We hope to help you get to know the Magic Town Baja California from Loreto with this pleasant set of recommendations.
1. Get settled in a good hotel
Loreto has lodgings designed mainly to satisfy American and Canadian tourists who come to town through its small international airport or from the terminals of the nearest cities, such as La Paz, Los Mochis and Ciudad Obregón. Among these comfortable accommodations is the Loreto Bay Golf Resort & Spa, which has a well-kept golf course; the Villa del Palmar Beach Resort & Spa and other establishments, where you can have all the facilities and comforts.
2. Know their missions
The Hispanic history of Baja California began in Loreto, with the construction at the end of the 17th century, of the Mission of Nuestra Señora de Loreto. From there, the evangelizers led by the Jesuit Fathers Eusebio Kino and Juan María de Salvatierra, would sow the Baja California territory with the first missions in the region in which indigenous and Spanish coexisted. Other missions of interest are that of San Francisco Javier and that of San Juan Bautista Londó.
3. Tour your museum
The Museum of the Jesuit Missions allows you to give a complete review of the missions of Baja California, both from the facet of indigenous life, as well as the conformation of the Spanish settlements. At the arrival of the conquerors and missionaries to Loreto, the territory was inhabited by the ethnic groups of the Pericúes, Guaycuras, Monguis and Cochimíes. The museum walks through the interaction of the Indian peoples with the colonization process through 18 missions, displaying weapons and other objects both indigenous and Spanish, as well as documents from the evangelization period.
4. Enjoy its beaches
Loreto is a quiet and exclusive beach destination to enjoy the warm waters of the Sea of Cortez and its other attractions. On the peninsular coast of Loreto and on its islands, there are wonderful beaches to enjoy in the water and on the sand. Most of these beaches are located on the islands near Loreto, belonging to the Bahía de Loreto National Maritime Park, such as Isla del Carmen, Monserrat, Coronado, Catalina and Danzante.
5. Practice sea entertainment
Loreto is a paradise for sport fishing, due to the prohibition of industrial fishing enjoyed by its protected aquatic areas. Loreto's shoals of fish are rich in a diversity of species such as dorado, marlins, sea bass, and red snapper. Diving is another activity for the delight of the senses, due to the richness and color of the marine fauna. Also lovers of sailing in yachts, boats, sailboats and kayaks will feel at ease in Loreto.
6. Practice land entertainment
If you prefer sports and entertainment on land, in Loreto you can rappel at the site of El Juncalito, where you can descend rocky walls while taking several breaks to appreciate the desert and extensive landscape. Likewise, Loreto offers you the possibilities of hiking, walking, horseback riding and riding through the desert in all-terrain vehicles with two, three and four wheels.
7. Watch the gray whale
The gray whale has distinguished the Sea of Cortez as the chosen place to have its young. When the waters of the North are frozen or frozen in the middle of winter in the northern hemisphere, this huge and beautiful animal seeks the warmth of the Gulf of California to illuminate. These fin whales that only live in the north of the Pacific Ocean are visible from different points of the Bermejo Sea and near Loreto there are two island spaces to make magnificent sightings: the islands of Carmen and Colorado.
8. Get to know the rock art
Between Loreto and Bahía de Los Ángeles, in the Sierra de San Francisco, there is a site of cave paintings that is one of the most important in northern Mexico, mainly due to the large size of the prehistoric artistic works. The paintings show scenes from ordinary life, such as representations of hunts, and others that are more complex and not fully interpreted, which delve into the vital and cosmic vision of the peoples who carried them out.
9. Enjoy your parties
The patron saint festivals of Loreto have their peak date on September 8, the Day of the Virgin in many towns in Latin America and Spain. For the occasion, the missionary church and the town dress up to honor the Virgin of Loreto with religious events, music, fireworks, and popular and cultural shows. The festival that commemorates the anniversary of the founding of Loreto takes place from October 19 to 25 and is very lively. Throughout the year, sport fishing tournaments and off-road vehicle competition in the desert are held in Loreto.
10. Take a shopping tour
Loreto artisans have specialized in making pieces with the seashells that they collect on the beaches of the Sea of Cortez. Some Loreto settlers are also skilled saddlers, while others work with clay, which they turn, for example, into the picturesque piggy banks that have almost disappeared. These souvenirs can be found at Artesanías El Corazón and other popular art stores in Loreto.
11. Relax in a spa
In Loreto there are several spas, mainly in hotels. Las Flores Spa & Boutique, located in the Hotel Posadas de las Flores, on Madero Street, receives the best compliments from customers for its beauty and cleanliness, the professionalism of its masseurs and facial treatments. Another prestigious place is Sabila Spa & Wellness Center, at km. 84 of the Transpeninsular Highway, which stands out for its hydration therapies.
12. Delight in your food
Loreto is a gastronomic meeting point between the cuisine of the Baja California desert and that of the Sea of Cortez. The Gulf of California produces fresh fish and shellfish that turn into delicious steaks, ceviches, zarzuelas, soups, grills, salads, tostadas, and other dishes. The machaca, both the traditional one from the North of Mexico, based on dried meat, and the most modern ones with fish, is also a staple dish on the tables of Loreto. The red and white wines of the Baja California Wine Route make the perfect pairing.
Surely there were other fun things to do in Loreto. We will comment on them in a future opportunity.
