La Paz Mayor Milena Quiroga Romero announced the city is ready to receive more than 126,000 tourists during Semana Santa 2026, with hotel occupancy projected to reach 90% across the municipality. Roughly 80,000 beachgoers are expected at municipal beaches during the Easter holiday period.
The projected figures represent a significant jump from 2025, when La Paz hotels reached about 65% occupancy during Holy Week and the state expected around 94,000 hotel guests across all of Baja California Sur. If the 2026 numbers hold, it would mark La Paz’s strongest Easter season in recent memory.
Security Checkpoints at Key Beach Roads
Quiroga Romero said the city has activated its “Semana Santa Segura 2026” operation. The plan deploys 11 vehicle checkpoints at strategic locations throughout the municipality. These include access roads to popular beaches like Balandra, Pichilingue, and El Tecolote, as well as several highway intersections.
Drivers heading to these beaches should expect brief stops for safety checks. Authorities from all three levels of government, federal, state, and municipal, are coordinating the operation to keep the holiday period incident-free.
Balandra Access Rules Likely in Effect
Balandra, the iconic turquoise lagoon about 25 kilometers north of downtown La Paz, typically enforces visitor caps during peak periods. In past years, authorities have limited daily access to around 400 to 500 visitors and restricted hours to protect the beach’s protected natural area status. Travelers hoping to visit Balandra during Semana Santa should plan to arrive early.
El Tecolote, the open-ocean beach just beyond Balandra, tends to absorb overflow crowds and offers palapa rentals and seafood vendors. Pichilingue, closer to the ferry terminal, is another option for beachgoers who find Balandra at capacity.
La Paz’s Growing Tourism Profile
La Paz has steadily grown as a tourist destination while retaining a more laid-back character than Los Cabos, which expected 90% hotel occupancy and 113,000 beach visitors during Semana Santa 2025. The city draws primarily Mexican domestic tourists during Easter, though its international profile has expanded with new hotel development in recent years.
For comparison, Los Cabos projected 90% hotel occupancy for Easter 2025, while Mulegé expected 95% and Loreto 75%. La Paz’s projected 90% for 2026 would put it on par with the region’s busiest destinations.
Originally reported by BCS Noticias.