By the time the sun clears the low shoulder of the Sierra de la Laguna, the water inside Balandra Bay already looks borrowed — someone has taken a handful of sky and scattered it over sandbars. You arrive by skiff, the little engine’s hum dropping away as your captain eases into the cove and the first thing you see is the mushroom rock, El Hongo, standing like a weathered sentinel in two inches of crystalline water. The bay asks you to slow down; currents are playful, salt air is warm, and time stretches to match the unhurried horizon. This is the tone for a private day trip led by RED Travel: efficient, expert-run, and calibrated to let Balandra's calm work on you rather than the other way around. If you want an easy, marine-forward day out of La Paz that still feels like a genuine escape, this is it. The logistics are clean — a roughly 40-minute run from the RED Travel office at Puerta Cortes (Muelle Fiscal), bilingual naturalist guides, snorkel gear and wetsuits, lunch and drinks — but the highlight is how the place itself guides the pace. Geologically, Balandra is an open bowl carved by wind and tide, a mosaic of mangroves, sandy flats, and rock islands. The “mushroom” is a limestone formation worn from the base up, an everyday monument for photographers and the casual pilgrim who wants to stand in impossibly clear water and watch fish perform their small migrations. The area is also a living classroom: mangrove roots thread the shallows and juvenile sea lions find shelter around the rocky outcrop known as San Rafaelito. Your naturalist points out how the mangroves stabilize the shoreline, why certain tide windows bring more reef fish to the snorkel spots, and how the bay became a protected natural area to safeguard those exact interactions. You will snorkel twice — once near San Rafaelito, where tide and rock create micro-ecosystems thick with cleaner fish and curious juveniles, and again in the shallows around Balandra’s sandbanks where seagrass beds shelter rays and pipefish. Beginner snorkelers are welcome, though you must be able to swim; guides carry flotation and patient instruction, and wetsuits are provided if the morning water feels brisk. Between swims, the trip includes a shaded lunch on the beach with options for dietary needs, time to explore short nature trails that wind through the dunes and mangroves, and stretches of lazing on sand that is warm, not abrasive. Beyond immediate pleasures, a private outing reveals small cultural cues: the boat captains’ easy familiarity with currents, the guide’s respect for local fishing rhythms, and the way La Paz’s fishing-town character peeks through in the cooler full of ceviche and cerveza. For photographers and families, a private trip means pacing is yours; you can linger over the mushroom rock’s reflections or leave early and linger longer at San Rafaelito. For conservation-minded travelers, the guides’ stories about park rules, the importance of reef-safe sunscreen, and respectful wildlife distances are part of the experience. Practicalities that matter: boats are skiffs with shade, seat cushions and dry storage; trips usually depart about 9:00 a.m.; the base price covers up to four passengers, with additional seats available. If you want door-to-deck transit, round-trip shuttle add-ons are available from La Paz, Todos Santos or Los Cabos. For anyone planning, timing is key — mornings are calmer and clearer for snorkeling, and tides alter the sandbars dramatically, so ask your guide about the day’s best windows. Bring reef-safe sunscreen, a water-friendly camera, light layers for the morning run and comfortable water shoes for exploring the rocky edges. Book this trip online through RED Travel to guarantee bilingual naturalist support and to lock in park fees and gear—see booking details at the adventure operator’s site to plan your timing and any add-ons: https://app.advcollective.com/local-experts/water-activities-balandra-bays-hidden-beaches. Whether you come for the marine life, the shallow turquoise wafts, or just a quiet day that still feels like an outing, a private day at Balandra is designed to be both restorative and thoroughly guided — a single-day exchange that returns you to La Paz with sand in your sandals and a clearer sense of why this coast matters. More booking details, seasonal notes, and what to bring are outlined below and on the operator page: https://app.advcollective.com/local-experts/water-activities-balandra-bays-hidden-beaches