Loreto (or Conchó) was the first Spanish town on the Baja California Peninsula.

Attractions

There are seven buildings in Loreto, from the XVIII to the XX century, that are considered “historical monuments” by the federal government, the most important is the Mission of our Lady of Loreto, which is the start of "the royal road" (“el camino real”), an historic corridor that ends in Sonoma CA and follows the ancient route of the Spanish missions. In the neighbor town of San Javier are five historical buildings, the most important is the Mission of Saint Francis Xavier (Misión de San Francisco Javier), which is considered the best preserved mission in the peninsula. Twenty kilometers North of Loreto there are ruins of Mission of San Bruno, the first mission of Baja California, that was founded in 1683, but was abandoned two years later.
The Jesuit Missions Museum (“Museo de las Misions Jesuiticas”) is located beside the Mission of our Lady of Loreto. It has a collection of religious art, weapons and tools from the XVII and XVIII centuries that were used in the Spanish missions in Baja California.
In the La Giganta Mountain Range cave paintings are found in canyons and rock shelters. The nearest site to Loreto is “Cuevas Pintas”, located 15 km to west of the town. The cave paintings from the indigenous groups of Baja California are worldly famous and some of them have been added to UNESCO's list of world heritage sites.

Fishing

Loreto has a reputation as an excellent point for sport fishing. This is its main tourist attraction and the main source for jobs (therefore, Loreto’s economy is linked to fishing).

Recreation and tourist atractions

There are several beaches in the Loreto area:

• Nopoló.
• Juncalito.
• Ensenada Blanca.
• Agua Verde.
• San Bruno (to the North of town).

Other activities are:

• Diving. Thanks to the good visibility, the warm water (that makes wetsuit not necessary most of the year) and the gulf biodiversity, Loreto offers world class snorkelling and scuba diving.
• Golfing. The Loreto Golf Course is located in Nopoló, 9 km south from the town. It’s a par 72 course with 18 holes and has two artificial lakes.
• Tennis. The Loreto Tennis Center is also located in Nopoló. It has 8 professional courts and a stadium.
• Camping. Loreto offers from full service campsites, as well as deserted beaches.
• Kayaking. There are several companies that offer sea kayak tours.
• Sailing.