Loreto, B.C.S.: Relaxation to the Extreme

Last week we took a brief trip to Loreto, Mexico. It's in Baja California Sur (B.C.S.) on the Sea of Cortez. Loreto seems like what Los Cabos must have been like about 30 years ago. That's wonderful, but it makes us sad to think about what Loreto surely will be like three decades from now.

The signs are evident already. Just five miles south of the town, a rapidly developing area known as "Loreto Bay" is emerging, complete with massive condominium complexes, resort inn, shops and golf courses. It's known as "Gringoland" and is probably a great haven for those who desire to surround themselves with other well-to-do Americans, well insulated from the local populace.

However ... to get a true feel for the sense of place, you need to immerse yourself in the town of Loreto. We stayed at the fabulous Posada de los Flores, situated in the center of the city, next to the town square and across the street from the municipal center of government. It was a five-minute walk to the beach and the mercado seafront drive. A number of cool restaurants and bars line the seafront, and a wide sidewalk is there as well, stretching the entire length of beach. One thing we came to realize was the prevalence of Mediterranean food available in the restaurants in Loreto. Yes, there was mostly Mexican fare in the city (guacamole, fish tacos, salsas, etc.), but we ended up sampling bruschetta, pasta, pizza and other fare. It turns out the town was "founded" by an Italian Jesuit priest, and a number of Italians have settled there over the years. This is something we didn't know until we got there.

All in all, we feel Loreto is our new favorite place in Mexico. (We found Cancun and Los Cabos to be WAY too overdeveloped and overdone, and Isla Mujeres was a little too isolated.) Another nice surprise: There are no beggars there, nor are there small children on the streets trying to peddle Chiclets to la turistas. Also, U.S. dollars are as welcome as pesos, most of the locals in retail and restaurants speak at least enough English for those of us who don't do well in Spanish to get by, and almost everyone is warm, friendly and relaxed.

And one other observation: As wine lovers, our previous visits to Mexico led us to believe that decent wine was nearly impossible to come by there, and it was prohibitively expensive when you could find it. But a number of wineries have sprung up in Baja in recent years, and OK wine is now readily available. Yes, cold cerveza is still the sip of choice on the waterfront, but it was a nice surprise to find some tasty unoaked chardonnays and drinkable merlots in the wonderful town of Loreto.