Loreto

Our next stop on Mex 1 after leaving Bahia Concepcion was only 100km further South in the seaside town of Loreto. Loreto is one of the few places designated as a centre for tourism by the Mexican government and the only place between Ensenada and La Paz that you can fly in to directly.

We arrived at our destination – a campground right in the middle of town quite early after an early start. This gave us time to wander round the town in the afternoon and have a relaxed lunch at a local restaurant. That meant Tacos for me and Burrito for Sarah.  We had expected food in Mexico to be really spicy but have instead discovered that the base food is not at all and that spices are served on the side. This has been something of a relief !

The centre of town is really pretty with tree lined roads (the trees arching over the road to create a canopy). Not roads for the Beast but great for strolling down. The town square, Plaza Salvatierra, is also very pretty – named after the founder of the town Mision. The Mision Nuestra Senora de Loreto de Concho was the first permanent Jesuit mission in Baja and was founded in 1699. The church is still holding regular services today.

Loreto also has a Malecon, seaside promenade which runs along one edge of town. Around half way along is a harbour where pelicans, cormorants and herons fish. Watching the birds fishing is fascinating as every few seconds one type or another will dive bomb into the water. At times it felt a bit like watching a war scene.