4 reasons La Paz, Mexico, should be on your winter vacation radar

4. Vibrant culture and cuisine

Lying about two hours north of ritzy Cabos San Lucas, La Paz has enough old world charm to keep it quaint and interesting but will all the modern amenities and accommodations for convenience and comfort. In the evenings, you’ll find families strolling the boardwalk as tourists peruse souvenir stalls and groups of young people drink pitchers of beer on patios. And while there is close to a 1/4 million people in the city, it has a small town feel. At the same time, there’s a wide range of restaurant options from simple taquerias for tasty tacos to fine-dining spots where chefs use fresh local ingredients in impressively creative ways.

In both of the restaurants where I ate dinner during my short stay, I got to eat some of the fish that I caught earlier in the day. At the Sea Side Restaurant , for example, the chef made delicious carpaccio (above), while at La Casita Tapas and Wine Bar my dorado was prepared in a delicious jalapeno tequila cream reduction (below). Don’t worry, it tasted better than my photo looks. The takeaway? It’s doubtful you will lose weight on a trip to La Paz. But hey, you’re on vacation, time to live a little, or you could always work off some calories snorkelling, sea kayaking or reeling in big billfish.