Loreto, Baja California Sur
If ever there was a celestial collector of tiny, beautiful places, the coastal city of Loreto in Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula would be displayed proudly, dead center, on her highest shelf for all to see.
It begins along the rocky beaches of the Gulf of California, protected from Poseidon’s tantrums by Isla Carmen, and ends somewhere in the infinite expanse of the Sierra de la Giganta mountain range, where walking trails lead you to ancient cave paintings or parched, endless nothingness. Whichever comes first.
2023 marks the 325th anniversary of Loreto’s founding, almost eighty years before the Declaration of America’s Independence was signed 3,500 kilometers away to the north and east. Now, with a population of around 20,000, Loreto is considered a jewel in the crown of the Baja Peninsula.
A protected nature reserve, Loreto is home to endless species of whales, dolphins and rays as they stay and linger while on their migrations. Depending on the month, you could share the crystal clear waters of the Sea of Cortez with Humpback and Blue Whales, Whalesharks, Dolphins and Rays.
As the inaugural Spanish colonial city in the peninsula, the cultural significance of Loreto is one of the great joys of the city. Traditional Mexican eateries like Mi Loreto offer heritage flavours like mole sauce and mezcal. Down the main street houses modern Japanese restaurants like DÉNTO, craft breweries like El Zopilote Brewing Company and live music halls like Black Bird that would fit in happily in any international gastronomic hub.
I first arrived in Loreto as a desperate, month-long escape from the realities of 2019. Covid. American Presidential Elections. Protests. Gun Violence. Toilet paper hoarding. I employed my favorite coping mechanism in the face of abject chaos and the never ending media circus that strange November. I ran away. At the time I was living in Santa Monica with my then beloved who, regardless of later injustices, admittedly supported my spontaneity and political fragility by agreeing to live in a tiny town in Mexico for a few weeks (turned month). I found Loreto on Google Maps through process of elimination and then an even smaller desert town called Mulegé that we could drive to. An oasis sat between the water and the desert where WiFi wouldn’t reach us and we weren’t at risk of overhearing the news and being sucked back into anxiety/ reality.
The month came and went and we returned to the City of Angels. My mum and dad retired and left Singapore for good mid-pandemic in an equally spontaneous and unplanned way as I had originally ran to Loreto, so once again the city became a haven for my wandering family. Long story short. They bought a house along the water to add to the list of places they like to occupy as they gaze out to the sea and found a place that imported PG Tips. We’ve been coming back as a family, separately or together, ever since. Somehow they haven’t run out of Mezcal. Though we cleared them out of Johnnie Walker Red a few times…
Getting To Loreto
It needs to be said that beautiful places often have consequences.
Feelings of remoteness tend to be a byproduct of being remote. But the offensive beauty and serenity of Loreto is shockingly easy to reach. With layovers available in North, Central and South America, Loreto International Airport is the last living, breathing port that’s actually enjoyable. It’s got one terminal, two bars. Need I say more? No hassle. No rushing. Things happen when they happen and whatever god you believe in abandons you at the door and leaves you to the mercy of the whims of the handful of staff in the semi-air conditioned building. But truth be told, I’ve never had a hard time with any of them. The hum of engines mixes with the Spanish guitar strumming from the loud speaker. Everything smells like sunblock and sweat. The margaritas are the strongest I’ve ever had. It’s heaven. Just don’t forget to stock up on Takis and Mexican coke for the flight home.
As of yet, I’ve arrived in Loreto by way of a few hours spent in Los Angeles or Phoenix, followed by an hour or two crossing the aerial Mexican border with Alaska Airlines. What used to be a once-a-week flight option has multiplied into options as far as the eye can see. Though Loreto Bay Golf Resort & Spa has made flying more comparable with the Peninsula’s Southern, more westernized cities. It must also be said that convenience has consequences as well.
Eating & Drinking In Loreto
Mi Loreto
The only thing you should worry about from the time you enter the city limits via air land or sea is getting to Mi Loreto along Anda. Juan María de Salvatierra. This is a non-negotiable. Especially if you’ve always dreamed of being invited to a traditional Sunday dinner at a local Mexican family’s home but opted for French instead of Spanish class back in the day.
Founded in 2002, the family-owned restaurant has cemented itself as a cultural establishment with live music every weekend, a captivating atmosphere and staff and delicious food beloved by visitors and locals alike. The owners have a long history in the coastal town and proudly showcase the traditional flavours and culinary traditions of the region. From complimentary sopes with salsa - pro tip: let the know if you love spice and they’ll bring out the local stuff - to freshly caught fish brought in daily by local fishermen to rich, complex, non-chocolatey mole, Mi Loreto really is a choose-your-own flavour bomb.
