Where to Play, Eat, and Stay in Loreto on Mexico's Baja California Peninsula

My recent trip to Loreto was my third overall visit and my first in over 20 years. I visited in early winter when the weather is just about perfect, but the best time to visit Loreto really depends on your primary reason for going. If you want to see whales, come in late winter or early spring. Summer is the time for lounging on the beach and soaking up the heat, as well as casting lines for big fish like marlin and dorado (mahi-mahi) although you can fish year-round. For festivals and outdoor activities, look to the cooler temperatures in fall and winter.

Whatever time of year you decide to visit, here’s everything you need to know about Loreto, Mexico, from what to see and eat to where to stay and how to get around.

Things to do in Loreto, Mexico

Visit historic missions

Misión de Nuestra Señora de Loreto Conchó, or Mission Loreto, is smack dab in the heart of downtown Loreto. Founded in 1697 by Jesuit missionary Juan María de Salvatierra, it was the first successful mission established on the El Camino Real, a missionary road that runs from the southern tip of the Baja peninsula to Sonoma County, California. The stone church was completed in 1744 and has an impressive five-story bell tower that still rings regularly. Inside is a baroque altarpiece with the original painting of Our Lady of Loreto.

A bright yellow museum that was, at one time, a convent is attached to the church. Called the Museo de las Misiones de Baja California, it contains several hundred items, including 300-year-old church documents and Indigenous artifacts predating that.

Mission Loreto: Juan María de Salvatierra 14, Centro, 23880 Loreto, BCS, Mexico

About an hour’s drive from Loreto is Mission San Javier (full name Misión San Francisco Xavier de Viggé-Biaundó). Originally built in 1702, it moved to its current location in 1710 to be near a spring, and the impressively preserved mission has had very little reconstruction done since it was built. In fact, the white paint on the walls and the glass in the windows are all original.

On the back side of the mission is a small museum. Outside, local vintners offer wine tasting. A short walk behind the church takes you into the old orchards; it follows the mini-aqueducts that channel water from the town’s spring to a 300-year-old olive tree. You’ll need a car to get to Mission San Javier as there’s no public transportation, but it’s a beautiful drive through the desert, into the canyons, and up the mountain.

San Javier Mission: 23893 San Javier, BCS, Mexico

Get to know the Malecón de Loreto

The Malecón de Loreto is a walkway that runs for about a mile along the gulf. It’s bordered on the north and south by beaches, and it passes the city’s pier, marina, and giant, colorful Loreto sign. The malecón (boardwalk) is part of Loreto’s very culture — a place to get coffee right next to the pier, go shopping, enjoy a fine meal, or watch the sunrise over Isla Carmen. In my four days in Loreto, I went to the malecón twice to watch the sunrise.

Malecón de Loreto: Centro, 23880 Loreto, BCS, Mexico

Spend the day fishing

Loreto has been known internationally as a sportfishing destination ever since American pilot Edward Tabor first started flying down visitors in the 1950s. You can fish right off the pier, where I saw people catching 18-plus-inch roosterfish at sunrise. If you’re up for a bigger challenge, you can also join a charter and fish for marlin out in the Gulf of California. Loreto also hosts big fishing competitions to catch dorado and other species, including the popular Marina Puerto Escondido Fishing Tournament.

Arturo’s Sport Fishing & Tours: Hidalgo St s/n, Centro, 23880 Loreto, BCS, Mexico

Venture out on horseback

During my recent visit, my group went to a small corral in a town called Ligüí that’s located a few miles south of Loreto and is set among the cacti and bushes. Mario Perez, our guide, asked each of us how much experience we had with horses and assigned horses accordingly. I got Suspiro (although I’m not certain that I heard the name correctly because the Spanish word suspiro means “sigh” in English).

We mounted and followed Mario through the scrub and sand as he pointed out and named plants like the torote (elephant tree) and palo blanco (“white stick” tree). Our horses were mostly content to follow each other single file. After a short ride, we popped up over a rise in the sand to see the bay’s beautiful blue water and Isla Danzante just offshore, and then rode down the beach. On the way back, Mario led us inland through the desert, through the town of Ligüí, and back to the corral.

