Loreto

Loreto is a small town on the Sea of Cortez coast of Baja California Sur, Mexico. It was the first capital of the Californias, established by Jesuit missionaries in 1697, and the Misión de Nuestra Señora de Loreto, the oldest mission in Baja California, still stands on the main plaza near the waterfront. The town has a quiet, unhurried feel, with a malecón (waterfront promenade) and a handful of restaurants serving fresh fish tacos and ceviche. The Loreto Bay Marine Park protects the waters offshore, including several islands with sea lion colonies. Isla Coronado, about an hour by boat, has good snorkelling and a white sand beach. Between January and March, blue and grey whales pass through the channel. The desert landscape behind town is dry and cactus-studded, and kayaking along the coast is popular. The town is small enough to walk, and the pace is notably slower than Cabo San Lucas.