A La Paz institution for over 60 years, Hotel Los Arcos is a comfortable beachfront hotel on the Malecón with a large pool, multiple restaurants, and excellent location. The property has undergone renovations while maintaining its classic Baja California atmosphere. The swim-up bar and beachside palapa make it a relaxing choice.
Hotel Los Arcos has operated on the La Paz Malecón since the 1950s, making it one of the oldest continuously operating hotels in Baja California Sur. The property is at Paseo Álvaro Obregón 498, directly on the Malecón waterfront promenade, with the Bay of La Paz across the street. Over more than six decades the hotel has undergone periodic renovations while maintaining its accessible mid-range positioning within a city that historically attracts adventure travellers, divers, and marine wildlife enthusiasts rather than luxury resort visitors.
The property consists of the main hotel building and a separate suite annex, with accommodation ranging from standard rooms facing the internal garden or pool to ocean-view rooms facing the Malecón and the bay. The central feature of the grounds is a large swimming pool with a swim-up bar, surrounded by palapa shade structures and pool furniture; a beachside palapa on the Malecón side provides a secondary relaxation area closer to the water. Three on-site restaurants cover breakfast through dinner, including a seafood-focused venue drawing on La Paz's traditional preparations and a more international option suited to mixed preferences.
The hotel's tour desk is one of the more active in La Paz, with working relationships with local operators running whale shark tours, Espíritu Santo Island excursions, sea lion colony snorkelling visits, and Balandra Beach day trips. The Malecón location means the departure docks for most marine tours are within five minutes' walk of the hotel entrance, eliminating the need for early-morning taxi logistics. The commercial waterfront of La Paz — restaurants, souvenir shops, dive outfitters, and marine supply stores — is spread along the same Malecón strip.
La Paz airport is approximately 12 km from the hotel, a 15 to 20 minute taxi or rideshare ride. The hotel operates at mid-range service levels with a full-time concierge and tour desk.
Amenities
- pool
- beachfront
- 3 restaurants
- bar
- Wi-Fi
- tour desk
- parking
Location
Paseo Álvaro Obregón 498, La Paz, BCS 23000
24.1419, -110.3119 View on map
Highlights
- Malecón-front location within five minutes' walk of La Paz's main whale shark, Espíritu Santo, and Balandra Beach tour departure docks
- Large central pool with swim-up bar and beachside palapa structures for daytime relaxation
- Active tour desk with established relationships with local marine excursion operators across the main La Paz bay experiences
Tips for visiting
- For wildlife tours, confirm departure times the afternoon before — most whale shark and island excursions leave between 7 and 8 am, requiring prior breakfast arrangements with the hotel kitchen
- Ocean-view rooms on the upper Malecón-facing floors have the best bay views but the most evening noise from the promenade; request a garden-view room for a quieter sleep
- The swim-up bar closes before dark; the Malecón bars and restaurants on the same street serve as the natural continuation for evening drinks without needing a taxi