PEARL OF THE PACIFIC: Shimmering La Paz offers cultured Mexican destination

La Paz is the Mexican state of Baja California Sur’s shimmering capital city and a destination that is often an afterthought for tourists.

The peninsula's party capital, legendary Cabo San Lucas , or nearby San Jose del Cabo usually attract most of the tourism pesos.

The city's name translates from Spanish to English as “peace,” in case you were wondering.

The family-friendly malecon, or coastal boardwalk, runs for 5 km beside the beach in central central city .

La Paz is a little further afield for Torontonians than a popular Mexican tourist stop like Cancun .

It’s worth a couple more hours of flying time if you’re looking to avoid the all-inclusive scene.

Todos Santos , a town of just over 7,000 people in the foothills of the Sierra de la Laguna mountains, is one of 177 towns across the country, and one of just three in the state.

Air Canada offers nonstop flights from Toronto (and a handful of other Canadian cities) to San Jose del Cabo International Airport .

Getting to La Paz , a roughly two-hour drive through terrain that could have been used as the backdrop for a Sergio Leone spaghetti western, will require a rental car or a car service.