La Paz Mexico

During the sixteenth century, Spain had taken upon itself to explore unknown parts of the world and to build colonies in these discovered regions. As a result, the 3rd day of May in the year 1535 witnessed the arrival of one Hernan Cortez in what was to be called La Paz, Baja California Sur.

Years, or rather, centuries before this foreign explorer first set foot on the powdery white sands of La Paz, the area was inhabited by nomadic groups that roamed the lands in search of food and shelter. These primitive groups of human beings lived by digging-up root crops, gathering fruits and fishing along the abundant waters of the Gulf of California.

Surviving proof of the existence of these early inhabitants of La Paz can actually be seen and studied by visitors and tourists. A few minutes drive heading outside the city of La Paz will bring you to some ancient caves where cave paintings and fossilized tools can be seen. Some of these historically significant caves and the artifacts that they contain are now actually part of educational and historical tours relating to the rich history of La Paz.

Centuries after the proliferation of these nomadic groups, the first foreigners arrived in La Paz. The Spanish explorer Hernan Cortez battled fierce storms out in the sea because of a belief that La Paz was solely inhabited by beautiful exotic women and that its lands were littered by glistening, precious gold. Shortly after arriving, Cortez set out to conquer the entire peninsula. However, the constant attack of angered natives in addition to the lack of supplies lead to his lack of success.

As the years progressed and transportation technology developed, more and more groups of people found their way to the shore of La Paz. Pirates, traders, missionaries, conquistadors, treasure hunters, and merchants dealt and fought with each other in the hopes of conquering the naturally abundant lands and waters of what was soon to be called La Paz.

In 1596, another conquistador by the name of Sebastian Vizcaino established a camp or base of some sorts in the region, and decided to call it La Paz, meaning “Peace”. Peace ,however, is not what Vizcaino experienced, and soon enough, his camp was destroyed due to the natives who do not wish to be conquered. It was the armless missionaries, with their crucifixes and rosaries, that eventually succeeded in influencing and ‘conquering’ the native inhabitants of La Paz.

The entire country that was Mexico became a colony of Spain for centuries. The years of battles and colonizations have long been over. La Paz, like most of Mexico, has retained many influences in culture that was brought about by Spanish rule. At present, La Paz is the state capital of Baja California Sur, replacing the once state capital of Loreto after it was leveled by a hurricane. La Paz residents curently enjoy a high standard of living, and the city was even dubbed by Money Magazine as the best place on earth to retire.