Driving Baja California – Part 14
Updated Aug 2022
This is part 14 of the “Driving Baja California” series. Click on the Travel menu at the top for the other parts.
Loreto
On our trip down the Baja Peninsula, we deliberately skipped some nice towns in order to have some new and pleasant places to explore on the return journey north. Loreto was one of these places. Loreto is a lovely little seaside town on the gulf side of the peninsula. There is not much to see and do, but it is a delightful and tranquil place to spend a few days. It is the oldest Spanish settlement in Baja, established in 1697. It was the capital of Baja until a hurricane destroyed it in 1829. The town has since been rebuilt, but the capital is now in La Paz.
Spanish Mission
The mission here was built in 1697. It was the headquarters for all the missions in Baja and what is now the American state of California. In the hurricane of 1829, the bells crashed through the roof into the church’s interior, where they remained for more than 150 years. The bell tower was restored to its original condition, and the bells were re-hung in the 1980s.
The mission has a fascinating museum with many artefacts of the early days in Baja. They have the original paintings from the 1600s from the mission and many items that were used in the 1700s, including an ancient wheel that is not quite round.
Brown Boobies
After lunch, we walked along the Malecon (sea-shore walkway). The marina here offers an excellent opportunity to see Brown Boobies. These seabirds never come to shore, but you can get a good look at them by walking out to the end of the pier. They fly from their island roosts to look for food along the pier.
Government Building
It is nice to take a stroll around Loreto, enjoying the sunshine and the pleasant atmosphere. First, we saw the old building that used to be the government headquarters when Loreto was the capital of Baja.
Baja California Indians
We learned that the early Spanish colonizers brought diseases such as smallpox, diphtheria and sexual diseases unknown to the native Indians. The population of Baja California before the Spanish came was more than 41,000. The white man’s diseases wiped them out. By the 1900s, no native Baja Peninsula Indians remained.
Spanish Roads
We also learned that the primitive roads the Spanish built in the 1600s and 1700s were still in use until the Baja highway was built in 1973. Some of their routes are still in use today.
Taking it easy
After touring the town, it was time to relax with a cold drink in the town square. If you are there on a Sunday, entertainers often dance and sing. A pleasant end to a very enjoyable day.
Loreto is defiantly one of the nicest places in Baja California, although it does not get many tourists compared to other places on the Peninsula. I recommend saving this beautiful place for a few days of relaxation on the way back north after seeing most of the peninsula.
Driving Baja California
For the complete list of pages about driving the Baja California Peninsula, click here: Driving Baja California