The fifth annual Maja El Grande Sport Fishing Tournament, scheduled for Saturday, July 11, and Sunday, July 12, in La Paz, will feature two new fundraising events: El Gran Ceviche and the tournament’s first-ever Waiters’ Race. Both activities are designed to raise money for children with cancer and autism spectrum disorder.
Maribel Collins, Baja California Sur’s Secretary of Tourism, thanked organizers and participants for supporting the charitable initiatives, which will benefit the Pediatric Hemato-Oncology Unit at Juan María de Salvatierra General Hospital, Oleadas de Luz A.C., and CRIT Baja California Sur. “The state government, through the Ministry of Tourism and Economy, always applauds these kinds of initiatives that benefit children and families who make use of these facilities,” Collins said.
El Gran Ceviche Debuts at Malecón
Tournament organizers said El Gran Ceviche will take place July 11 from noon to 7 p.m. at the Malecón kiosk. A refrigerated container supplied by FONMAR will deliver fish from the Pacific coast early that morning, allowing 18 invited chefs and traditional cooks to begin preparing approximately 1.5 tons of ceviche. The entire preparation process will be supervised by COEPRIS to ensure food safety.
Organizers also announced that Maseca will donate one ton of corn flour to Farito de Los Cabos, which will prepare an estimated 30,000 tostadas to go with the ceviche. Visitors will be able to buy one-liter servings of ceviche for 100 pesos and tostadas for 10 pesos. All proceeds will be collected in donation boxes managed by representatives of the participating charitable organizations.
At the conclusion of the ceviche sale, organizers, government officials, and members of the media will oversee the counting of the proceeds to certify the total amount raised and ensure the funds are distributed equally among the participating charities.
Ice Cream Sales and Waiters’ Race
Ice cream and frozen treat carts donated by local businesses and public institutions will also help raise added funds throughout the weekend, including Sunday morning when the 2026 Maja El Grande Sport Fishing Tournament officially begins and the highly anticipated Waiters’ Race, organized by CROC, gets underway.
The race will take place along the La Paz Malecón and will reward not the fastest participant, but the waiter or waitress who crosses the finish line with their tray and beverages completely intact. “There will be excellent prizes, including cash awards and weekday and weekend stays at luxury all-inclusive hotels in Los Cabos, for the top three waiters and the top three waitresses,” organizers said.
Sport Fishing Tournament Details
Alfonso Navarro, director of the Maja El Grande Sport Fishing Tournament, announced that this year’s competition will feature a prize purse of 1.3 million pesos (approximately $74,300 USD). First place will receive 600,000 pesos (about $34,340 USD), second place 400,000 pesos (about $22,900 USD), and third place 200,000 pesos (about $11,450 USD).
A jackpot prize will also be awarded, although the final amount has yet to be decided. Last year’s jackpot exceeded 5 million pesos (approximately $285,800 USD).
Navarro explained that Maja El Grande is a male dorado tournament in which the heaviest fish decides the winner. Last year’s winning dorado weighed 48 pounds.
Entry fee is 10,000 pesos per team. Organizers expect more than 167 boats and approximately 700 anglers to compete.
This article was prepared using information published by El Sudcaliforniano (OEM).