Loretours Perez: 23880 Loreto, BCS, Mexico

Hike for the views

There are many lovely hikes close to Loreto. But before you set out, remember to be careful hiking in the heat, the desert, and the mountains. Make sure you’re prepared to hike safely, starting with knowing where you’re going and bringing sufficient food and water — or make it easy and go with a guide, such as one from Vive Loreto Tours.

Rafa, my group’s guide one afternoon, led us on a roughly two-mile hike to the top of Cruz Hill. The hike was short but steep, and from the top, we had amazing views of the water and islands to the east and Marina Puerto Escondido to the north.

Vive Loreto Tours: Plaza Santuario #170 Loreto Bay, Nopolo, Loreto, BCS, Mexico

Go whale watching

There are several species of whales that frequent the waters off of Loreto, but the largest and most majestic of these is the blue whale. According to Ivette Marines, Operations Director at Loreto BCS Tourism, blue-whale-watching season runs from the middle of January to the middle of March, but the most consistent time to see the blue whales is the month of February. The whales come to the calm, food-rich waters of the gulf to have their babies. In addition to guided hikes and other land and sea adventures, Vive Loreto Tours also hosts whale-watching tours.

Vive Loreto Tours: Plaza Santuario #170 Loreto Bay, Nopoló, Loreto, BCS, Mexico

Get a spa treatment

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Loreto has no shortage of places to get spa treatments. My friends and I chose to go to Spa las Flores, located right on the central plaza. It has everything from massages to pedicures to facials and a variety of combo packages. I chose the Violetas plan, and my therapist Laura gave me a relaxing massage and anti-aging facial.

Spa las Flores: Davis & Salvatierra St, Local #163, Loreto Bay, Nopolo, Loreto, BCS, Mexico

Where to eat in Loreto, Mexico

Mi Loreto

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Mi Loreto is a little cafe that’s decorated in bright, fun primary colors, making it feel like a fiesta could break out at any time. It’s just down the street from Mission Loreto and is the perfect spot to take a break from sightseeing in the Centro area. The menu features local standards. I was just off the plane when I visited, so I stayed on the lighter side, ordering a refreshing soup and salad — but for a real treat, try the enchiladas de mole.

Mi Loreto: Calle Salvatierra #50, 23880 Loreto, BCS, Mexico

Los Olivos

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Los Olivos is one of several restaurants in La Mision Hotel and sits right on the malecón with views of the water. The atmosphere is elegant, and the service is friendly and responsive. The menu is a mix of steakhouse and nouveau Baja cuisine that features some authentic Mexican dishes and plenty of fresh, locally sourced seafood — I had a Caesar salad and linguine alfredo, both lovely. Make sure to leave room for dessert when you go. My table shared a chocolate brownie and fried ice cream that I’d recommend.

Los Olivos: Calle Rosendo Robles s/n, Centro, 23880 Loreto, BCS, Mexico

La Palapa San Javier

La Palapa San Javier is a hop, skip, and a jump from Mission San Javier. The restaurant serves local cuisine in a rustic setting — think thatched roof with open wood beams, plus ornate wrought-iron chairs and tables. Owner Guillermo Bastida also owns a nearby ranch where much of the food — beef and citrus, for example — is sourced. The food was amazing. I had the machaca flautas (rolled tortillas with dried and shredded meat) and dulce de leche (carmelized milk) for dessert. I recommend anything with the machaca, which is beef from the owner’s ranch that’s been seasoned, dried, and shredded.

La Palapa San Javier: 23893 San Javier, BCS, Mexico

La Brisa

Perched on the edge of Marina Puerto Escondido, complete with an outside patio where you’ll eat to the sounds of rocking and clanging boats, La Brisa is an American-Mexican fusion restaurant that specializes in wood-fired pizzas but also has the usual range of local dishes. It’ll also cook any fish that you bring in — as it says on the menu, “you hook, we cook.”

I went with the delicious and plentiful chicken fajitas and would also recommend the tortilla soup, which one of my companions described as the best she’s ever had. For dessert, the flan was a standout, and on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays, you can hear live music.

La Brisa: Calle Bahia de las Palmas Manzana 15 Lote 1, 23894 Loreto, BCS, Mexico

El Zopilote Brewing Co.

