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Your guide to racing Triathlon in La Paz, Mexico
*This is a review based on the La Paz Continental Cup in 2021
Pre Travel:
I'd like to preface this notice by saying that traveling to La Paz was my first experience in Mexico. I loved my time in La Paz and felt safe swimming, biking and running by myself during daytime hours. We had a positive experience regarding using taxis and walking around during the day. But like always, accessing reliable information is important prior to travel and it is important to note that the risk level for Mexico from the Canadian Travel Advisory was: Exercise a High degree of Caution. We recommend you read the information provided by the Canadian Travel Advisory in detail as certain risks are greater in specified regional areas.
We did prepare for this trip with an appointment with a Travel Nurse. At her recommendation I had a tetanus shot booster prior to travel as all other vaccines were up to date. Our Travel Nurse also warned us about drinking tap water (including ice cubes) or food products that may have been washed in tap water. We came prepared with a first aid kit that we topped up with other potential essentials (anticipating a potential for traveler's diarrhea). Luckily we never experienced any digestive problems, though I do recommend over-preparing just in case.
For me, this race was late in the fall (though in previous and subsequent years the date of the race varies) and we did try to incorporate some heat prep since my training is based out of Ontario, Canada and some course specific work (I’m talking hills, hills, and hills! This bike course is challenging).
The Race
Venue: La Paz, Mexico
Photos by Nabeel Chirathodi From Left to right: Rachel doing her pre-comp ride in the bike lanes of La Paz, Rachel practicing beach starts at the original swim start location, Rachel's equipment ready the night before the race.
The swim for this race took place in an inlet of the Gulf Of California. The swim start location changed the day prior to the race due to the current. The communication for this change was not clear and at the course preview officials provided inacurrate information regarding a beach start for the race. The beach was not safe and after a couple of practice starts I sliced my foot and required assistance from the paramedics on site. Later that day we were notified in a zoom briefing that it was actually an in-water start.
It was a point to point swim with only a few buoys to worry about. The changes to the course made it a fair but the communications regarding the course were very unclear and added stress prior to the race. After the gun went off to signal the beginning of the race the swim seemed to go by fairly seamlessly.
The swim exit was difficult. There was a wall along the Malecon acting as a barrier between the beach swim exit and the transition zone. Race officials provided sand bags to act as stairs, which I found quite difficult to navigate. From there it was into T1, which was clearly marked.
After the bike mount you spend a little bit of time on a fairly flat and well paved section of the course. This gives you time to get your feet into your shoes and either hustle to form a pack(if the race is draft legal) or settle into your rhythm (if the race is non-draft). Really capitalize on this flat section with smooth pavement, because you won’t see flat and smooth together for the rest of the course. This bike course is very challenging. It is a forty kilometer loop that took place at the hottest time of the day on a very hilly course. There is a section of this course where the road is covered in sand. Aside from hills and sand, be aware that heavy winds and extreme heat can be a factor on this course.
The run here is pretty straight forward, with multiple loops making up the 10 kilometer route. The day is hot, and historically the elite races in La Paz are run at the hottest part of the day but there are aid stations in the run.
This event does have some age group races and you can keep an eye on their schedule by following their Instagram account.
Based on the scoring guide, this race loses points for safety (dangerous beach start and climbing over the wall of the malecon exit), washroom availability, road quality, pre race communication, and race weekend communcation.
For these reasons I give the race a rating of : C
But don’t write off La Paz yet, the travel experience was amazing.
Pre Race Training and Accommodations
There are many hotel options in La Paz. It was my experience that a lot of them had been booked up surrounding this race. We stayed at Aquamarina La Paz. It is a small boutique hotel located on a side street a couple of kilometers from the race transition site. Our room was beautiful, comfortable and had really powerful air conditioning(which we quickly came to appreciate since La Paz is hot). It was also a quick walk to our favorite food spot Dulce Romero. The only ‘con’ of this accommodation was that the on-site café was closed during our visit.
Training prior to this race was quite easy, particularly if you don’t mind doing multiple loops for your sessions. The hotel was a short walk down to the Malecon which was lined with bike paths. The paths are green and often separate from the road which made pre-race cycling safe and enjoyable. Running was also very safe and very easy. I did most of my running along the Malecon which was flat with great footing. Most of the Malecon is lined with beaches and clear water. I checked with local police who confirmed that swimming was allowed at multiple entry points along the Malecon.
The food and coffee were exceptional. In the lead up to the race we visited Dulce Romera at least once a day and it never disappointed. Food was available throughout La Paz to meet the needs of most diets and I had no issues finding food as a vegetarian.
Overall rating for accommodations and ease of training in La Paz: A
Photos by Rachel Faulds and Nabeel Chirathodi
Left to right: Bike lanes leaving the central part of La Paz, Rachel doing pre comp swimming, Bike lanes along the bike course.
*Note La Paz is located a couple hours north of San Jose Del Cabo. If you are wanting a place to prep for 70.3 Los Cabos at a lower price tag than in San Jose Del Cabo, La Paz may be a great fit.
Post Race Sight Seeing:
Photography by Rachel Faulds and Nabeel Chirathodi From left to Right: Birds on the beach, Rachel and Nabeel in the shade on the beach, Two Cappuccinos
This race is hot and the next day I was feeling the effects of the heat exhaustion I experienced on race day a little too much to really enjoy the extra day in La Paz. But don’t let my experience deter you, La Paz is remarkable. It is located a couple of hours North of Los Cabos and is often overlooked by travelers for its more conventional counterpart. La Paz boasts incredible food, weather and wildlife at a fraction of the price of Los Cabos. It’s also a great place to watch Gray Whales. The whale watching season runs from January to March in La Paz and there are many tours where service providers will take you three hours north of the city to observe the whales.