What to order…
Mezcal Paloma - Originally I was turned onto Palomas in my best friends’ backyard in California when his Mexican mother would make a plate of enchiladas and bust out a 750ml of Squirt and *forget* a bottle of tequila and a bowl of limes by the pool. Heaven. I’ll always love that debaucherous trio but I still count my lucky stars that Mi Loreto pairs fresh squeezed paloma (grapefruit) juice and local craft mezcal. Keep in mind, you’ll need to request your cocktail be made with mezcal (house is fine) because the standard Paloma is made with tequila blanco, though I find it a bit too sweet. In my humble opinion, the smokey mezcal is a better partner to the tangy bitterness of the fruit juice. The complex flavour from the roasted agave hearts provides a bold and distinctive twist on a classic and offers an invigorating pairing to a meal filled with spices, depth and complexity while the zest from the Paloma keeps your palette cool.
Sopes - Back in the Covid days these classic street food staples hit the table before the mezcal did… and that’s saying something. These antojitos (snacks) are bite-sized bundles of joy. But also lightly fried masa stacked with refried beans, oftentimes some form of shredded meat like chicken, salsa roja or salsa verde depending on your mood and cojita cheese. You will be tempted to order another round of these tiny delicious morsels but you must resist for fear of filling up on them. For they are decevingly hearty. Especially when you plan on ordering a small mountain of totopos and half of a large grazing animal smothered in something saucy.
Chile Relleno de Marisco - Pan-fried to perfection seafood chile relleno stuffed to the gunnels with seasonal nautical delights and smothered in salsa de tomate. This dish borderlines NSFW and I’ve offended neighboring sensibilities on multiple occasions with the noises that creep out when that first bite hits my taste buds. But that’s why you shouldn’t bring children to restaurants with a full page of Tequila cocktails after dark. The dish is disturbingly delicious in part because of the mental hurdle you have to jump over before tucking in. Poblano? Yes. Cheese? Always. Fried? Of course! Octopus, Prawns, Fish? oh my! All together and then blanketed in tomato sauce? Woof. But do yourself a favour and order one for the table. How many times in your life do you get to try something completely different and wonderfully sumptuous? And if you don’t like it, a shot of mezcal does wonders for resetting the palette.
Combinacion Mexicana - The deep affection that exists in the depths of my soul for a combo plate is probably the most American thing about me. I want it all, it’s true. And I want it now. Even the most pretentious food snobs will agree that Mi Loreto’s Mexican Combo is the stuff that food dreams are made of. Cheese chile relleno. Mole enchilada. Flank steak. Rice and beans. Perfection. Because admittadly, not everyone can spend months over a lifetime in this remote coastal town, so this plate specifically gives you a far-reaching journey of the regions potential. Plus, it arrives on a comically massive plate and that, paired with the kitchy margarita glasses makes for a perfectly shameful photo op.
Mole Almendrado - Now this is a sauce. Lies. This is the ultimate sauce. You could confidently order anything on the menu smothered in the house-made mole and you’re essentially guaranteed a perfect dish. Mole is a vast multiverse with varying colours, heat levels, regional laws, family customs and pride, but all are somewhat connected by their common use of chiles, spices and seeds. Mole Almendrado (Almond Mole) is of the more mild not-too-sweet-not-too-spicy variety, so it lends itself well to the subtle deliciousness of seafood specifically. But using a generous pool of the good stuff to politely drown chicken enchiladas or a steak filet is welcomed in my books.
Pan Que Pan
Delicious. Convenient. Affordable. Every town needs a group of fail-proof cafés for all occassions: early-morning pastries and coffee, easy mid-day sandos and smoothies and a a picturesque outdoor space to escape to with a book when your travel party is driving you bananas. Loreto just happens to wrap them all up in one. Pan que Pan is open until 15:00 but it shines as a breakfast joint.
DENTÓ Japanese Food
With Loreto, it’s important to suspend your disbelief and allow it to hang mid-air for the entirety of your stay. Just like the dehydrated martian landscape meets a sea so disproportionately teeming with life, where you could die of heat stroke several meters before hitting the cool, crystalline waters of the Sea of Cortez, you have to allow the cognitive dissonance to wash over you when you drive up to the pristine sushi house tucked between dilapidated taquerias.
Mezzaluna
Lady-owned Uruguayan restaurant on a bustling corner of Loreto and a patio that’s perfect for people watching. Truth be told I fell in love with Chimichurri here back in 2019 when I was on a massive empanada bender (and the empanadas at Mezzaluna are world class), but it must be said that Mezzaluna promises a truly impressive spirits list, international delights from all corners of the globe and spectacular service.
The alluring charm of Loreto is the quality of people it attracts (not to toot my own horn) and Mezzaluna is the heartbeat of the transient sub-culture of the coastal town. I’m not sure what originally drew me to the restaurant, but I came back night after night because of the friends I made across those well-loved and rickety tables.
