The Lazy Town of Loreto

It’s an idyllic 74 degrees in Baja California Sur and the tiny Loreto International Airport (LTO), which conceals more domestic and international flights than may appear possible for a thatched-roof structure, is bustling with people escaping the cold and coming home—or quite possibly, their second home. That’s because the bucolic hamlet of Loreto Bay, off the Sea of Cortez, is becoming a haven for people seeking the simpler life of a quiet Mexican town and the next “it” resort destination, one which not even superstars know about…yet.

The Inn at Loreto Bay is a getaway within a getaway whose Santa Fe architecture is perfectly— and unobtrusively—at home with its setting. Guests can spend their days enjoying a kayak ride or hiking Punta Nopolo, just a minute’s walk from the property. Rooms are spacious and orderly, also inspired by the region’s natural landscapes. Indeed, the hotel’s surroundings, including the nine proposed “villages” that will hug the property (the second has begun construction and follows key Loreto Bay principles such as adobe block-built courtyard homes with both ocean and mountain views), are being designed so that people can walk and bike around—a clearly novel concept in community planning design nowadays. In fact, the area is being “…designed for interaction with people,” says Peter Clark, Loreto Bay’s technical director of sustainability, explaining that each village will have a higher-density core and thus use less land.

Besides a loyal adherence to Loreto Bay’s elements of sustainability, the Inn at Loreto Bay has an added bonus in its dining offerings: the produce used here grow in Loreto Bay’s Agricultural Center and Organic Farm, where the freshest fruit and vegetables are cultivated and cared for—and later served to clients in the resort’s restaurants. One of the Inn at Loreto Bay’s trademark offers is its learning vacations—packages influenced by Baja California Sur’s wide range of educational possibilities. A Digital Photography Vacation, for instance (April 26-29), allows your clients to hone their digital photography skills with expert Frank Fennell while shooting photos of the region’s vistas and wildlife. Another vacation, Medicinal Plants of Baja, is scheduled for May 3-6.

The hotel currently has a 3-night Loreto Bay Fishing package available through May 15 that includes accommodations and meals as well as two days of a “Super Panga Boat Charter” with a captain for seven hours per day of fishing along with gear, bait and licenses. Also available is a Whale Watching package (through April) for a 4-day holiday that includes a visit to the waters now flush with grey whales and their brood. Furthermore, a number of homes in Loreto Bay will be available for nightly and weekly bookings at a future date, with a number of hotel services and amenities available to them; details are in the works.

The Town of Loreto is home to the Mission of Our Lady of Loreto, the first mission established in the Californias, this is an undiscovered gem years away from the hustle and bustle of Los Cabos. The region is ripe with opportunities for getting away from it all: snorkeling off Coronado Island (just eight miles away), biking along desert trails, even just enjoying a leisurely walk along Loreto’s boardwalk and watching the pelicans dive into the waters with glee. Some airlines flying into Loreto include Alaska Airlines, Delta, AeroMexico, and beginning in June, Continental Airlines, which will offer nonstop service from Houston twice a week.