23 Best Things to Do in Loreto, Mexico

From exploring the charming centro, hiking in the mountains or getting out on the water, there are so many great things to do in Loreto, Mexico. In this post, we’ll share our top 23 activities.

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About Loreto, Mexico

Situated on the east coast of the Baja Peninsula, Loreto is one of Baja’s best-kept secrets. It is one of just two pueblo magicos in Baja California Sur, and it totally earns its title.

This small town exceeded all our expectations. Even after spending a week there, it feels like we only scratched the surface.

If you’re wondering what to do in Loreto, Mexico, let me tell you – LOTS!

Bordered on one side by the Sierra de la Giganta mountain range, with miles of trails crossing stunning desert landscapes and deep into canyons.

Flanked on the other by the Sea of Cortez and Bay of Loreto, with uninhabited islands, thriving marine life and gorgeous, empty beaches.

If you love nature, adventure and culture – Loreto is the perfect mix.

Read on for the 23 best things to do in Loreto, Mexico including a couple of day trips to surrounding towns.

🌞 Want to know all the extra stuff about visiting Loreto? How to get there, get around, where to eat, where to stay? Check out our Loreto Mexico Travel Guide

23 Best things to do in Loreto, Mexico

1. Visit the Loreto Mission and Museum

Officially called the Misión de Nuestra Señora de Loreto Conchó (Mission of our Lady Loreto), this was the first mission established by the Jesuits on the Baja Peninsula.

Started by Juan María de Salvatierra in 1697, the Jesuits wanted to evangelise to the native Monqui peoples.

Considered the ‘mother of all the missions of the Californias’, it set the tone for future Spanish conquest around the region. And served as a base for further mission developments both north and south of Loreto.

Today the mission operates as a catholic church, open to the public.

It is free to go inside and admire the building, but don’t interrupt a service, and please dress appropriately.

Next door is the Museo de las Misiones de Baja California (Museum of the Missions of Baja California).

At the time of writing, the entry is 70 MXN (around $4 USD).

The small exhibition shares the history of the Jesuits and the missions of the Californias. There are maps, artefacts and images, with Spanish and English translations.

2. Explore Loreto’s historic centre

Loreto is a charming little town, and despite having plenty of beautiful natural attractions outside the city, be sure to allocate some time to wander around the centre.

From colourful buildings, plazas filled with families and tree-lined pedestrian streets there is plenty to see in Loreto centro.

The centre of the city is the large Plaza Civica, home to the cute Loreto Town Hall building and a space for different events and festivities.

The plaza is bordered by cafes and restaurants with alfresco dining, and it’s the perfect spot to have a coffee in the sunshine and do some people-watching. La Route served up amazing coffee.

A beautiful street lined with an archway of trees leads you to the Loreto Mission.

Adjacent to the mission is another small plaza, Plaza de las Californias. And be sure to walk down the Andador Salvatierra, a pedestrian-only street that connects all these sights.

There are countless cobblestone streets branching out from the main plaza in all directions. Don’t be afraid to walk aimlessly and see what you can find.

We loved the palm trees growing in vacant lots, beautiful entryways and colourful walls perfect for a photo!

Loreto Historic Centre Checklist

📍 Locations pinned!

– Plaza Civica
– Loreto Town Hall
– Loreto Mission
– Plaza de las Californias
– Andador Salvatierra

3. Walk the Malecon

One of the essential things to do in Loreto is strolling along the Malecon.

This seaside boardwalk is not particularly long at just 1.6 km / 1 mi. But it offers a beautiful place to walk with some incredible ocean views.

We love it when coastal towns in Mexico have a malecon. They are always a hub of life and Loreto’s is no exception.

You’ll find people going for a run, families pushing strollers, tourists snapping photos and plenty of streetside vendors selling food and wares.

Along the Malecon, you will spot the typical Mexican colourful letters spelling out Loreto, a statue of the mighty blue whale, and the marina where boats depart for tours to the islands.

The road running adjacent to the Malecon is lined with palm trees, and there are a ton of hotels and restaurants if you want to stop for a meal or drink.

We loved El Caloron, an affordable seafood restaurant on the upper floor of a building across the road from the Malecon.

4. Hike Tabor Canyon

The first thing you notice when you arrive in Loreto is the mountains.

The city is surrounded by the red-toned, rocky cliffs of the Sierra de la Giganta mountain range and they are just begging to be explored!

One of the best hikes you can do (and one of the best things to do in Loreto in our opinion!) is Tabor Canyon.

