Loreto, Mexico: A Top-Secret Destination in Baja California Sur

If you’re looking for the ultimate trip to Mexico, then I have a bit of advice: Forget about Cancรบn. Leave Cabo in the dust. And no, donโ€™t even think about Puerto Vallarta!

Nowadays, so many parts of Mexico have become wildly Americanized and touristy, and in turn, expensive. If you donโ€™t know where to look, an authentic and relaxing getaway in Mexico will completely pass you by.

So instead, choose Loreto. We know you won’t be disappointed.

After spending just one week in Loreto, Mexico, we fell in love. With so many beautiful scenes, things to do outdoors, friendly locals, great restaurants, and historic sites, you won’t want to leave. Continue reading our Loreto travel guide to see why!

The Ultimate Travel Guide for Loreto, Mexico

Palapa in Loreto, Mexico. If you love an authentic experience, delicious food, beautiful scenery, reasonable prices, and happy people, you may have just discovered your next vacation destination.ย Loreto is also the perfect place to deep-sea fish, whale watch, stand-up paddle board, kayak, snorkel, hike, golf, and lounge at the beach. Loreto's mountain, ocean, and island views are also a major plus. See our Loreto travel guide for the best things to do in Loreto, plus where to stay and where to eat!

What makes Loreto so special?

Because it still remains untouched by hordes of tourists and developers, Loreto, Mexico is quite possibly the best Mexican destination that youโ€™ve never heard of.

If you love an authentic, cultural experience, really delicious food, beautiful scenery, reasonable prices, and happy people, you may have just discovered your next vacation destination.

As a secret hotspot for all things outdoorsy, Loreto, Mexico is the perfect place to deep-sea fish, whale watch, stand-up paddle board, kayak, snorkel, hike, golf, and lounge at the beach or pool.

And to top it off, Loreto boasts incredible mountain, ocean, and island views all at once.

Maddy swimming in a beach in Mexico. In this Loreto travel guide, you'll find useful info on how you can spend one week in Loreto, Mexico.

Things to Do in Loreto, Mexico

In this Loreto travel guide, we’ll share how we spent one week in Loreto, Mexico. 

We’ll tell you all about the best things to do in Loreto, Mexico, as well as where we stayed, where we ate, and everything else in between.

We loved everything about our trip to Loreto and we know that you will, too!

Beautiful mountains and ocean view in Loreto - Mexico's hidden gem

So here’s how our trip to Loreto, Mexico went…

Day 1 in Loreto, Mexico

From LAX, we hopped on a small airplane and jetted over to Loreto, Mexico. Two hours and one direct flight later, we touched down at the smallest airport Iโ€™ve ever seen. Hola, Loreto!

Within just thirty minutes, weโ€™d cleared customs, stopped at a store for a little bit of purified water and a lot of beer, and arrived at our resort.

(We stayed at the Loreto Bay Golf Resort & Spa, which we loved because it is located right on the beach of a calm, beautiful bay — perfect for swimming, kayaking, snorkeling, and watching the marine life! The food, service, and views were also spectacular.)

You can book your stay at the Loreto Bay Golf Resort & Spa here. Or click here to find more great deals on Loreto accommodations!

Potted plants outside a pink-painted building in Loreto, Mexico

Sunscreen and ice-cold beers in hand, we set out for the beach.

As soon as we stepped out onto the hot sand, we noticed a few things: calm, deep-blue sea; manta rays, dolphins, and fish jumping high out of the bay; rocky islands off in the distance; and best of all, a beautiful, sandy beach all to ourselves.

Holding up a bottle of beer with a beautiful ocean view behind it. In this Loreto travel guide, Day 1 includes beach adventure and drinking cold beer.

And I’m sure you can guess what happened next…

We plunked down under a shady palapa, drank beer (after beer, after beer), went for intermittent swims to cool down, and finished the night with carne asada tacos. And more beer.

Day 2 in Loreto, Mexico

When day two rolled around, it was time for a whole lot more of what I just described, plus a few rounds of kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding to work out our abs. With lotsย more tacos and beer on the horizon, this exerciseย was all too necessary!

That afternoon, we caught a taxi into town for dinner.

