If you are looking for a place with charm, good fishing, good prices, and good old fashioned Mexican ambience, Loreto is the place to go!
This beautiful little village is located in the Sea of Cortez, and has some of the most beautiful beaches and sea life in all of Baja.
Not only is it the oldest
town in Baja California, founded in 1697 by the Jesuits,
but its surrounding scenery is incomparable; the
magnificent Sierra de la Giganta mountain
range, the awesome desert and the azure Sea of
Cortez
Facing Loreto
(pop. 10,000) are the wonderful islands such as the
Coronados with its turquoise waters and sea lion
colonies; Isla Carmen with its beautiful beaches and
coves; the Danzantes with its rocky edges and small
coves, a paradise for scuba diving; and Catalina, a
favorite of the ecologist with its unique flora and
fauna
The
surroundings of islands offer the great sportfishing with an
abundance of fish like yellowtail, sailfish, dorado, marlin,
wahoo and roosterfish. Sportfishing has made Loreto famous and
is one of its main tourist activities. Likewise, great schools
of frolicking dolphins can be observed and with any luck, one
might see the blue whale, the biggest animal on the planet.
Recently a wide area of the Sea of Cortez in front of Loreto
was declared a Nation Marine Park by the Mexican government
thus preserving the pristine waters here.
As the
oldest permanent settlement and first capital of Baja, Loreto
is steeped in history. The mission of Nuestro Seņora de
Loreto, built in 1752, has been rebuilt due to earthquakes
and floods many times, but serves as the lead mission in
colonialization of the Baja peninsula. A museum filled with
religious art and colonial artifacts is found next door. One
of Baja's most magnificent missions, San Javier, can be
found 23 miles to the west in the Sierras. A must see!
The tourist
corridor of "Loreto-Nopolo-Puerto Loreto" offers many tourist
amenities and is developing into a popular getaway for the
sailing crowd. There is an 18 hole golf course and a
magnificent tennis center with 9 courts and a stadium,
considered among the best in Baja.
Loreto has an
international airport which is served daily from California, a
bus depot, and excellent tourism services; hotels up to five
stars, bed & breakfast inns, restaurants, R.V. parks and
campgrounds, car rentals, recreational services and much
more.
