sand flats. It hosts at least 292 plant and animal species, including several endemic cacti, nesting sea turtles, and colonies of white and blue herons. The mangrove stands serve as nursery habitat for commercially important fish and shrimp species in the Gulf of California.
Since 2016, CONANP has enforced a daily visitor cap, originally set at roughly 450 people per day and later adjusted seasonally. Visitors must register at a checkpoint, and the area closes to new entries once the cap is reached. No food vendors, no glass containers, and no motorized watercraft are allowed inside the protected zone. During peak periods such as Semana Santa and summer weekends, the lot fills by mid-morning. A parking fee of approximately 100 pesos (about $5 USD) applies per vehicle.
Tourism Pressure Has Grown Steadily Since 2018
La Paz has seen a sharp rise in tourism arrivals over the past several years, driven partly by travelers seeking alternatives to more developed resort corridors. The state tourism board reported that Baja California Sur received over 4.2 million visitors in 2024, with La Paz capturing a growing share of that traffic. Balandra sits at the center of the city’s outdoor tourism appeal, alongside Isla Espíritu Santo and the whale shark snorkeling season that runs from October through April.
That rising demand has created friction. Tour operators in La Paz run daily shuttles and kayak excursions to Balandra, and the volume of foot traffic has raised concerns about erosion, mangrove root damage, and waste accumulation. In 2023, CONANP temporarily closed sections of the beach for restoration after monitoring showed vegetation loss along heavily trafficked trails. Local environmental groups, including Colectivo Pericú, have pushed for stricter enforcement and better visitor education.
The forum at UABCS addressed these tensions directly. Dr. Alejandro Gómez Gallardo, UABCS director of interdisciplinary research and graduate studies, called Balandra “a natural space of enormous importance for La Paz and for visitors from around the world.” He stressed the need for ongoing communication between researchers working inside the protected area and the communities that use it daily.
Forum Organizers Plan to Issue Policy Recommendations
The opening ceremony featured Dr. Manuel Coronado García, secretary general of UABCS, representing rector Dr. Dante Salgado González. Also present were Dr. Jorge Iván Cáceres Puig, executive president of Balandra’s advisory council, Captain Bruno Mateoti of Mexico’s Fourth Naval Zone, and Dr. Rosalía Ávalos Téllez, the area’s director.
Dr. Ávalos Téllez called the event “one of the first organized efforts specifically designed to bring Balandra closer to the public, the university community, and the academic sector.” She emphasized that scientific monitoring provides the essential tools for sound conservation decisions. Presentations during the day covered biodiversity surveys, mangrove health assessments, and educational outreach projects, with poster sessions displaying student research and infographics on Balandra’s ecology.
Dr. Cáceres Puig said the forum originated within the academic sector as a way to make existing research on Balandra accessible to the broader community. He described the goal as uniting scattered studies and monitoring efforts into a shared knowledge base. Organizers have framed this first edition as the start of a recurring platform, suggesting future forums could produce formal recommendations on visitor caps, trail management, or seasonal closures.
If you plan to visit Balandra during the summer months, arrive before 9 a.m. to secure entry before the daily cap fills. The next forum has not yet been scheduled, but organizers at UABCS indicated they intend to hold it annually. This article draws on reporting by Colectivo Pericú.