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 The CostaBaja Golf Club provides nice views of the resort, marina, Sea of Cortez and rugged landscape of La Paz. If you miss Cabo San Lucas circa 1990, set your sights a little bit higher. About 100 miles to the north should do the trick. Head in that direction and you’ll find La Paz, a quaint city on the southeastern edge of Baja California Sur that is bursting with natural beauty and charm without bursting at the seams with crowds and traffic. At the year-old CostaBaja Resort & Spa, panoramic views are part of a colorful pallet that includes the turquoise waters of the Sea of Cortez, the earth-tone hues of the desert landscape and the vibrant green strips of turf that make up the tee boxes, fairways and putting surfaces of the nearby CostaBaja Golf Club. “I think it’s going to be a destination with more charm and genuine appeal,” said CostaBaja Resort & Spa general manager Jorge Herran when asked to compare La Paz with Cabo San Lucas, its more well-known and rowdy neighbor to the south. “I think it’s going to be a unique place. There’s a lot of things going on right now. Soon we hope to have a lot of people experiencing the beauty of La Paz. I can feel the excitement, and I know it’s going to happen.” A possible aid to the region’s expectations of a gentle increase in tourism and home buyers could be golf, with three upscale courses opening in Baja California Sur’s capital city in the past two years. CostaBaja Golf Club, the newest of the trio that opened in November 2010, is an up-and-down thrill ride designed by Gary Player that is flat-out fun to play. The 7,082-yard layout is both breathtaking and bumpy, with nearly all of the fairways and greens curved and undulating and many of the tee boxes perched high above the designated landing areas. “The surroundings we have in this area makes everything possible,” Herran said, “and now we also have one of the most beautiful golf courses that I have seen in Mexico.” The club’s head pro, Luis Rangel Parrodi, expands that praise a bit more. “I have traveled and worked at different golf courses in Europe and France and Africa and the States,” Parrodi said, “and this is really one of the best golf courses I have played and seen. It’s a diamond waiting to be discovered.” The discovery of La Paz has been growing slightly for the past 10 years, with home construction, resort openings and increased recreational options enticing people to visit, or perhaps stay. The region takes advantage of its desert-by-the-sea landscape with golf, hiking, biking, boating, snorkeling, whale watching, kayaking, deep sea fishing and lounging on the beach just a few of the outdoor activities available. The 115-room CostaBaja Resort & Spa is situated 10 minutes from downtown La Paz on the Sea of Cortez. The resort is part of a 550-acre development that includes houses, condominiums and vacation villas, with many overlooking a 250-slip double-basin marina and white sand beach. Just north lies Isla Espiritu Santo, where guests can discover one of the top marine reserves in the world, along with some of the best sport fishing in Baja California Sur. “In deference to Los Cabos, we have a quieter, more serene setting here, and golf plays into that pretty decently,” said Carl Rygg, the general manager of CostaBaja Golf Club. “People come here for the beauty, solitude and the many water activities, but I think golf is going to be a very prominent feature for tourism here in the next few years.” Rygg, who has been involved with about 15 resorts and course openings throughout the world during his career, thinks his new workplace in La Paz stacks up nicely, if not better, than his other stops. And combining CostaBaja Golf Club with La Paz’s other new courses — Paraiso Del Mar and Bahia de los Suenos — make the region an even more attractive option for tourists seeking activities in a safe and relaxing environment. “La Paz is really a community first and a tourist attraction second, and that ratio will probably never change,” Rygg said. “There will probably be one or two more resorts and one or two more golf courses in the future, and that will drive the golf destination part of La Paz. We’re looking forward to that and looking forward to the synergy between the three existing golf courses and the packaging of some stay-and-play products.” For more more information about CostaBaja, the golf course and other amenities the development has to offer, visit costabajaresort.com or call (866) 409-9940. For more information about La Paz, visit vivalapaz.com. |
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