This hike was one of the most beautiful walks we did in Baja California Sur (maybe even in all of Mexico!), and we were absolutely blown away by the landscapes.

The trailhead is around 20 minutes from the centre of town. The hike is an out-and-back trail, listed on AllTrails as a 1.3 km return track. But we walked much longer than this, and you can basically go as far as you like into the canyon and turn around when you get tired.

You follow a dry riverbed that inclines into the canyon, and the hike involves lots of hopping across rocks and boulders. We didn’t find it too intense.

However, it is important to note that after about a kilometre, you can only continue by rock climbing (literally) with three different sets of ropes. You need to crawl through some small spaces and haul yourself up with the ropes.

We had a blast, but it may be a challenge for some.

5. Visit the islands in the Loreto Bay National Park

Parque Nacional Bahía de Loreto, or Loreto Bay National Park, is a large protected marine area off the coast of Loreto in the Sea of Cortez.

Declared a national park in 1996, the area is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The waters are rich with marine life of all shapes and sizes. A number of whale species, sea lions, dolphins, rays, turtles, an abundance of fish and small critters call the park home.

The protected bay is home to five uninhabited islands:

• Isla Coronado
• Isla del Carmen
• Isla Danzante
• Isla Montserrat
• Isla Santa Catarina

There are many different ways to experience the Loreto Bay National Park, and chances are, you’ll visit the area more than once on your trip.

It’s common to do island tours, where you’ll spend a few hours on land. Isla Coronado is the most popular island to visit, and I’ll share more about this below.

Snorkelling or scuba diving are more popular activities, and I’ll touch on each of these below.

It’s also possible to do island-hopping combo tours, where you’ll spend the day mainly enjoying the bay from a boat, looking for marine life, snorkelling and possibly exploring some of the islands on foot.

This tour is a great combination that gives you a great taste of the bay and a fun day on the water, on board a catamaran.

⛵️ Book your Loreto Bay National Park island hopping tour here

6. Spend the day at Isla Coronado

One of the best things to do in Loreto Mexico is to visit one of the islands in the bay. Isla Coronado, although one of the smaller islands, is the most popular choice.

It’s the closest island and offers some absolutely stunning beaches and transparent blue waters. It was one of the most beautiful beaches we saw in all of Mexico (almost as good as Balandra!)!

Although there is a range of tours on offer that combine a visit to the islands with activities like snorkelling, kayaking etc. the most traditional option would be a half-day island tour.

A local boatman will take you across to the island, stopping to see dolphins, sea lions and blue-footed boobies along the way.

If the conditions are right, you have the chance to jump in and snorkel with the sea lions.

They will drop you off on the island for an agreed amount of time (2-3 hours), and you are free to relax on the beach, swim and snorkel, or explore some of the walking trails.

The captain will return at the agreed time to pick you up and return to the mainland.

7. Go snorkelling in the Loreto Bay National Park

While many island tours include a side of snorkelling, if you’re really interested in discovering the underwater world in Loreto Bay, it’s best to take a tour focused on snorkelling.

Blue Nation Baja, the top dive shop in Loreto, also offers snorkelling island tours. Given their expertise in the bay and experience with diving, they are the best people to take you snorkelling!

They offer a range of different tours, each one focusing on a different island. You can take your pick depending on the type of marine environment and life you’re hoping to see.

Their website is a great resource with a ton of info about each tour option.

8. Go blue whale watching

There aren’t too many places you can encounter the largest animal in the world, but Loreto is one of them.

From around February – March each year, the mighty blue whale congregates in the calm waters of Loreto Bay.

There are a number of different tour operators in Loreto that offer whale-watching experiences, but most are pretty similar.

They usually depart in the morning, and you will spend approximately four hours in the area of the bay where the whales are known to be hanging around.

9. San Javier Mission

Formally Misión San Francisco Javier de Viggé-Biaundó, but locally referred to as San Javier Mission. Another Jesuit mission, the site is a very important piece of the history of Loreto.

After developing the first mission in Loreto town, the Jesuits realised they would not be able to sustain life there without access to any fresh water.

Being in the desert, Loreto is incredibly dry and the modern-day city set on the coast does not have any freshwater sources.

So the Jesuits headed inland in search of water and found a large oasis that became the site for the San Javier Mission.

The mission is just under one hour’s drive from Loreto. You will follow a long winding road through the mountains with the most incredible views.

The road is paved but can be narrow at times and the curves through the mountains are intense, so be sure to concentrate hard!

There is no public transport here, so you will need your own car, a taxi, or to book an organised tour like this one.

