Loreto
EmbarkationLoreto is a small colonial-era town and municipal seat on the Sea of Cortez coast of Baja California Sur, Mexico, roughly 350 km north of La Paz. Founded in 1697 as the first permanent Spanish mission and original capital of the Californias, it retains a walkable historic center of cobbled streets, a palm-lined malecón and a stone mission church, all framed by the dramatic Sierra de la Giganta mountains. Today it is a designated Pueblo Mágico and a low-key base for marine tourism: the offshore islands of Bahía de Loreto National Park draw snorkelers, kayakers, sport fishers and whale watchers (blue whales pass in winter, and gray whales gather on the Pacific side at Bahía Magdalena via a day trip across the peninsula). The climate is hot desert, with mild, sunny winters that form the high season and very hot summers. Loreto International Airport (LTO) has seasonal and year-round flights from U.S. cities such as Phoenix, Los Angeles and Dallas, plus connections from Mexican hubs, while Highway 1 links the town to the rest of the peninsula. Nearby attractions include the mountain mission of San Javier and the resort development of Nopoló/Loreto Bay just south of town.
