Location: Loreto Bay, Baja California: Facts & Stats
11/01/2006
On a mission Loreto was the original capital of the Californias, from which the entire Christian mission system was governed during the 18th and early 19th centuries. The town is filled with Spanish Colonial–style architecture and steeped in fascinating history, much of it laid out at the Museo de las Misiones, next door to Nuestra Señora de Loreto. The Loreto Tourism Office at city hall (+52.613.135.0411) is a good place to get your bearings. Food in Loreto is delicious. For indigenous cuisine, you cannot beat the authentic moles served at El Canipole (+52.613.135.1886) next to the Loreto Bay Town Office. Café Olé (+52.613.135.0496) on Paseo Madero is the breakfast hotspot. And if your appetite is hearty, try Pachamama (+52.613.135.2219) on Zapata, a traditional Argentine steakhouse. Hotels include the Inn at Loreto Bay, the former Camino Real, run by Loreto Bay Company and adjacent to the villages (866.850.0333 or www.innatloretobay.com), and Posada de las Flores, right in town (+52.613.135.1162 or www.posadadelasflores.com). Alaska Air flies from Los Angeles; Aeromexico flies from San Diego and via Hermosillo from Phoenix.Day tripper the Sea of Cortés is home to migrating humpback and gray whales, leatherback turtles, sea lions, manta rays and more. Reefs and coves border the islands of Coronado, Del Carmen, Monserrat, Catalana and Danzantes (Velas de Loreto will take you to them all, www.velasdeloreto.com). Landlubbers can strap on hiking boots and venture into the arroyos or head west into the hills to Misión San Francisco Javier, established in 1699 and known as the “Queen of Missions” because it is so well preserved. (Cecilia Haugen at C&C Tours, +52.613.135.0525, conducts tours of these, as well as whale-watching trips and walks through the historic district.) Also nearby are many charming towns, such as Santa Rosalia (with French architecture, including a church by an apprentice of Gustave Eiffel) and the capital of BCS, La Paz.
The deal home prices fluctuate, but generally range from $380,000 for a Casa Chica (1,516 square feet, two bedrooms, two baths) to $1.2 million for a Casa de las Olas (2,244 square feet, 4 bedrooms, 4 baths, on either sea or estuary). Custom homes, where the sky’s the limit, can be built on 1,500- to 6,000-square-foot lots ranging from $250,000 to $1.7 million. Sales started last October on Agua Viva I and II (this development will be crisscrossed by canals and estuaries—hence the name, which means “living water”). By writing a fully refundable $5,000 escrow check and filling out a form, prospective buyers activate membership in the Priority Opportunity Program. This qualifies you to attend “Selection Events” (next: Nov. 2–5 and Nov. 30–Dec. 3) where you walk the properties with Loreto Bay executives and architects. Sales are conducted in the order that checks and forms were received. You can opt out of the program after 90 days, at which time your check is returned. For more information, contact the Loreto Bay Company at 866.956.7386, www.loretobay.com.