Entry to the mission is free.

Inside the building isn’t anything special, but the setting in the middle of the desert, next to the oasis is spectacular. Seeing this style of architecture in what effectively feels like the middle of nowhere was special.

For a small donation, you can wander out the back of the mission to see the first olive tree planted by the Jesuits in all of North America over 300 years ago.

The tiny town of San Javier has developed around the mission, and its cobblestone streets are gorgeous, and the area is lush with palm trees growing around the oasis.

There is free parking in front of the mission, and a few small local restaurants.

Most blogs give these restaurants a bad review, but we had a delicious meal here at La Palapa.

We tried machaca, a traditional Baja dish. Consisting of dried beef or pork flavoured with onions, chillies, tomatoes and peppers, usually served in burritos with refried beans and a soft cheese sprinkled on top – yum!

⛪️ Book your San Javier mission tour here

10. Laze on one of the Loreto beaches

Whilst the best Loreto beach is located on Isla Coronado, there are plenty of mainland beaches worth visiting too.

You won’t find the powdery white sand of the islands, but the Loreto beaches around town are generally quiet and peaceful, with stunning views of the bay and Sierra de la Giganta mountains.

🚗 Rent a car to drive yourself to all the Loreto beaches

Here are some of our favourites:

• Playa La Darsena – this is the main beach in town, just north of the marina. The sand is grey and coarse, but there are free palapas lined up, and the water is generally very calm. Not the prettiest, but a very convenient option.

• Playa La Negrita – a natural continuation of Playa La Darsena to the north, we loved walking along this long beach. There are also free palapas lined up here too.

• Playa Oasis – south of the Malecon in front of Hotel Oasis, this beach is partly private for the hotel. Still with plenty of room for visitors, with the benefit of a restaurant and beach bar to use!  It has the same dark, grey sand but the waters are calm. Look for birds at the estuary at the end of the beach.

• Playa Juncalito – about 20 minutes south of Loreto, this is a gorgeous sheltered bay with clear waters, great snorkelling and soft sand. Avoid the weekends and you’ll most likely have the beach to yourself.

• Playa Ligüi – a very quiet and remote beach used mainly by local fishermen and campers. 30 minutes drive from Loreto. It has beautiful views out to the islands and calm waters. BYO shade, snacks and drinks.

11. Hike Mesquite Canyon

We didn’t get around to this hike on our first visit to Loreto, and I’m absolutely shattered! Tabor Canyon was such an amazing hike, I wish we found the time to do this one too. Oh well, next time!

Cañon Mesquite (Mesquite Canyon) is another stunning hike through a desert canyon. This one is a bit more technical, as a lot of the trail passes through pools full of water.

Depending on the season, these pools can be higher than chest height, and swimming is required.

It’s possible to navigate the hike yourself, following this route on AllTrails. There are plenty of helpful reviews from other hikers to help guide you.

Alternatively, given the complexity of the hike with water involved, it would be a good idea to go with a local guide who knows the route.

Said Orozco is a highly recommended local guide, who takes travellers on various hikes and trips around the Loreto region. Check out his website here, and contact him directly to organise a guided hike to Mesquite Canyon.

12. Go kayaking or paddle boarding in Loreto Bay

The calm waters of Loreto Bay are the perfect spot for stand-up paddleboarding or kayaking.

If you’re keen on paddleboarding, you have two main rental options.

You can rent a board from the centre of town, and paddle around there with views of Isla Coronado and Isla Carmen. Try Sea Kayak Baja Mexico for rentals in this area. 

Alternatively, you can head south of the city to Marina Puerto Escondido and rent a board there. You’ll be paddling with close views of Isla Carmen and Isla Danzante. Outpost Charters offers rentals here.

If you’d prefer to kayak, they are stabler and will get you a little further. For a casual paddle, you can try the same rental options as above in their respective areas.

However, it is possible to do some more intense kayaking out to and around the islands of Loreto Bay.

Read on…

13. Have a multi-day kayak and camping expedition

For an epic adventure in Loreto, you can do a multi-day kayaking and camping experience around the islands.

This is at the top of my bucket list when we return to Loreto Mexico.

There are a range of different options available, depending on your kayaking skills and desired levels of difficulty.

I really love the offerings of Sea Kayak Baja Mexico. They can help you plan a multi-day experience to one or more of the islands, including all the gear rental. They transport you, the gear, and the kayaks out to the islands on a boat, so you don’t actually have to do the long, hard paddle across the bay.

Sea Kayak Adventures is another great company offering a more intensive, all-inclusive guided kayak tour for 3-6 days.

