There’s always a risk in sharing lesser-known spots, especially when their charm lies in being uncrowded. But Loreto, Mexico, is too special to keep quiet about.
Friendly, peaceful, safe and incredible walkable, this small Baja California Sur city on the Sea of Cortez is the ideal destination for travellers chasing authenticity beyond the beaten path.
This is especially true if you love nature. Connecting with the outdoors is easy in Loreto, with the landscape transitioning between desert, mountains and ocean.
Thanks to a national park just offshore, wildlife diversity is rich, ranging from blue whales to blue-footed boobies.
Loreto was my introduction to Mexico, and honestly, it felt like hitting the jackpot on the very first try.
Rich culture, historical sights, beautiful beaches, outdoor activities, abundant wildlife, endless sunshine, the freshest fish tacos and tasty margaritas. We loved it!
Read on to discover more about magical Loreto, the best things to do and some essential details for planning your next trip (trust me, you’ll want to go!)
We visited Loreto as part of a hosted trip with Visit Baja California Sur and Loreto BCS Tourism.
Introducing Loreto, Mexico
Before visiting Loreto, I knew of only a handful of people that had ever been there – almost every other Canadian had no idea where it was. Baja Peninsula neighbours La Paz and Cabo are much better known, but as I’ll explain, offer a very different experience.
Loreto is located in Baja California Sur in Mexico, on the eastern side of the Peninsula. It is home to around 18,000 people.
Being so far south and with limited access to the rest of the country, locals advised us that Baja California Sur is like ‘living on an island.’ And I can believe it, for Loreto has that effortlessly relaxed island energy.
Founded by Jesuit missionaries in 1697, Loreto was the first Spanish colonial settlement on the Baja California Peninsula.
The city was the capital of Las Californias until 1777, after the province was split into Alta California (the USA’s California today) and Baja California.
Loreto faces the Sea of Cortez, which was described by famed marine explorer Jacques Cousteau as the ‘world’s aquarium.’ The city is surrounded by desert and framed by a range of rugged mountains, the Sierra de la Giganta.
This combination of contrasting ecosystems is pretty special – and remarkably, you can take it all in with just one glance. Even more impressive, you can fly here direct from Calgary. Our inbound flight took just 3 and a half hours.
The magic of Loreto
When I say Loreto is a magical destination, it’s not just me declaring it!
Loreto was officially designated a Pueblo Magico (Magical Town) more than 10 years ago by the Mexican government, one of only two in Baja California Sur. The label celebrates the city’s cultural richness and historical relevance.
For me, the most magical aspect of Loreto is its authenticity. While there are tourists in Loreto, it doesn’t feel touristy.
Yes, there are English menus and a lot of hospitality workers speak English. But Loreto doesn’t have that overwhelming, commercialised feel that more developed places have.
Local people smile and say good morning, the streets are uncrowded, hosts aren’t stationed outside restaurants trying to hustle for business. It feels like a real place, with everything you could ever need for a week (or two) long stay. Better yet, it’s incredibly peaceful too.
To add to that, everything is close. Loreto’s airport, for example, is just 11 minutes drive from town. Along the way, you’ll notice that there aren’t many tall buildings.
Loreto sees about 120,000 visitors annually – a fraction compared to La Paz, which receives roughly three times that, and Cabo, which draws more than twenty-five times as many. Both are also much larger cities. For me, the choice is obvious!
The best things to do in Loreto
Wondering what there is to do in Loreto? I’ve got you covered! First, I’ll share the best things to do around town and then move on to half and full day trips in the wider area. Choose to do a lot or very little on your vacation – Loreto is a great place to be for both!
Explore Old Town and the Mission
With Loreto’s history in mind, exploring the oldest part of town is a must while visiting. It’s also the most walkable and picturesque area.
- Stroll the tree-lined and pedestrianised Juan María de Salvatierra. Nicely shaded, it doesn’t get too hot. Look out for the unusual wooden ‘Romanita’ house next to the RV park. Expect to see musicians, restaurant patios and a handful of souvenir shops
- Take a photo by the Loreto sign in the Plaza Civica. This place is usually buzzing with locals and visitors, especially on Friday evenings when there is a market
- Step into the colonial-style Loreto City Hall to discover an incredible four wall art mural by Alejandro Curiel depicting the region’s history with a blend of plants, birds, myths, traditions and local people
- Visit the Baroque-style Misión de Nuestra Señora de Loreto Conchó (or simply ‘the mission’), the oldest building in Loreto. The bells ring every hour and sometimes inbetween – the stone tower is not original, having been damaged by an earthquake. There is a small museum as well (admission fee)
Walk the Malecón
Popular with locals and visitors, both young and old, the Malecón is a real highlight of Loreto. This 1.2km long paved esplanade (or boardwalk) borders the ocean and provides amazing views of Isla Carmen.
