Rancho Viejo Mariscos is one of my favorite hangouts just east of the Malecon. With it’s multilayered decks, palapa’s and great view, it offers a variety of delicious seafood. In fact, the last couple times I was there, I shared a plate of ceviche (Mexican raw fish with lime juice) with my buddy Rick.

Currently, I live in La Paz, located on the south Baja California, in Mexico. Here are 5 secrets about La Paz and why you should make it your next travel destination.

In La Paz, they take beach cleaning very seriously. There are gangs of men cleaning the beach of seaweed every few days, and the Malecon even has its own brand of street sweeper a.k.a. a zamboni.

The sidewalks in Mexico can be very unpredictable, as you’ll see in this video. Some are downright dangerous and you really have to watch your step. I found this to be generally true as I traveled around Mexico; some places were more dangerous than others.

At the moment, we’ve parked our butts in the 7 Crown Hotel in La Paz. First off, I wouldn’t recommend this place, mostly because we got a smoking room, even after clearly asking for a non-smoking room. Still, it’s not what we got, despite what they told me at the front desk. In addition, an ashtray with matches was sitting on the nightstand.