In this context, Travel2latam had the opportunity to speak with Sandra Félix, Commercial Director of the Puerta Cortés trust in Baja California Sur.
What is Puerta Cortés and where is it located?
Puerta Cortés is a tourist, maritime and residential development located in La Paz, Baja California Sur. We are 2 hours from Los Cabos, everyone knows Los Cabos, so it is easy to understand the location. Puerta Cortés is just 10 minutes from the center of La Paz. We have a marina, a golf course designed by Gary Player, with houses, residences and condominiums. We also have two beach clubs, and a commercial area with five restaurants. It is a destination within a destination. And now we have a new acquisition, which is the Ídigo hotel. Not only is it a newly remodeled hotel with all the features of an IHG brand, but it also has the amenities of being a development.
What room capacity does it have?
There are 115 rooms now in Índigo. But within the development we also have the vacation rental portion or version. Then our guests can choose to stay at the Indigo hotel or stay in one of the vacation rentals, which are houses and apartments, which also have access to the same amenities of the club, golf course, gyms, etc.
From a connectivity point of view, how can you get there?
It can be reached through the La Paz International Airport in Baja California Sur, which has fairly strong national connectivity. Or as I mentioned, we are 2 hours from Los Cabos, so the international market normally flies to Los Cabos, if they do not want to travel nationally, and from Los Cabos they travel to La Paz. We also have the option of providing transportation service from the Los Cabos airport to our property. And we can give many options depending on the client: car, truck, helicopter, plane, or whatever the client decides.
How long ago was this development inaugurated?
The project dates back to 2003, but previously it had another name, it was called Costa Baja. It also went through a time of transformation and as of 2018 it became Puerta Cortés, on the Sea of Cortez, that is the name of the development and it is where the brand of the hotel also changed to become Indigo. The transformation began in 2018 and in 2024 we completed it.
The city of Peace, what does it offer to the visitor who arrives for the first time?
It is one of the most beautiful cities in Mexico. If you ask me, unlike Los Cabos, La Paz is still an authentic, familiar and very Mexican place. We are the largest development in the entire city, and one of the most recognized brands. The rest of the city is a little smaller, more boutique hotels, because all the experiences that peace offers are towards nature, outwards. We are obviously in the Sea of Cortez, that is why the name of the development is Puerta Cortés, because we consider ourselves as a gateway to the Gulf of California or Sea of Cortez, where the activities are with the body of water, and with the greatest biodiversity in the world. We also have Espiritu Santo Island, which is a protected natural area and a World Heritage Site declared by UNESCO.
Many of the activities we offer have to do with the sea. Here we have one of the most beautiful beaches in Mexico, called Playa Balandra, where you can dive, snorkel, kayak with sea lions, dolphins and turtles. Truly every day on the Sea of Cortez is extraordinary. And furthermore, we also have a whole part of desert. Then land activities, such as mountain biking, are present.
The land side is very different from the sea side…
Our scenario is very different from what a person is used to. It is one of the few places in the world where the desert really meets the sea, so you see everything arid full of cacti, and on the other side you see the turquoise sea. La Paz above all offers adventure tourism experiences, sustainable and ecological tourism, conservation and for all families. Also, one of the most important things about La Paz, unlike other places in Mexico, is that all of our beaches are swimmable. Since we are within the Gulf of California, the currents and waves are light, so there is no problem, that makes it ideal for families.
What could you tell me about national and international tourism? Which is the most important?
We have it very segmented by seasons. The winter season is where international tourism comes most, because they flee the cold places where they originate; but throughout the year we have national tourism due to the connectivity we have with Mexico.
We have 70% national and 30% international almost all year round and that is basically because of the connectivity there is. We have very good daily connectivity with Mexico City, Guadalajara, Tijuana, we also already have slightly smaller destinations such as Hermosillo, Ciudad de Obregón, el Bajío, etc. But the proximity to Los Cabos means that we practically have this international airport that Los Cabos has, which is one of the destinations in Mexico with the greatest international connectivity, which currently has flights to Europe. That is what attracts international tourism a lot. And on the Southern California side, we have the international bridge that connects San Diego to Tijuana, which makes many of the people from Southern California take the flight from Tijuana to La Paz.
But yes, currently most of the visitors are national tourism, but little by little we are turning it around, especially in properties like ours that have all the characteristics that American tourists are looking for.
When we talk about international tourists, obviously the main market is the US, we also have a lot from Canada, and especially in the British Columbia area, due to the cold. The truth is that we enjoy an extraordinary climate, that is why snowbirds travel from Canada to La Paz.