A great place to stroll at any time of day, the Malecón is particularly special at dawn when the sun rises behind the island or ocean (depending on the time of year). It’s the perfect place to go running as well.
There is a colourful Loreto sign close to the marina, as well as some large wildlife statues. Don’t miss the photo opportunity!
Relax on the beach
The easiest beach to reach in Loreto is the Playa La Darsena, which is on the northern side of the marina.
This beach area has shallow water, free palapas for shade (traditional palm leaf shelters) and gray-ish sand. For being so close to town, it’s pretty nice!
To reach a beach away from the road, continue another 10 minutes walk north to La Negrita Beach. There are more palapas along the sand to be found here.
At the other end of the Malecón is the Hotel Oasis, which is the easiest access point for the Playa Oasis.
This Loreto beach is super wide and borders the Las Garzas Estuary, which is a great spot to watch for birds. A sand spit stretches out into the bay.
Eat authentic local food
Seafood and fish are staples on most Loreto menus, so if ceviche, sashimi and fish tacos are your thing (like us!), you’ll have a great time in Loreto. There are a lot of meat options too.
Our most memorable meals were at Serrano Steakhouse (grill restaurant), Baja Haay (fresh tortillas) and the Hotel Oasis.
The latter has a special seafood and BBQ buffet on Saturday evenings, including ‘chocolate’ clams cooked the traditional way (Almejas tatemadas) on the beach. Arrive early, around 5pm, to watch the brown coloured clams being buried in sand and roasted.
One of the best local food experiences we had was at San Javier Farm, a farm-to-table restaurant in a small mountain community. More about that later in the guide (under the day trips section).
Hungry and looking for a deal? Head to Asadero Superburro, home to the largest burritos you’ve ever seen! No seriously, they are gigantic. While it may sound gimmicky, everything we had was super tasty and the restaurant seemed very popular with locals. As a bonus, we had leftovers.
Enjoy local drinks
Margaritas and mezcalitos are, of course, ubiquitous in Loreto’s bars and restaurants. My favourite was at Serrano Steakhouse – quite fittingly, it was a serrano one! Super fresh, a little spicy and really tasty.
Serrano also sells local wine made about two hours from Loreto – look for the Desert wine series. I really liked the white, a blend of grenache, chardonnay and sauvignon blanc.
One of the most hopping places in town is Zapata Cantina, not far from the Mission. They often have live music and the ambience is great. There are some fun swing seats at the bar. If I was looking to enjoy a few drinks late at night, this is where I’d go.
Get a massage
For the full relaxed Loreto experience, don’t hesitate to book a massage at Spa las Flores.
Situated on the main square, there are many different types of packages available, some including pedicures and facials. Despite the central location, the massage rooms are surprisingly very quiet.
Day trips from Loreto
There are SO many day trip possibilites from Loreto and many of them can be enjoyed as a half day adventure as well.
I’d recommend spending at least one day out on the water, exploring the Bay of Loreto. On a different day, a trip into the desert (San Javier, hiking, cave paintings, horseback riding) provides an ideal contrast. The size of the cacti in this area is astounding!
For more details or to book any of the following day trips, contact family-owned Sea & Land Tours. We used them for several different excursions.
Take a boat tour of the Loreto Bay National Park – optional snorkelling/scuba diving
The Loreto Bay National Park protects the rich biodiversity in the Sea of Cortez surrounding Loreto, as well as five volcanic islands.
Part of a larger UNESCO World Heritage Site, the park has an incredible natural abundance of many marine species and plants.
If you have have time for only one tour in Loreto, let it be a boat trip around Loreto Bay. It just can’t be missed! Just 30 minutes away from the city, for example, is Isla Coronado.
This uninhabited island is an inactive volcano, with old lava flows shaping cliffs and unique rock formations along the coast. It also has spectacular white sand beaches and turqoise water bays.
Isla Coronado is a habitat for many species of wildlife, from pelicans, blue footed boobies and frigatebirds to dolphins and turtles. All of this plus the aforementioned whales in winter.
On the northeast side of the island is a large sea lion colony. Although I was a little nervous at first, we took the opportunity to go scuba diving here.
Though curious, the sea lions were surprisingly polite. I couldn’t believe how agile they were in the water. We had a dozen of them swirling above us.