14. Scuba dive in the Sea of Cortez

Jacques Cousteau labelled the Sea of Cortez ‘the world’s aquarium’, and he was not wrong. The waters around Loreto are teeming with marine life of all shapes and sizes.

Since the area is a national park, it has been protected and conserved from problems such as overfishing and pollution.

The best way to experience Loreto’s underwater world is to go scuba diving.

There are many dive sites around the bay. What you see will depend on the conditions, the site, and the season but there is a range of creatures big and small in the bay.

In addition to many different varieties of fish, you have the chance to swim alongside sea lions, rays and maybe even whales at the right time of the year. 

Blue Nation Baja is the top-rated dive shop in Loreto.

15. See ancient cave paintings

Being one of the first inhabited areas of the Baja Peninsula, Loreto has a rich pre-Jesuit history.

Indigenous tribes left an amazing account of their lives in the form of paintings in caves and on the desert canyon walls. You have to hike through the desert to see the ancient art.

Best explored with a local guide to translate and explain the paintings and history of these people, this is one of the best things to do in Loreto Mexico if you’re a history buff.

We recommend this tour with Wild Loreto.

🖌️ Book your guided hike to the Canipole Cave Paintings here

16. Bird watching at the Las Garzas estuary 

At the southern end of town near Playa Oasis (in front of Hotel Oasis) is the Estero Las Gazas, or Heron Estuary.

At low tide, the waters part to reveal a favourite food source for many of the birds that live around Loreto. You can spot many species of herons, egrets, pelicans, hawks, eagles and other birds.

Occasionally vehicles and ATVs drive up onto the beach around here, which definitely disturbs the peace and scares the birds.

If you visit, please enjoy this tranquil place quietly and keep it clean.

17. Horse riding in the desert

I don’t ordinarily recommend horse riding as an activity, as the treatment of horses is not always a priority, and it can be really unethical.

However, this tour offered by Wild Loreto uses horses from a local rancho, where they live in their usual environment and are looked after by their owners.

The desert landscapes around Loreto are so mind-blowingly beautiful, that I think spending a few hours horse riding would be an incredible activity.

After being picked up from your hotel, you’ll drive out to the ranch and have a briefing before jumping on your horse. The tour lasts about 2.5 hours, offering some incredible views of the Sierra la Giganta mountains and the Sea of Cortez.

We didn’t do this tour, and if you do, I would love to hear your first-hand experience to confirm it is ethical and kind.

🐴 Book your Loreto desert horseback riding tour here

18. Go shopping

The city’s centre, in the area around the mission, is full of artisan and souvenir shops.

This was some of the best shopping we have seen in all of Mexico.

You can find patterned pottery, hand-woven blankets, clothes, bags and other trinkets in a style that is unique to northern Mexico.

We visited Loreto at the very beginning of our trip around Mexico, and regrettably, we couldn’t buy anything here as we didn’t want to carry it around for the next six months.

But when it came time to do some shopping at the end of our travels, we didn’t find anything as good as Loreto.

So if you can, stock up on your shopping here!

19. Clam bake at Hotel Oasis

Every Saturday night the Hotel Oasis hosts a clam bake on the beach at the front of their restaurant, Del Carmen.

Chocolate clams ‘almejas chocolatas’ are a Baja culinary speciality! Despite what the name suggests, the clams don’t taste like chocolate. They get their name from their colour and texture.

While it’s common to eat them ceviche style, cured with lime juice, Hotel Oasis does it a little differently. They prepare the clams in the traditional Loreto style, cooking them on a fire buried in pebbly sand, covered with a bush called Romerillo.

It’s quite a spectacle to see!

They serve up a huge buffet-style feast, with everything from clams to oysters, chicken and ribs, salads, corn and potatoes.

There is music and dancing into the night. It’s such a great atmosphere and a really fun way to spend a Saturday evening in Loreto.

Find out more on the Hotel Oasis website here.

20. Pop into the Loreto Bay area

Many visitors base themselves in ‘Loreto Bay’.

The name is confusing, as it’s not referring to the Loreto Bay National Park. But rather the area south of Loreto city, which is home to a number of luxury resorts and planned developments.

The first ‘town’ is Nopolo, which is home to the Villages of Loreto development. This controversial development is home to many retired American and Canadian expats. And whilst I don’t think this area is an authentic view of Loreto, it’s worth popping into.

The luxury resort Hotel Loreto Bay Golf Resort & Spa is home to a schmicko golf course if you’re into that.