Delicious Mexican torta

In the center of town, we stumbled upon an authentic Mexican joint by the name of Cafรฉ Olรฉ for some awesome tortas, chile rellenos, and fish tacos. And chips, salsa, and guacamole — obviously.

Delicioso!

Boats docked during the night. In this Loreto travel guide, Day 2 includes food adventures and exploring more of Loreto.

After we filled our bellies, we walked around the town, browsed inside little shops, strolled along the marina, and picked up some Mexican ice cream.

At around 21:00, it was time to call it a night. The next morning would be an early one!

Day 3 in Loreto, Mexico

At 6:20, my alarm clock brought me back to consciousness. Ugh, just 5 (or 50) more minutes, please?

It was early, but time to drag ourselves out of bed, take some photos of the sunrise, and hop in Seรฑor Poncho’s fishing boat.

Sunrise on a beautiful beach in Loreto, the best-kept secret in Baja California Sur in Mexico

Right on time, Poncho, a local fisherman, drove his boat up to our beach to pick us up. We climbed aboard, and it was time to fish in the Loreto Bay National Marine Park!

We could not have asked for more perfect conditions for a full day of fishing. Out on the water, it was a beautiful, partly-cloudy day, and the sea was calm.

We boated across the tranquil, clear water to the first place Poncho thought we might get lucky. We trolled for an hour or two without catching anything other than needlefish and bonito, which we threw back.

Dorado fish jumping over the ocean waters. In this Loreto travel guide, Day 3 includes fishing in Loreto Bay National Marine Park and catching some dorado.

After heading north we finally found what we were looking for!

We caught one dorado. And then two. And then three.

Bring on the fish tacos!

Big whale shark swimming underwater in Loreto, Mexico

We continued to troll, and something very exciting happened. Out of nowhere, an 18-foot whale shark swam up to greet us! She stuck around for about five minutes, circling our boat gently, and then she drifted away. What an experience that was! 

If only we would’ve had snorkeling gear, I would’ve jumped in and swam with her. Swimming with a shark is on my bucket list, but I let the opportunity slip away. Next time, I’ll be prepared!

To finish off the day, we boated closer to shore to try our luck at catching roosterfish. Within twenty seconds of casting the first line, we caught one. And then five more.

We also saw a giant pod of dolphins, which was pretty much the coolest thing ever. 

Then finally, at around 13:00, we called it quits.

It was getting hot, and we were ready to head back to our resort to lounge at the beach, drink some beer, and eat some more delicious Mexican food.

Day 4 in Loreto, Mexico

Bright orange kayaks on a sandy beach in Loreto. In this Loreto travel guide, Day 4 includes kayaking around snorkeling spots in Loreto, Mexico.

Bright and early, we woke up and claimed our usual palapa on the beach.

I grabbed a kayak and leisurelyย paddled my way out to the best snorkeling spot in the area and lodged my kayak into some rocks (so it wouldn’t drift off without me), I jumped out, and I found myself surrounded by thousands of fish.

I saw beautiful blue and yellow fish, orange fish, giant sea urchins, all kinds of bright-colored starfish, pufferfish, giant spotted fish, and so much more. While it wasn’t anything like the snorkeling in Belize, I still loved every second of it.

Once I made friends with all of the fish, I kayaked around the bay for a bit, and then returned to the beach.

Mexican enchiladas - a must-eat while in Loreto, Mexico

Around lunchtime, we caught a cab into town for some more good Mexican food. Our driver recommended us Orlando’s, and thank goodness we listened to him!

Tortilla soup, bean soup, enchiladas, coconut shrimp, entomatadas! Everything was phenomenal.

Misiรณn de Nuestra Seรฑora de Loreto Conchรณ, one of the reasons to visit Loreto, Mexico

The next stop in town was the Misiรณn de Nuestra Seรฑora de Loreto Conchรณ. This mission was founded in 1697, making it the oldest mission in the Californias.

Historically and aesthetically, this mission is beautiful, and worth a visit – even if for only a couple of moments.

After our stop at the mission, a torrential downpour came out of nowhere, so we caught a cab back to our resort and hung out there for the rest of the day.

