El Tecolote Beach (Playa El Tecolote)

About This Spot

Playa El Tecolote sits ~25 km NE of La Paz at the end of Hwy 11, past Balandra near Pichilingue, facing NE across the Canal de San Lorenzo toward Isla Espíritu Santo. It's a wide, free public beach — not a dedicated kite destination like La Ventana (~45 min SE), but a viable winter session when the wind fills in. Season is the Norte/winter window, roughly Nov–March (Oct/Apr on the fringes), when N–NW 'El Norte' frontal systems plus afternoon thermals push ~15–25+ kt; summer is mostly flat, hot and windless. Wind here is less consistent and far less documented than La Ventana, so check Windguru/Windfinder for La Paz and treat Tecolote as a day-trip backup rather than a guaranteed daily delivery. Water is the spot's strength: turquoise, shallow and sandy — you can wade ~30 m out waist-deep, so the inside is flat to light chop and forgiving, good for beginners drilling water starts and freeriders cruising. Toward the channel it gets choppier and tidal current runs through the San Lorenzo channel, so don't drift downwind into it. Launch is easy off the long sandy beach with lots of room; wind tends side-/onshore from the N (safer than offshore, but self-rescue swims stay short). Hazards: stingrays bury in the shallows (shuffle your feet, worst in summer); heavy panga and tour-boat traffic running to Espíritu Santo plus swimmers on the inside; weekends and holidays bring crowds, campervans, ATVs and loud music — go midweek. No kite-specific regulations, but keep clear of swim zones and boat lanes. Gear rentals, lessons, palapa restaurants and easy car/bus access from La Paz (~30–40 min) make logistics simple; pair it with La Ventana for a reliable Baja kite trip.