Our second dive was a little further south. On both dives, we saw octopi, sharks and many colorful fish, so many rays and plenty of nudibranches too. While there isn’t any coral, the volcanic rocks are interesting and there is so much life to watch.
Snorkelling is also popular, though a thick wetsuit is needed in the winter months. After our dives, we hung out on a beautiful white sand beach.
Go whale watching (blue whales, humpback, fin and more)
The protected and nutrient-rich waters of the Loreto Bay National Park are a favourite of whales in the winter, especially the blue whale. Yes, it’s possible to see the largest animal in the world in Loreto!
A large contingent (around 2800) of these gentle giants travel down from the much cooler Arctic waters around Alaska and British Columbia every December and usually arrive in Baja California Sur in early February. In the last few years, it’s been earlier, in mid January.
The blue whales primarily come here to feed, rest and raise calves. By the end of March, the group has usually left to begin the long journey north again.
There’s a chance to spot whales on any kind of Loreto boat tour around this time of year. There are dedicated boat tours, however. Other possible sightings include fin whales, humpbacks, manta rays, dolphins and, very rarely, grey whales.
Visit San Javier and the mission
San Javier is a sleepy yet atmospheric community in the mountains west of Loreto (pop. 150). The fertile valley here is home to the impressive San Francisco Javier mission building, completed in 1759.
The Jesuits who established the mission created an irrigation system and also planted vines and olive trees.
Beautifully twisted and gnarled, some of the latter still survive (over 300 years old!)
The San Javier Farm restaurant blew us away for both food and experience – flavourful veg forward dishes, outdoor cooking, dessert under the stars and amazing service. The epitome of farm to table, truly! The restaurant offers a dinner and shuttle deal from Loreto.
Go horseback riding along the beach
Loreto can be a windy place sometimes, so it’s good to remain flexible. We were hoping to do several more water based tours on our April trip but it was too windy to go out (the marina was completely closed). As an alternative, we went horseback riding one day instead.
Our two hour tour took in the best of Loreto – a ride down the beach, with the ocean waves crashing right next to us, and a shorter journey through the cacti-studded desert.
The latter was still full of life, with many twittering birds and vultures. Mario, our certified guide, is a keen bird watcher. To book, you can contact Mario Perez directly via WhatsApp – +52 1 613 105 8935.
Road trip Highway 1 to spectacular beaches
The beaches north of Loreto are absolutely stunning – think bright white sand, turquoise water, surrounded by desert hills. The best are found in the Bay of Concepción, closer to the city of Mulegé.
The drive from Loreto to Mulegé is 135km and takes around two hours…but you’re going to want to stop a fair few times on this scenic journey.
The cacti-lined route winds across the desert, with the ocean on one side and the mountains on the other.
Upon reaching the Bay of Concepción, the road hugs the coastline and a series of white sand beaches appear. There are various viewpoints right on the highway.
Explore the Bay of Concepción
Even better than just seeing the Bay of Concepción from the highway is exploring it by boat! We took a half day pontoon tour from Playa El Burro with El Burro Baja Tours.
The morning weather was so calm as we travelled around the islands to find wildlife. We spotted blue footed boobies, baby pelicans, cormorants and more. The day before, they’d seen a whale shark.
Then, above a shipwreck, we went snorkelling and swam with colourful fish, rays and even a turtle.
The finale was a trip to an island beach for a feast of clams, scallops and fish tacos. One of our guides had been free diving for seafood throughout our tour, so we knew it was the freshest around! A dreamy day with the perfect weather.
Visit Mulegé and the San Borjitas Cave Paintings
Mulegé (pronounced ‘Mool-a-hay’) is a small city of 3,800 residents about 2 hours drive north of Loreto. With the river running right through the city, it is, quite literally, a lush oasis. Somehow, it’s even more relaxed than Loreto!
Mulegé is the launching point for trips to the 7500 year old San Borjitas Cave Paintings, believed to be the oldest discovered on the continent.
While the drive through the desert is long and bumpy (and also followed by a short hike), I’d say it is certainly worth the time.
It was such a surreal feeling to view these ancient, larger-than-life human figures. I was so impressed, I wrote a whole post about the San Borjitas Cave and the tour experience.
Other highlights of our time in Mulegé included eating the BEST ice cream I’ve had anywhere (seriously), finding local street art, riding a Trajineras boat along the river, visiting the Mission Santa Rosalía and checking out the views from the river lookout. All the details are in the above linked post!