Days 5 and 6 in Loreto, Mexico

During our last two days in Loreto, Mexico, we laid low. We hung out at the resort, we did some more kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding, we sprawled out under our palapa, and we snorkeled.

Delicious tacos at a taco joint. Visit El Rey del Taco while staying in Loreto, Mexico.

We went into town, walked around, and most importantly, we ate at the best Baja-style taco joint on the planet: El Rey del Taco. 

Aptly named “The King of the Taco,” these guys don’t mess around. This place truly is the king. They only serve three kinds of tacos – pescado (fish), cabeza (head), and carne asada (grilled meat) – and they do them damn well.

El Rey del Taco serves upย tacos as good as they come.

So this goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyway: do not miss this place when you visit Loreto, Mexico!

The Ultimate Travel Guide for Loreto, Mexico

When the time came to pack up and leave, we weren’t ready.

All of the locals we encountered in Loreto were incredible. The food was to die for. And of course, the views in Loreto, Mexico were nothing less than jaw-droppingly beautiful. How could we leave so soon? Especially knowing that we all had to go back to work and reality? Ugh.

Loreto, Mexico, I will be back very, very soon.

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Over to you! Where’s your favorite destination in Mexico? Have you ever heard of Loreto, Mexico? If you’ve been, what would you add to our Loreto travel guide?

Join the adventure.

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15 Comments

    1. Hi Julie, I went to Loreto in July/August. It was very hot and sunny with intermittent rain/thunderstorms, usually in the evenings. As long as your accommodation has air conditioning, I would recommend visiting at this time of year! :)

  1. Hello ! I’m French and I’m going to stay in Loreto to discover Mexico and Baja California in April! I would like to know where did you stay? and where can we find Seรฑor Ponchoโ€™s fishing boat? Thank you so much this article was amazing!

    1. Hi Amandine,

      Thank you for your comment. We are happy that this article was helpful for you!

      We stayed at this resort and highly recommend it — the food was great, and so was the spa. Kayaks, paddle boards and snorkeling gear is available for all guests! There is also a golf course. Just copy and paste the link into your browser: https://www.booking.com/hotel/mx/inn-at-loreto-bay.html?aid=1206405&no_rooms=1&group_adults=1

      You can find other great deals on Loreto hotels/hostels here: https://www.booking.com/searchresults.html?city=-1680155&aid=1206405&no_rooms=1&group_adults=1

      Poncho has a convenience store in town. You will be able to find him working there when he’s not out fishing — probably in the evenings. Here is the link to his store. The address is listed on the page. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mini-Super-Ponchos/234078373302965

  2. Hi I love your post I wanted to go to mexico but didn’t want to stay in the common areas. I was very pleased I stumbled across your blog. I do Have one question tho, how did you get to LORETO. Everytime I look up airline tickets they are telling me there isn’t anything available. Is there a certain time you have to travel?

  3. Oh wow- this does look like exactly what I would be looking for in a trip to Mexico. And only 2 ours from LAX (though I don’t like the sounds of the tiny plane- agh I hate flying!). I haven’t been to Mexico yet but really want to go.

  4. LOVE this post! I might be making it to Mexico next year, and I’ll definitely add Loreto to my list of places to visit. I can’t believe you saw a whale shark without even trying — and whoa, those mountains! Gorgeous! You’re also killing me a little bit with all of this food haha. Authentic Mexican food is a hard find in Australia (and especially in Broome!). What I would do for some chile rellenos…

  5. Hi! Is the best tour i never had ever, my favorite beach destination in mexico calls “mahahual” and “laguna de Bacalar” three hours approx from tulum, in q.roo. very quiet, but i think now, someday i have to go in loreto! I die for try tacos and fish tacos, over and over. Thank u for share it!

  6. I’ve never heard of Loreto before, but it sounds amazing! I’ve been to Mexico once before, and yeah, it was super touristy and inauthentic. I love all the food pictures by the way, they’re making me soooo hungry. Also, I’m reading this in the midst of a pile of homework I still need to do (oops!), and all I can think about is how I’d so much rather be in Mexico than inside writing essaysโ€ฆ
    -Claire
    tallgirlbigworld.com

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