If you are visiting outside of Whale Watching season there are a lot of other activities to keep you occupied, including but not limited to swimming with whale sharks or Sea Lions. You can see some more great activity options here.
Other tours to consider are walking tours of La Paz, Todos Santos, and Balandra which range from $145-$205 per person.
But back to my favorite part of La Paz, the incredible food. It’s my opinion that no review of La Paz would be complete without mentioning the food, and for me that is highlighted by Dulce Romero. Nabeel and I chose to return to this restaurant every day of our trip (except Sunday when it was closed) for at least one of our meals, often more. His favorite meal was Benedictinos Mexicanos (Mexican Eggs Benedict) while mine was their Fettuccine. Both meals cost just under $150 Mexican Paseos (roughly $10 CAD). It’s also worth mentioning that their cappuccino was the best one that I tried in La Paz. Their menu had incredible variety, and all meals were made fresh to order. The front of the restaurant also has a very popular bakery where treats are available for take out. It was an incredibly welcoming environment for both humans and dogs alike as they often kept the water bowl outside filled for the local dogs.
If you’re wanting a meal with a view then head to Central 1535. This restaurant is highlighted by unique décor(that I’ve pictured below) and an even more unique menu. Upon arrival our server let us know about the creativity of the bartender who made us a drink of their own concoction featuring avocado and spice. If you’re wanting some traditional comfort food with exceptional quality and the potential for a unique twist the you’ll enjoy Central 1535 as much as we did.
The last place I want to mention is Doce Cuarenta Café. This café has great small meals (including avocado toast, sandwiches and different types of salads) and many snacks. We went to the location called ‘The Peace Center” which was near central La Paz and brought us to a nice square to walk around with our coffees. Man, now that I’m sitting here hungry I’ll stop reminiscing over this food.
Photos by Rachel Faulds and Nabeel Chirathodi
Words To Know
Hi - Hola
Goodbye - Adios
Yes - Si
No- No
Please- Por favor
Thank you - Gracias
No thank you- No gracias
Ok - ok
Triathlons In the Baja California Peninsula:
There are a lot of triathlons in Mexico, and I hope to get to more of them in subsequent blog posts. But for now, let's stick to the Baja California Peninsula.
Ironman 70.3 Los Cabos https://www.ironman.com/im703-los-cabos Closest Airport San Jose Del Cabo International Airport
Triathlon La Paz https://www.instagram.com/trialapaz/?hl=en
Closest Airport La Paz International Airport-Manuel Marquez de Leon
Americas Triathlon Cup La Paz: https://www.triathlon.org/events/event/2021_american_triathlon_cup_la_paz Closest Airport La Paz International Airport-Manuel Marquez de Leon
Note: You will need to stay up to date on the World Triathlon Calendar if you want to do this race as an Americas Cup.
Where To Stay
We stayed at Hotel Aquamarina La Paz and loved it. It is a small boutique hotel with only five rooms. The rooms are uniquely decorated and the bed is very comfortable. The hotel was clean and the staff on site were kind and very helpful. The location feels very safe and quiet which makes it great to relax and there are restaurants and convenience stores close by. It is a bit of a walk to central La Paz which normally would be okay, but leading up to a race in the heat you do have to be cautious of spending too much time outside.
If you are looking for one with a more central location, this might not be the best accommodation for you. There are a lot of other hotels that can suit various budgets. If you’ve been to La Paz and have any accommodation recommendations I’d love to hear them.
Tips and Tricks:
It is customary in most restaurants to leave a tip of 10-20 percent of the total bill. You are not expected to tip taxi drivers but if you have the means to do so, tips are always appreciated.
We didn’t get a rental car, and if you are planning to stay close to La Paz you won’t require one. There are great bike lanes and bikes available for rent if you are wanting to tour outside of the central part of La Paz.
Cards are accepted most places (restaurants etc) but for local vendors on the street it is important to carry cash. It’s also worth noting that some servers did tell us that they preferred the tips to be in cash.
Photos by Rachel Faulds and Nabeel Chirathodi From Left to Right: Rachel and Nabeel in the shade on the beach, A beach in La Paz, Rachel with Coffee from Doce Cuarenta Café.
Cost:
The local currency is the Mexican Peso. There are banks located within the city. I recommend going into a bank to withdraw additional money rather than use an ATM on the street.
Hotels can range from $70-350+ CAD per night depending on what you are looking for.
Food is approximately $6-12 per person per meal. It is worth noting that these are full meals, including an entrée and beverage.
There are some things in La Paz that are quite expensive. At the time that we traveled we were required to have a PCR test done 72 hours prior to our departure. The cost of a PCR test from a lab in La Paz was close to $150 CAD per person.
It is also worth noting the cost of a bike box prior to travel. I flew Aeromexico and my bike box fee was a little over $200CAD each way. Our one checked bag was an additional $80 each way. It was not overweight, this was just the fee structure of our ticket(s). This is quite expensive compared to some other airlines, so I would recommend researching the baggage policy of an airline prior to purchasing a ticket.
Photos by Rachel Faulds and Nabeel Chirathodi From Left to Right: Malecon of La Paz, Aeromexico flight at airport, Rachel enjoying yet another Cappuccino
Please note that this post was written from our perspective and experiences as a interracial heterosexual couple from Canada. Your experiences may vary. Please read the Canadian travel advisory (or your own countries travel advisory) prior to travel.
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