Question 1

Loreto on Your Own

Accepted Answer

Loreto is a walking town, and an independent day can cover the mission, its museum and the seafront Malecón without a car. With more time, a taxi or a booked tour can take you up into the mountains to the mission at San Javier. The mission: The stone church of the Mission of Our Lady of Loreto, built between 1740 and 1744, still serves as the town's parish church. It stands at the start of El Camino Real, the old mission road that runs north through the Californias. The museum: The Museo de las Misiones Jesuíticas, beside the mission, shows religious art, weapons and tools used in the Baja California missions in the 17th and 18th centuries. Check opening hours before you go. The Malecón: The seafront promenade was built in the mid-20th century and is the place for a walk along the bay. Farther afield: The Mission of San Francisco Javier, in the village of San Javier across the Sierra de la Giganta, is the best preserved mission on the peninsula. It is a mountain drive away, so go only with a reliable driver and a clear return time. Getting back on time: All-aboard is usually about 30 minutes before sailing, and your ship posts the exact time. A ship will not wait for passengers touring on their own. Watch the clock: Baja California Sur is seven hours behind UTC, which can differ from your ship's clock. Go by the time your ship gives.

Question 2

Getting Around Loreto

Accepted Answer

Within the town, walking is all you need, and bicycles are a practical way to cover more ground. For anything beyond the town, such as San Javier or the beaches to the south, you will need a taxi or a tour. Federal Highway 1, the main road down the Baja peninsula, has only two lanes and passes along the west side of town. Puerto Escondido, a sheltered natural harbor about 30 minutes south of downtown, is the base for many private boats. Use taxis from authorized ranks rather than ones that approach you on the street. The road to San Javier, built in the mid-20th century, climbs into the Sierra de la Giganta.

Question 3

What to Eat in Loreto

Accepted Answer

Seafood is the heart of eating in Loreto, as it is across the Baja California peninsula, which has the widest variety of seafood in Mexican cooking. Sport fishing is Loreto's main tourist attraction and its main source of employment, and local restaurants will cook the day's catch for anglers. Summer fishing here is for dorado, also known as mahi-mahi, and winter fishing for yellowtail. Fish caught in the waters off Loreto include marlin, sailfish, snapper and seabass. A mild green chile and dates, especially in sweets, are typical of the peninsula's food.

Question 4

Tipping in Mexico

Accepted Answer

Mexico's tipping customs are close to those of the United States, with 10 to 15 percent the usual tip in sit-down restaurants. Look over the bill first, since under Mexican consumer law a service charge should not be added without your consent. Small, inexpensive eateries usually do not expect a tip. Taxi drivers are not normally tipped, unless the driver is also your guide on a tour. The peso is the local currency, and US dollars are accepted in some tourist areas, usually at a worse rate.

Question 5

Culture and Sights in Loreto

Accepted Answer

Two of Loreto's main celebrations honor the town's founding and its patron, Our Lady of Loreto. It is a town of large, long-established families, and many residents share the same few surnames. The Fiestas de la Fundación de Loreto, from October 19 to 25, mark the founding of the town and are one of the most important cultural events in Baja California Sur. The feast of Our Lady of Loreto, on September 8, brings religious, civic and cultural events. The village of San Javier holds its own festival for Saint Francis Xavier from December 1 to 3, drawing pilgrims from across the peninsula. In the Sierra de la Giganta there are ancient cave paintings in canyons and rock shelters. The nearest site to Loreto, Cuevas Pintas, is about 15 kilometers west of town. Seven buildings in Loreto, dating from the 18th to the 20th century, are protected as historic monuments.

Question 6

History of Loreto

Accepted Answer

Loreto was where Spain finally took hold of Baja California after more than 150 years of failed attempts, and for decades it was the capital of all the Californias. The Jesuit mission founded here in 1697 became the base for a chain of missions across the peninsula, and the Camino Real mission road that begins at Loreto later ran north to Sonoma, in today's California. Failed beginnings: After Hernán Cortés's attempt at a colony near today's La Paz failed in 1535, later efforts also collapsed, including a Jesuit outpost at San Bruno, about 20 kilometers north of Loreto, abandoned in 1685. The founding, 1697: On October 19, 1697, the Jesuit Juan María de Salvatierra landed from the galley Santa Elvira at a place the local Monqui people called Conchó, near a spring of fresh water. On October 25, the mission was dedicated to Our Lady of Loreto. Resistance: In November 1697, about 200 Monqui men attacked the small Spanish fort. The Spanish held out, and within a year about 100 Monqui families had joined the mission. Decline of the Monqui: European diseases took a heavy toll, and by 1770 the Monqui were all but gone as a people. San Javier, 1699: Because Loreto had too little water for farming, the Jesuits founded a second mission in 1699 at San Javier, in a valley across the mountains. The stone church, 1740–1744: The mission church that still stands was begun in 1740 and finished in 1744. Toward Alta California, 1769: The overland expedition of Gaspar de Portolá, which went on to found missions in today's US state of California, set out from Loreto on March 24, 1769. The capital moves, 1777: Loreto was the capital of the Californias until February 3, 1777, when the capital moved to Monterey. It remained the capital of Baja California until the late 1820s, when floods destroyed much of the town and the capital moved to La Paz. A park on the doorstep, 1996: Bahía de Loreto National Park was created on July 19, 1996, and in 2005 became part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site covering protected areas in the Gulf of California. To learn more ashore: The Museo de las Misiones Jesuíticas, beside the Mission of Our Lady of Loreto in the center of town, tells the story of the Baja California missions.

Question 7

Family Experiences in Loreto

Accepted Answer

Loreto is small and flat, which makes it an easy town for children to walk. Family outings on the water head into the national park that begins at the town's edge, where whales, dolphins and sea lions live. Younger children: A walk along the Malecón and a visit to the mission church are short and easy. Bring hats and water, since the sun is strong. School age: The Museo de las Misiones Jesuíticas, beside the mission, has weapons and tools from the 1600s and 1700s, a good hook for children studying history. Teenagers: Kayak tours and snorkeling trips run from Loreto to the islands of Bahía de Loreto National Park, such as Isla Coronado, where sea lions can be seen. Whales: Blue, fin, humpback and other great whales live in the waters off Loreto. Ask on board whether whale-watching trips are running during your call.

Question 8

Beaches Near Loreto

Accepted Answer

Beaches in the Loreto area lie along the coast to the south and north of town, and some are deserted. Nopoló, south of town, has a resort on its beach. Juncalito, Ensenada Blanca and Agua Verde are other beaches in the Loreto area. San Bruno lies to the north of town, near the site of the first, failed Jesuit outpost. Bahía de Loreto National Park protects five large uninhabited islands and many smaller islets offshore, with sandy beaches and sea cliffs.

Loreto, Mexico

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