Golf as a sport has grown in popularity considerably over the past few years. Retired professionals like Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino, and Gary Player have managed to build successful careers designing golf courses that complement resorts and vacation homes around the world. La Paz is a Mexican resort town in Baja that has managed to create a quaint and friendly vacation community without compromising the more authentic aspects of Mexican living. It is a vibrant seaside location that offers a range of activities and amenities to attract tourism such as diving, snorkelling, and kayaking. Meanwhile, La Paz holds rank as one of the cleanest and safest cities in Mexico to live making it particularly interesting to expatriate communities. Now, with the introduction of a world-class 18-hole golf course in La Paz vacation and retirement properties throughout the region became even more desirable.

Paraiso Del Mar is the first golf course to be developed in La Paz and constitutes only a small portion of a 1700-acre golf resort and residential development plan. Located on a peninsula flanked by the Sea of Cortez and the Bay of La Paz, Paraiso Del Mar was designed by Arthur Hills and Brian Yoder to take full advantage of the sandy, untouched natural beauty of the peninsula. By focusing on environmentally conscious development, Hills and Yoder have managed to create a course of the highest possible standard that relies on natural topography and geography to exemplify an outstanding golf experience. Moreover, the architects of the course attempted to be truly innovative in their design. Firstly, the course features Seashore Paspalum grass which requires less watering than standard golf-course grass making it much more sustainable. In addition, this course has absolutely no rough. Instead, the fairways are bordered by sandy banks serving as a reminder of La Paz’s unspoiled natural backdrop. The details of this course are proof of the designers respect for the lay of the land. Little was done to artificially mould the landscape and golfers will experience this fact first hand. The rolling hills of the course present challenges to even top golf professionals as even tee-boxes are influenced by the natural topography. Paraiso Del Mar therefore stands not only as the first golf course in La Paz but also as a model of the world’s great courses.

While La Paz has much to offer in regards to real estate developments for vacationers or retirees, the development of golf courses is sure to make the region more attractive. For many North Americans, golf and vacations are synonymous and resort destinations are clued into this fact. As more and more tourists are looking for premier golf vacations, the popularity of golf resorts has skyrocketed. La Paz is therefore ideally situated to draw home buyers. As far as real estate investment is concerned, few Mexican cities can compete with what’s on offer in La Paz. Of course we expect to find warm and sunny weather year round, pristine beaches bounded by clean, cool waters, and the vivacious Mexican cultural identity, but La Paz offers more than our expectations.

Since La Paz has been identified as an exceptional resort community, real estate and infrastructure developments have been thrown into high gear. Nevertheless, the true beauty of La Paz is always on display. In fact, it is perhaps the rugged and untouched natural surroundings that have put La Paz on the resort map. Vacationers the world over descend on La Paz for access to the hundreds of islands in the Bay of La Paz, to enjoy some of the world’s greatest snorkelling and diving, and to breath in the sights and sounds of a city that embraces it’s cultural heritage. Combine the fact that La Paz is emerging as a tourist center while maintaining a strong link to its roots and you can see why La Paz is ideal for investment. With the spring opening of the Paraiso Del Mar Golf Resort, the future of La Paz as a vacation or retirement community seems solidified.

The stunning seaside city of La Paz offers dry, warm and sunny year-round weather and the kinds of activities and amenities you would expect from a resort destination. With one of the highest standards of living in all of Mexico, La Paz has recently seen unprecedented growth leading to new real estate and infrastructure developments. The true beauty of La Paz is demonstrated by its position as the eco-tourism capital of Mexico. Easy access to the hundreds of islands off the south coast of the Bay of La Paz make it an ideal location for exploring marine environments and the many endemic species in the region. Moreover, water activities such as diving, snorkelling, and kayaking are among the best you’ll find in North America. Indeed, La Paz is a favourite location for water fanatics as the city boasts several marinas, boatyards, sailing tours, and more.

Still, La Paz is more than a beach community. Recent real estate developments such as Costa Baja Marina and Golf Resort are a testament to the growing popularity of this location not only for Mexican residents but expatriates as well. Between 1985 and 2007 the population of the region has swelled from 36,000 to more than a quarter of a million and yet still maintains itself as a pleasant and friendly city. As tourism continues to grow it may seem unbelievable that the area is still ecologically oriented and offers a cultural experience that many of the larger resort destinations have forgone. Nevertheless, amenities abound. From first-rate restaurants, pubs, and music to shopping and beach destinations, a visit to La Paz is eventful and entertaining.

Perhaps the most attractive qualities of the region lie in the unspoiled natural surroundings. The city is serenely positioned along the Bay of La Paz and is surrounded by a backdrop of impressive mountains. Blue skies and warm temperatures are the standard in La Paz which is one of the reasons that so much investment has come to the city in recent years. Shopping for real estate in Mexico can be overwhelming as there are no limits to the number of beach destinations and resort developments. As such, many buyers are inclined to invest in the big market regions like Puerto Vallarta, Playa del Carmen or Cancun simply due to familiarity. La Paz is a diamond in the rough. With a small community feel in addition to superior amenities and entertainment options, purchasing real estate in La Paz is a no brainer. Enjoy the sun, sand, and warm bay waters of La Paz and you’ll also find that you can escape the tourist throngs. While still a favourite destination of international tourists, La Paz has managed to maintain a level of anonymity that allows the city to remain quaint and friendly.