Urban exploring an abandoned hotel located on a beach in La Paz, Mexico, with its beautiful decaying architecture, was eerie and fascinating. The hotel was known as Hotel Gran Baja.
I came across this hotel while driving and walking around La Paz, Mexico looking for interesting places to photograph. When I saw this hotel I was really excited, I had never explored an abandoned hotel before. I carefully drove up to it and encountered a massive gate that provided no way in. I could have climbed over the gate, but I don’t like doing that in case I need to quickly leave. Plus it was a huge gate with no easy way to get over it.
Pool Area
After encountering the gate I left and drove to a nearby public beach and walked along the beach to attempt to access the hotel from there. Fortunately, it was really easy to walk right into the pool area from the beach. I immediately began taking photos of everything I saw. Urban exploring an abandoned hotel has been a dream of mine. I wanted to capture as much of it as I could.
It was really quiet, with no movement anywhere. It felt kind of creepy and eerie. I was imagining guests from the past enjoying the pool, drinking margaritas, and having a good time. Now, all that is left is decay.
This is an empty elevator shaft, the top looks like the roof, but it may have been the elevator stuck at a top floor.
Rear Lobby
All the doors and entrances were gated, blocked, or sealed off. I could not find a way inside the hotel. It was so locked down it seems like their main goal was to keep animals out of it. This is the back of the hotel that provides access to the pool area.
Shooting through the gate all I could see is a completely empty lobby area.
Decaying Hotel Rooms
There were a lot of rooms on the ground floor with their windows intact. I was able to shoot through several of them. I wanted to go inside so badly but as I personal rule, I never vandalize a place I’m urban exploring. My goal is to get as many photos as I can while making my presence as invisible as possible.
I started walking around to the front of the hotel until I heard what sounded like a pack of dogs. As I got a bit closer I saw and heard several dogs all around the front entrance area. I didn’t get close enough to photograph them, I didn’t know how dangerous they were. And then I partially saw a new-looking truck parked at the entrance. I freaked and ran out of there. I love urban exploring but I definitely don’t want to risk my life doing it.
I really like the opening photo. It really suspends your eyes. The way the bush seems to be reaching for the sun that’s lighting the scene makes it feel alive. And the composition just feels good. Also the photo with the broken AC stands out to me, and the cow tiled steps one above it. Feels so desolate.
Thanks a lot, Mike! The bush does seem like it’s striving to stay alive. What I also like about it is that at first glance it looks like a nice marketing photo of a hotel pool area but then when you look closer you see the pool empty of water and the broken tiles it tells a totally different story than what you would have expected.
Also with the opening photo, I also really like how the light pole is the only thing so cleanly breaking the horizon and then pointing you back down into the main subject of the photo.
It is so sad that such a beautiful place has just been left to decay and fall apart. Love seeing what you can do with your camera. God bless and Merry Christmas
I stayed there in October 1981, just a few weeks after President Reagan!
Correction: 1983. I noticed during dinner that the butter looked like it was left over from the Presidential trip eight weeks earlier, as it had turned green!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVppKMreyNk