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An interesting tie in my favorite football team and my favorite fishing spot.
Of course articles like this will just bring more people to loreto.
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/08/30/DD7FR4AB8.DTL
Attention ecotourists: Loreto, Mexico, may be the spot for you
Kristin Finan, Houston Chronicle
Thursday, August 30, 2007
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(08-30) 04:00 PDT Loreto -- Loreto, Mexico - The jet was filled with Arizona Cardinals cheerleaders, Loreto-bound for a calendar shoot during a long weekend. As the aircraft descended over rugged terrain and jagged mountains that seem to pop randomly out of the water, one cheerleader peered through the window and said, "I feel like I'm landing in Tucson. And then there's an ocean."
Once we landed, the fire department blasted water at the plane to commemorate Continental Airlines' inaugural Houston-to-Loreto flight, and then local officials poured out of the tiny, thatch-roofed airport terminal to greet every passenger.
The June flight was, all in all, an odd introduction to the small town of Loreto on the Baja peninsula about 250 miles north of Cabo San Lucas. But the experience also made in impression: Something interesting must be happening here.
"One of the things that keeps coming up when I'm talking with the girls is that it's not touristy like some other locations," explained Heather Karberg, the cheerleaders' director, who said the Bidwill family, which owns the NFL's Cardinals, has property in Loreto.
"It's very peaceful," Karberg said. "It's calm. You can come here and not feel like it's a big party."
Years ago, Loreto was tapped by the Mexican government as one of five locales - along with Cancún, Cabo San Lucas, Huatulco and Ixtapa - to be developed into major tourism destinations. But while the others took off, Loreto remained dormant until recently, when visionaries decided that its position on the Sea of Cortez, and activities such as whale watching, kayaking and fishing, make this a prime spot to promote ecotourism.
"It's a very short flight" - two hours from Los Angeles, less than three hours from Houston - "but you feel like you are thousands of miles away," said Jim Grogan, president and chief executive of the Loreto Bay Co., which is developing a pedestrian-friendly, ecologically sustainable seaside village about 5 miles from downtown Loreto.
"You have a different language, unique music and food, unique culture and extraordinary natural beauty," Grogan said. "It's really geared for people who want to relax and enjoy the Sea of Cortez and enjoy the mountains, or people who are very active outdoor adventurers. The ecotourism is very big."
At the affiliated Inn at Loreto Bay, the ecotourism aspect is apparent, from embroidered Camelbak-style hydration packs that guests receive to kayaks available on the beach at all times. Activities such as mountain biking and yoga on the beach take place every weekend.
Within a 90-mile radius of Loreto, spectacular opportunities await adventurers who snorkel the white-sand beaches of Coronado Island or hike through the foothills of the Guadalupe Mountains to see cave paintings.
San Diego residents Carlos Palacios and Sylvia Moreno wanted to celebrate her birthday in a special way, so they packed the car and headed south on Highway 1, which runs from Tijuana to Cabo San Lucas. After 12 hours on the highway, along which cacti seem to reach up from under the desert surface like gnarled, grasping hands, they reached El Burro Beach near the town of Mulege.
"You're driving, and it's all desert, and then all of a sudden you see the Sea of Cortez," Palacios said, standing ankle deep in the water. "That's what's so amazing about it. It's like an oasis."
For $8.50 a night they rented a shaded palapa and set up camp. During the day, they'd dive for scallops or bake in the sun. At night, they'd take in the fresh breezes. The only musts on their agenda were swimming, drinking and sleeping.
"The water is pristine. The fish," he said, interrupting himself to point to the water, "look, there are fish everywhere. It's not a well-traveled paradise. You can't find this stuff within the States."
The Loreto Bay National Marine Park, which stretches from the volcanic island of Coronado south to Catalina Island, is home to 15 species of whales. Whale-watching season is typically in winter and early spring, but other wildlife is abundant year-round. On Coronado - accessible via small boats called pangas - visitors are likely to see sea lions, dolphins and a variety of vibrant fish.
Coronado also features intricate formations carved into the rocks by Mother Nature over time - one in particular looks like a woman's silhouette from behind - and blue-green water that made one onlooker say: "All of a sudden, it's like Cancún."
The area's natural beauty is nothing new to Juve Orozco, a Mexico native who moved to Loreto several years ago to work as a tour guide.
"I love early in the morning, because you can see the sunrise," Orozco said. "Even in the wintertime, early in the morning you can find different birds."
A trained naturalist guide and father of four, Orozco has watched the small fishing village of Loreto begin to cater to tourists. Souvenir shops line a main street in town (panhandling, however, is prohibited), and plans are in the works for a new airport. Continental's new service from Houston includes two nonstop flights weekly, and flights now arrive daily from cities in California.
Orozco said that while he wants this area preserved for his children, he also believes it can be shared responsibly.
"We don't want another Cabo," Orozco said. "I would like to keep this area not like Cabo but small. Not a big city. It's a beautiful area."
-- For more tips about visiting south of the border, see Travel's Mexico Mix at sfgate.com/mexico.
If you go
Getting there
From the Bay Area, most flights to Loreto connect through Los Angeles or Houston.
Where to stay
Inn at Loreto Bay: Misión de Loreto Boulevard. (866) 850-0333, www.innatloretobay.com. About five minutes from Loreto, this inn - formerly the Camino Real Resort - has 155 rooms, a beach and a swimming pool.
Posada de las Flores: Madero Col. Centro in downtown Loreto, www.posadadelasflores.com. This 15-room boutique hotel offers nice city views.
Oasis Hotel: (866) 482-0247, www.hoteloasis.com. On the beach with easy access to downtown Loreto.
Where to eat
Domingo's Place: Loreto. Delicious Mexican food with a relaxing patio.
Las Casitas: Main Street in Mulege. Expansive menu and outstanding Mexican cuisine.
What to do
C&C Tours: (310) 227-6522. Excursions throughout Baja California Sur include boat trips, hiking and city tour; also bookable through the Inn at Loreto Bay.
Baja Big Fish Co: www.bajabigfish.com. Fly-fishing and bait-fishing tours.
For more information
Online resources: www.loreto.com, www.loretobay.com and the Mexico Tourism Board site, www.visitmexico.com.
Of course articles like this will just bring more people to loreto.
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/08/30/DD7FR4AB8.DTL
Attention ecotourists: Loreto, Mexico, may be the spot for you
Kristin Finan, Houston Chronicle
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Printable VersionEmail This Article del.icio.us
Digg
Technorati
Reddit Slashdot
Fark
Newsvine
Google Bookmarks
(0) Georgia (default)
Verdana
Times New Roman
Arial
(08-30) 04:00 PDT Loreto -- Loreto, Mexico - The jet was filled with Arizona Cardinals cheerleaders, Loreto-bound for a calendar shoot during a long weekend. As the aircraft descended over rugged terrain and jagged mountains that seem to pop randomly out of the water, one cheerleader peered through the window and said, "I feel like I'm landing in Tucson. And then there's an ocean."
Once we landed, the fire department blasted water at the plane to commemorate Continental Airlines' inaugural Houston-to-Loreto flight, and then local officials poured out of the tiny, thatch-roofed airport terminal to greet every passenger.
The June flight was, all in all, an odd introduction to the small town of Loreto on the Baja peninsula about 250 miles north of Cabo San Lucas. But the experience also made in impression: Something interesting must be happening here.
"One of the things that keeps coming up when I'm talking with the girls is that it's not touristy like some other locations," explained Heather Karberg, the cheerleaders' director, who said the Bidwill family, which owns the NFL's Cardinals, has property in Loreto.
"It's very peaceful," Karberg said. "It's calm. You can come here and not feel like it's a big party."
Years ago, Loreto was tapped by the Mexican government as one of five locales - along with Cancún, Cabo San Lucas, Huatulco and Ixtapa - to be developed into major tourism destinations. But while the others took off, Loreto remained dormant until recently, when visionaries decided that its position on the Sea of Cortez, and activities such as whale watching, kayaking and fishing, make this a prime spot to promote ecotourism.
"It's a very short flight" - two hours from Los Angeles, less than three hours from Houston - "but you feel like you are thousands of miles away," said Jim Grogan, president and chief executive of the Loreto Bay Co., which is developing a pedestrian-friendly, ecologically sustainable seaside village about 5 miles from downtown Loreto.
"You have a different language, unique music and food, unique culture and extraordinary natural beauty," Grogan said. "It's really geared for people who want to relax and enjoy the Sea of Cortez and enjoy the mountains, or people who are very active outdoor adventurers. The ecotourism is very big."
At the affiliated Inn at Loreto Bay, the ecotourism aspect is apparent, from embroidered Camelbak-style hydration packs that guests receive to kayaks available on the beach at all times. Activities such as mountain biking and yoga on the beach take place every weekend.
Within a 90-mile radius of Loreto, spectacular opportunities await adventurers who snorkel the white-sand beaches of Coronado Island or hike through the foothills of the Guadalupe Mountains to see cave paintings.
San Diego residents Carlos Palacios and Sylvia Moreno wanted to celebrate her birthday in a special way, so they packed the car and headed south on Highway 1, which runs from Tijuana to Cabo San Lucas. After 12 hours on the highway, along which cacti seem to reach up from under the desert surface like gnarled, grasping hands, they reached El Burro Beach near the town of Mulege.
"You're driving, and it's all desert, and then all of a sudden you see the Sea of Cortez," Palacios said, standing ankle deep in the water. "That's what's so amazing about it. It's like an oasis."
For $8.50 a night they rented a shaded palapa and set up camp. During the day, they'd dive for scallops or bake in the sun. At night, they'd take in the fresh breezes. The only musts on their agenda were swimming, drinking and sleeping.
"The water is pristine. The fish," he said, interrupting himself to point to the water, "look, there are fish everywhere. It's not a well-traveled paradise. You can't find this stuff within the States."
The Loreto Bay National Marine Park, which stretches from the volcanic island of Coronado south to Catalina Island, is home to 15 species of whales. Whale-watching season is typically in winter and early spring, but other wildlife is abundant year-round. On Coronado - accessible via small boats called pangas - visitors are likely to see sea lions, dolphins and a variety of vibrant fish.
Coronado also features intricate formations carved into the rocks by Mother Nature over time - one in particular looks like a woman's silhouette from behind - and blue-green water that made one onlooker say: "All of a sudden, it's like Cancún."
The area's natural beauty is nothing new to Juve Orozco, a Mexico native who moved to Loreto several years ago to work as a tour guide.
"I love early in the morning, because you can see the sunrise," Orozco said. "Even in the wintertime, early in the morning you can find different birds."
A trained naturalist guide and father of four, Orozco has watched the small fishing village of Loreto begin to cater to tourists. Souvenir shops line a main street in town (panhandling, however, is prohibited), and plans are in the works for a new airport. Continental's new service from Houston includes two nonstop flights weekly, and flights now arrive daily from cities in California.
Orozco said that while he wants this area preserved for his children, he also believes it can be shared responsibly.
"We don't want another Cabo," Orozco said. "I would like to keep this area not like Cabo but small. Not a big city. It's a beautiful area."
-- For more tips about visiting south of the border, see Travel's Mexico Mix at sfgate.com/mexico.
If you go
Getting there
From the Bay Area, most flights to Loreto connect through Los Angeles or Houston.
Where to stay
Inn at Loreto Bay: Misión de Loreto Boulevard. (866) 850-0333, www.innatloretobay.com. About five minutes from Loreto, this inn - formerly the Camino Real Resort - has 155 rooms, a beach and a swimming pool.
Posada de las Flores: Madero Col. Centro in downtown Loreto, www.posadadelasflores.com. This 15-room boutique hotel offers nice city views.
Oasis Hotel: (866) 482-0247, www.hoteloasis.com. On the beach with easy access to downtown Loreto.
Where to eat
Domingo's Place: Loreto. Delicious Mexican food with a relaxing patio.
Las Casitas: Main Street in Mulege. Expansive menu and outstanding Mexican cuisine.
What to do
C&C Tours: (310) 227-6522. Excursions throughout Baja California Sur include boat trips, hiking and city tour; also bookable through the Inn at Loreto Bay.
Baja Big Fish Co: www.bajabigfish.com. Fly-fishing and bait-fishing tours.
For more information
Online resources: www.loreto.com, www.loretobay.com and the Mexico Tourism Board site, www.visitmexico.com.
