The La Paz municipal government is developing a comprehensive ordinance to regulate access, use, and conservation of public beaches across the municipality. The municipal comptroller’s office has spent three months drafting the rules with input from civil associations.
The proposed ordinance spans five chapters covering environmental conservation, waste management, recreational use, and formalized beach access points. La Paz officials have identified more than 127 coastal zones within the municipality, but estimate that only about 50% have properly registered access points.
Blocked Beach Access Is an Ongoing Problem
The ordinance builds on years of effort to secure public coastal access in La Paz. In November 2025, the municipal government reopened access to 10 beaches after removing structures that private individuals had erected to block entry. City Council member Pavel Castro reported at the time that six blocked access points were cleared. One notable case involved the removal of barriers at El Saltito, a well-known beach in the municipality.
That program began in 2021 to identify and remove private barriers restricting the public’s legal right to reach the coastline. Castro announced a second phase would include new legal strategies to protect beach access.
What the New Ordinance Would Cover
The proposed rules would standardize how the municipality manages its extensive coastline. With roughly half of La Paz’s 127-plus coastal zones lacking formal access registration, the ordinance aims to close that gap by establishing clear protocols for reaching and using public beaches.
The five chapters address distinct areas: environmental conservation of coastal ecosystems, solid waste management on beaches, rules for recreational activities, formalized public access routes, and general use standards. The ordinance would give the municipality a single regulatory framework rather than relying on piecemeal enforcement.
La Paz’s coastline stretches from urban beaches along the Malecón to protected areas like Balandra Bay and more remote stretches near Tecolote and El Saltito. For property owners near the coast, the ordinance could formalize obligations around maintaining public access paths that cross or border private land.
Next Steps
The ordinance is currently under review by municipal council commissions. A full council vote has not yet been scheduled. If approved, it would be one of the most comprehensive beach regulation frameworks in Baja California Sur.
This story was first reported by BCS Noticias.