Photograph by Jack Swenson
Location: Loreto Bay, Baja California: Facts & Stats
November 1, 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.
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