Other things to do in and around Loreto
This post would simply be too long if I included everything there was to do in and around Loreto. But here are a few more ideas –
- Kayaking is super popular in Loreto, especially during the whale watching season. There are guided day trips and more adventurous self guided 3 to 7 day (or longer) expeditions. We travelled to Loreto with our friend Leigh (of HikeBikeTravel) and she has kayaked extensively in this area
- Fishing is a way of life in this region and there is apparently good fishing all year round. Day fishing charters usually charge by the boat and leave the marina early in the morning (6am)
- Bird watching is possible on many different tours (as well as dedicated ones), with Loreto being host to over 600 different species, some endemic. The blue footed boobies are some local favourites
- Hiking in the desert and mountains is a great way to see the other ‘side’ of this landscape. There are many Indigenous cave paintings to visit as well, such as the La Pinguica pictographs (6.4km return hike)
- Golfing is possible in Loreto, despite the desert conditions. There are two golf courses, with TPC Danzante Bay being particularly well regarded
Loreto, Baja California Sur: Essential information
If Loreto sounds like a good fit for your next Mexico trip, the following details may help with your planning. If you have more questions, let me know in the comments below.
How to get to Loreto
While Loreto may be small, it is surprisingly accessible. WestJet flies weekly from Calgary direct to the city from November to April.
This means that Canadians can take advantage of WestJet’s national network to fly from local airports all the way to Loreto.
Due to the early morning timing of the outbound flight to Loreto, we had to overnight in Calgary after flying in from Penticton (BC) but that was fine with us.
There are also regular international flights from Los Angeles and Phoenix. Within Mexico, Volaris provides flights from Tijuana.
Loreto itself is only 11 minutes from the airport (6.5km). Yes, really! To get there, take a local taxi, book a private transfer or hire a rental vehicle. Some of the larger hotels have airport shuttles.
Where to stay
For most of our time in Loreto, we stayed at Hôtel Rosarito. I absolutely loved this hotel, which is only two blocks from the main square.
Despite being pretty central, it is super quiet and offers free breakfast, a small plunge pool (great for cooling off in the afternoon), nicely decorated (and super clean) rooms and a rooftop patio.
The hotel feels exceptionally safe too; all of the rooms look out onto a courtyard, which is only accessible via the reception area. The main door is locked at night (all guests have a key).
We also spent one night at Posada Del Cortés. While advertised as only two stars, this colonial style property has beautiful, spacious rooms. Some, like ours, have balconies.
Breakfast is included and brought directly to the room. Located slightly closer to the water and main square, this hotel is less quiet than the Rosarito, but I’d still recommend it.
Is Loreto safe?
I felt very safe in Loreto. Baja California Sur, in general, has a low crime rate. Located at the tip of a long peninsula, the state feels more like an island. Access is limited and, as a whole, the area has a rural feel.
Of course, petty crime (such as pickpocketing) is possible, much like any other destination. We never felt at risk, even late at night. We encounted two vagrants, who both immediately moved on as soon as we said no to their request for money.
I ran on Loreto’s Malecón around sunrise several times and received nothing but friendly smiles and calls of ‘¡buenos días!’ from locals.
Please note that the state of Baja California is the northern part of the peninsula and is completely different to the southern region where Loreto is located. Baja California has a much higher crime rate than Baja California Sur.
When to go
Loreto is host to a subtropical desert climate and is a four season destination.
Expect year round sunny weather, with the hottest temperatures from June to August (35 to 36c or 95 to 97f). Water temperatures are also warmer during these months (25c), so if snorkelling and diving is your priority, be sure to visit then. The visibility is better too.
For most visitors, November to April is the most popular time to go to Loreto. This is due to the warm winter temperatures. According to locals, November is the best time to visit during that timeframe as the water is still warm after the summer.
Later on in the winter, it becomes considerably cooler (around 18c). We needed to use thick wetsuits (7mm) for diving and snorkelling in the Bay. The water was, however, warmer in the Bay of Concepción, closer to the city of Mulegé.
The busiest period in Loreto is January to March, which is the whale watching season. By late March, they have generally moved on. Expect daytime temperatures around 20 to 24c (68 to 75f) during this time, with cooler evenings (bring a sweater).
Loreto can be windy, something that can bring temperatures down. We visited Loreto in early April and the first few days were warm to cool during the day due to high winds (18 to 22c). By the end of our week long trip, the winds had reduced and daytime temperatures ranged from 25 to 30c.
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One half of the Canadian/British couple behind Off Track Travel, Gemma is happiest when hiking on the trail or planning the next big travel adventure. JR and Gemma are currently based in the beautiful Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada. Consider buying us a coffee if you have find any of our guides helpful!