El Zopilote offers inside-outside dining on the edge of Loreto’s central plaza, just two blocks from the malecón and one block from the mission. It has a selection of local craft beers, wood-fired pizzas, pub food, and fresh fish. The atmosphere is casual and surf-y with beer on tap, a bamboo-fronted bar, and a cactus mural. The fish tacos were a group favorite, while I also enjoyed a crispy chicken sandwich that I would happily order again.

El Zopilote Brewing Co.: Calle Davis #13, Centro, 23880 Loreto, BCS, Mexico

Raíz

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Raíz, a restaurant at the Posada de las Flores hotel, is a special experience. There’s been a building on this site for several centuries that’s been remodeled, reconstructed, and updated several times — the current version is Mexican colonial with bright, desert-themed colors, dark wood beams, and front doors that are hundreds of years old. But the pool above the dining room — yes, you can see through the bottom of the pool’s thick glass — is recent.

The menu changes daily and is a mix of local dishes and fine dining. You can choose from a regular menu or a four-course prix fixe menu, which was my group’s choice. Our meal included shrimp bruschetta, creamy bell pepper soup, farm-fresh salad made with greens picked that very morning, chili stuffed with seafood and mushrooms, and chocolate pudding for dessert.

Posada de las Flores: Avenida Salvatierra y Fco y Madero s/n, Fco. I. Madero, Centro, 23880 Loreto, BCS, Mexico

Where to stay in Loreto, Mexico

Hotel Rosarito

Hotel Rosarito is a boutique hotel with two levels of rooms wrapped around a modest central pool and lounge area. The rooms are small but nicely designed, with a proportionately large and comfortable bed and a large tiled shower. The decor is a nod to traditional Mexican architecture with stuccoed built-in shelving, a closet, and a bench. Breakfast is included and served in the pool area. The central location is another perk — the hotel is two blocks from the beach, one block from Mission Loreto, and walking distance to many restaurants, services, and attractions.

Hotel Rosarito: Francisco I. Madero S/N between Juárez and Atanacio Carrillo, Centro, 23880 Loreto, BCS, Mexico

Posada de Las Flores

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Posada de Las Flores dominates Loreto’s main square with its two-story pastel pink walls. The building, in some form, has been around for hundreds of years, and the current bar area was at one time Loreto’s main general store and center of city life. The hotel went through a major rebuild and redesign 27 years ago to modernize it. It now has a fine-dining restaurant, a rooftop pool, and a spa just a few steps away. The decor in the restaurant includes open beams, pastel desert colors, and some original 200-year-old furniture.

Posada de las Flores: Avenida Salvatierra y Fco y Madero S/N, Fco. I. Madero, Centro, 23880 Loreto, BCS, Mexico

Villas del Santo Nino

If you need a place for a longer-term stay or a larger group, Villas del Santo Nino has lower rates for multi-week stays and complete kitchens in each room. The compound has two-story blocks of rooms that surround an eccentric courtyard complete with an honor bar, pool, gardens, seating areas, a barbecue, and kitschy artwork — all of which is well situated a block from the city’s central plaza.

Villas del Santo Nino: Andador Salvatierra 4, Centro, 23880 Loreto, BCS, Mexico

Getting to and around Loreto, Mexico

The quickest and most convenient way to get to Loreto is to fly. Loreto has an international airport less than 10 minutes from downtown, and there are direct flights from many North American cities including Dallas, Phoenix, Los Angeles, and, seasonally, San Francisco, as well as a flight from Calgary, Canada. I flew from San Francisco (SFO) to Los Angeles (LAX) and then onto the Loreto International Airport (LTO).

Driving is another option. On one of my previous trips to Loreto, I drove from the US. It’s a long drive and a bigger time commitment than flying, but it’s well worth seeing more of the peninsula. For a shorter drive, you can also fly into the Los Cabos International Airport (SJD) roughly 300 miles south of Loreto, rent a car there, and drive some 6.5 hours to Loreto as part of a bigger BCS road trip. Loreto is also a popular destination for RVers.

Once you’re in Loreto, everything in town is within walking distance, from the many restaurants to the mission to the malecón. However, some activities and sights outside of town do require a vehicle. Renting a car is one option; going with a guide is often better. Not only are guided trips convenient, affordable, and informative, but it’s also great to have a knowledgeable local handle logistics.