.....LORETO, prononced LOW-RET-TOE, not LOW-RAY-DO, is located on the Lower Half of the Baja California Peninsula in the the Mexican state of Baja California Sur. It is the original Capital of the California's and is rich in history and natural beauty.
..... Loreto has the Sea of Cortez, or Gulf of California as it is known in the United States, as its Eastern boundry, and the Majestic Sierra Gigantica Mountians rising a few miles inland as its Western border. The narrow coastal plain supported a large native Indian population when the Spanish Conquistadors arrived over four hundred years ago. The Spanish first discovered water in a palm canyon a few miles from present day Loreto, at a place known appropately as Primera Aqua ,or First Water.They colonized the area, and built Mission's that are still in use today. Their infulence formed part of the culture that is Mexico today.
..... Not much has changed in Loreto during the thirty years I have been traveling the peninsula. It is still a small town with more locals then tourist's. They take their afternoon siesta, and Pesos are more common then Dollars. Yes there are more tourist's today, a new international airport and even a golf course, but you can still sit on the malicon (Seawall) and watch the fisherman bring in the yellowtail catch, walk around the town square with the locals on Saterday night or attend Mass on Sunday in the old Mission church. A trip into the mountians of the Sierra Gigantica is like steping into a time machine. If you have the spirit of adventure, like to explore, fish, lay in the sun, or just immerse yourself in the culture, I think you will enjoy a vist to Loreto.
.....WEATHER
.....Loreto is located in the heart of a Desert, with all the vices and vertues of the great deserts of the
world. Mostly hot and dry, a rainstorm can bring serious flooding to the many ravines called "Vados" in Spanish. Summer temperture's are often over 110 degree's.
Winter's highs may only be in the 50's. It is a desert of extreams. Hurricanes from the Pacific
sometimes make their way over the Baja Peninsula. During the hurricane season which is June through October, five
inches of rain can fall in as
many hours Vados into rageing torrents.
Cold Winter winds
can scream down the Sea of Cortez at 30 miles per hour making fishing or any water
sports dangereous if not impossible.
But mostly the weather is
quite.There are wonderful warm evenings, tropical sunsets
and the Sea of Cortez glowing mirror smooth. Days can be pleasently warm and spent laying in the sun or exploring Baja.
Although there is no roaring nightlife in Loreto, visitors gather at the Hotel bars and many resturants. People are friendly and new friendships abound.
The Best Time to Go. My favorite time of the year is the Springtime, March, April, May, and the Fall, September, October, and November.
The Winter months, November, December and January can be nice, but if the cold North Winds blow it can inhibit outdoor activities, and can get surprizingly cold. The Summer months of June, July and August are hot and can bring real scorchers. Loreto is located in a Desert which usually means warm days and cold nights. If you"ve experience Palm Springs California you have a good idea of what to expect. Most Major newspapers will have International weather reports from nearby La Paz or Mazatlan, to give you a idea of what to expect.
WHAT TO DO
Lay in the sun. Fishing. Golf. Exploring. Visit the Cave Paintings in the Desert. .....Some adventures, like petting a wild whale, are availible nowhere else in the world. See the SIDE TRIPS section on the Hotel page.
Loreto still has Colonial charm and is a real Mexican town, not a tourist trap. The high rise hotels of Cabo San Lucas along with the crowds and high prices that go with them, are a comfortable two hundred and fifty miles away.
As the popularity of Loreto has grown, so have the number of travelers that would like to visit Loreto and travel on to other Mexican destinations like Cabo San Lucas. Well, that presents a problem. Loreto is not a hub for any airline,and has few if any schedualed flights most of which go to the US, but you may be able to hire a air taxi service at the the airport. There is no ferry boat or cruse ship port. Local rental car companys will not let you drop off their cars at other Baja destinations, so how do you get from here to there?
Mexican's travel by Bus and Baja has several Bus lines that link almost every town. Mexicans also do not go to Cabo San Lucas, they go to La Paz which is the commercial center and capital of Southern Baja California. So the secret is to either rent-a-car and drive round trip from Loreto to where ever, or, take a Mexican Bus to La Paz and rent a car at the airport there. La Paz is a major airport and has lots of flights with connections to almost anywhere. The Bus station is Loreto is easy to find and Mexicans Buses, although often joked about are reasonably clean and reliable. Most delux buses will have a rest room and air conditioning. Its about 225 miles to La Paz. Thats a six to seven hour bus ride, but worth it if you like desert scenery.Fares are quite low about $20US to La Paz.
Another possibility is to hire a local cab to drive you to La Paz. That may sound crazy in the US but in Mexico there are no meters and the taxi driver has nothing to do anyway so you may be able to nogotiate a reasonable fare.
QUESTIONS? E-MAIL Lexusbob@aol.com
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