Loreto, Baja California Sur

Loreto Bay is located on the east coast of the Baja, a beautiful secluded beachfront community that is far from the bustle and excitement of Cabo San Lucas. It is backed by the Sierra de la Giganta mountain range to the west, which gives those of us familiar with the Front Range of the Rockies the same type of landmark to orient us to the four directions. Loreto National Marine Park is also there and is home to over 800 species of fish and marine life. Loreto Bay is a master-planned sustainable living community that has been well-thought out with both community and solitude in mind. The real estate crisis in 2009 in the US really impacted the development of this community but there are many who have worked hard to maintain growth and development, even though it has been much slower than projected. It is thriving, in a manner that may be hard to see, similar to the unhurried growth of my own desert rose (Adenium obesum), a really beautiful desert plant I was first introduced to in Loreto.

We visited Loreto Bay pre-pandemic and fell in love with the community and the surrounding areas. We came at the end of high-season, when most people who were there during the winter months had already headed back north of the border for summer. It was quiet, and frankly, exactly what we were looking for. We rented a home in the Founder’s Neighborhood and absolutely loved the seamless transitions from indoor to outdoor living spaces. The enclosed space with a small pool was where we spent most of our time, but we also really enjoyed going up to the viewing tower in the mornings and evenings to watch the eternal interaction of the sun and the sea at sunrise and sunset. The surf there is extremely calm since it is on a bay, and we were the only two people on the beach most of the time. There are several restaurants in the community, as well as at least one market and a couple of bodegas if you are in need. There are two golf courses close by and the views from there are absolutely gorgeous! If you are an avid golfer, TPC Danzante Bay is a place you want to check out, as it is the only TPC golf course in all of Mexico. While at Loreto Bay, we spent a lot of time just relaxing and enjoying our own company, but we did go to Isla Coronado which was a fun day of snorkeling and being out on the water. Paddle boarding and kayaking are also excellent options, and are peaceful activities on the calm bay. If hiking is your thing, the Sierras are right there waiting for you. From January to March, it is whale watching season, and the Marine Park teems with marine life, including humpbacks, orcas, blue whales and grey whales. What an amazing opportunity!

We did go to the town of Loreto, about 10 miles away. We checked out the grocery store, the marina and a brewery called El Zopilote. Our day trip to Isla Coronado was from the Loreto Marina which was very easy to find. We only spent one day in town, and truly didn’t even look for nightlife activities but anticipate that it is likely pretty quiet. There are no chain stores in this town of 20,000, and as far as I know, there are no plans to bring in big box American commerce. That, by the way, is not a bad thing!

As I was writing this, I realized that what we love about this part of Mexico is less about what there is to do, and more about how we would like to live. It is simple, but has the amenities that most of us want–a nice home in a beautiful place, access to healthy food and clean water, a place where we feel safe and welcome, the opportunity to assimilate into the culture rather than just being visitors . Being able to see beautiful whales come to calm warm waters every winter to have their babies is truly an experience I doubt we’ll ever tire of. This place feels like a good place to call home. I mean, can whales over thousands of years be wrong?