Otherwise, there are a few restaurants and cafes, and you can wander around for a while. We had a nice coffee at La Sirena Baja Café.

The houses are gorgeous and colourful, and whilst they are definitely a staged version of Mexican architecture and design, it is very lovely for a quick look.

If you continue south you will find Marina Puerto Escondido, which is basically an impressive display of wealth with not too much going on.

Don’t forget to stop in at Mirador Frida on the way for another version of the Loreto letters, and a stunning view of the islands in the bay.

Further south you will find Villa del Palmar, a luxury all-inclusive resort that is a very popular choice with travellers. They also have a golf course here too.

This stretch of coast is Loreto’s version of Cabo or Cancun, and whilst we wouldn’t be staying here or spending a lot of time, we will admit it is a much better version of luxury tourism development than you see in these other two destinations.

Day trips from Loreto, Mexico

21. Day trip to Mulege

About two hours north of Loreto is the small town of Mulege.

Famous as a lush, tropical oasis in the middle of the desert, Mulege is blessed with a large freshwater source in the form of the Rio Mulege (Mulege River).

Palms line the banks, and the picturesque aerial view of the river snaking through the desert is what drew us to Mulege.

22. Experience some of Baja’s best beaches at Bahia Concepcion

If you’re looking for amazing beaches in Loreto, the best ones are located around 90 minutes north in Bahia Concepcion. 

Rent a car, and enjoy one of the most scenic ocean drives in all of Mexico.

Boasting some of the most beautiful beaches in Baja, this enclosed bay is sheltered on either side by desert mountains, and connects with the Sea of Cortez through a very small opening.

A number of small islands fill the bay, and large sandbanks connect them with the mainland at low tide, making for some absolutely epic views.

With over a dozen beaches, this is a very popular spot for Canadian and North American RV’ers. It’s possible to park right up on the waterfront.

No matter which beach you choose to visit, you will enjoy beautiful blue waters and stunning desert landscapes.

Some charge a flat entry fee, whether you are camping overnight or just visiting for the day.

Some of the beaches are more built-up than others, with beach houses built right on the water, and small local restaurants. While others are empty with only spaces for RVs and a few camping facilities.

We combined our visit to Bahia Concepcion with Mulege (the northern end of the bay is just 30 minutes from Mulege), and unfortunately, the weather was freezing!

We had a beautiful sunny winter day, so the bay looked incredible, but the wind was howling so we couldn’t get out of the car and sit on the beach, as much as I wanted to.

We had a meal at one of the restaurants on the beach at Playa El Burro and popped into Playa El Requeson for a look.

Both were beautiful, but honestly, they all were so I think you could choose any to visit and have a wonderful day at the beach!

23. See the friendly grey whales in Magdalena Bay

If you’re road-tripping around Baja, you will most likely drive past Magdalena Bay on the route between Loreto and La Paz.

If this is the case, we would highly recommend dedicating a few nights and staying in the bay. You will have a more immersive and lengthy experience with the whales if you stay a few days.

Head over to my Magdalena Bay post to read more and plan your trip.

However, if you’re just visiting Loreto, seeing the grey whales in Magdalena Bay is a feasible, albeit long, day trip.

Something very special happens in Magdalena Bay.

For reasons unknown, the grey whales that migrate to Magdalena Bay and other lagoons on the Pacific Coast of Baja are friendly.

When I say friendly, I mean approach the boat, stick their head out for a pat and kiss and hang around for hours interacting with you.

It’s truly a once-in-a-lifetime to interact with such a magnificent, wild creature in this way.

Loreto travel information

We have a Loreto Mexico travel guide covering all the other stuff you’ll need to know to plan your trip to Loreto.

Skip straight to the section you need:

• Getting to Loreto
• Getting around Loreto
• Where to stay in Loreto
• Where to eat in Loreto

Final thoughts on Loreto, Mexico

You could spend weeks and weeks in Loreto, Mexico and still not run out of things to do here!

Loreto was the biggest surprise for us in Baja, and I am still pinching myself about the landscapes we saw.

The desert mountains of the Sierra de la Giganta were so rugged, so red. The waters of the Sea of Cortez were so bright and blue. It truly is some of the most spectacular scenery we have ever experienced.

I hope this post has helped and inspired you on all the great things to do in Loreto, Mexico and that you love this charming town in the desert as much as we did.

Don’t forget to read our Loreto Mexico travel guide for all the extra planning information you need.

It’s definitely worth the extra drive on your Baja California Sur road trip.

OUR BAJA CALIFORNIA SUR TRAVEL GUIDES