Loreto
One of the most dramatic settings on our journey will be Loreto, set against the towering, rugged Sierra de la Giganta. This town is a cornerstone of European settlement, culture, and religion in the Californias.
Besides its historic first mission and adjacent museum, visitors will enjoy spending some time at its beautiful town square, Plaza Civica, and exploring the classic interior court yard of an adjacent hotel and restaurant. The Plaza and Mission are connected to the sea by a delightful cobblestone walking and shopping street (Salvatierra), shaded with an amazing series of ficus tree arches (they're real!). The local residents are both gracious and welcoming. From the harbor to the walking street you will also find a nice waterside promenade, known here as elsewhere in Baja as the "Malecon".
Whatever you do while we visit, do try to spend at least a little time exploring Loreto. You won't regret it!
Of course there is much to explore in this region. First, you may be aware that the bay in which your ship rests at anchor is an 800 square mile National Marine Park, including five islands. Fishing, boat tours, kayaking, snorkeling, and diving are all possibilities. It best to book a Holland tour or contact a local outfitter (see travel tips).
The impressive Sierra de la Giganta also beckons. Through these mountains lies Mission San Francisco Javier, the second mission built following that of Loreto. Hewn of rock and rock ornamentation, graced with its original ceiling paintings, this mission is considered perhaps the best example from the Jesuit mission era. This rugged and scenic trip is available as a Holland tour option. Land side activities close to Loreto include horseback riding (which can be combined with snorkeling), and golfing.
Loreto's sights and significance may best be appreciated with a bit of historical narrative. Loreto is the oldest permanently established town in Baja and the Californias, dating from 1697 when Jesuit missionaries with Spanish support established California's first mission here.
Earlier attempts at conquest and settlement on the peninsula had not come to fruition for a variety of reasons. Among these were lack of support by the crown, inability to establish a self-sustaining food supply, and what one might describe as poor rapport with the native peoples living in Baja.
With the settlement attempt culminating in Loreto, the Spanish took a new tack: They would provide a kind of concession to the Jesuit Order to establish and administer agricultural centers, including the opportunity to convert native peoples to the Christian religion. Over the next 70 years the Jesuits established a chain of 20 missions stretching from the cape region in Baja's south to the Mission of Santa Maria about two thirds of the way up the peninsula.
The Jesuit missionary venture as a whole had mixed results. On the one hand, it brought schools, an initial road system, the first garden plants (to Loreto) and date palms (to Loreto, San Ignacio, Mulege, and elsewhere), and even mail service to the peninsula. It also created a private funding system, the Pious Fund, which would underwrite the later establishment of missions in what we today call California. On the other hand, the mission settlement system in Baja never became self-sustaining agriculturally or economically. It eventually generated violent resistance among native peoples, and it unintentionally devasted native peoples through diseases transmitted by outside visitors. Over this period, the native population within the Spanish reach was reduced (largely by disease) from 40 to 50 thousand to only 7,000.
Throughout the Jesuit era, Loreto remained a key settlement with its mission and presidio. It served as Baja California's seat of government, and was the residence of the Father Superior for the region's missions.
In 1768 the Jesuits were expelled from Baja by the Spanish, and were shortly replaced by 15 Franciscans, under Padre Junipero Serra's leadership. Arriving in Loreto shortly after the Jesuit's departure, the Franciscan's quickly assessed the situation and dispersed themselves among the remaining 14 operating missions. While their time in Loreto was short, it served as a base from which to launch a greater endeavor.
Disagreements with Spanish civil authorities (who had taken back civil and military authority), the arrival of members of the Dominican Order, and Spain's new interest in exploring Alta California soon led the Franciscans in a new direction: Junipero Serra and the Franciscans would head north to found the now famous mission chain beginning in San Diego and eventually ending at Sonoma (above present day San Francisco). The Dominicans were charged with administering the Baja missions.
Loreto remained Baja California's civil and religious capital until 1829 following heavy damage by a hurricane. The capital was permanently moved to La Paz by 1830, and Loreto was largely abandoned and came close to disappearing entirely. Things began to change in the 1850's and 1860's with the coming of new immigrants. The area was given additional life when fishermen relocated in Loreto to harvest the prolific waters offshore in the early 1900's.
Following World War II American sport anglers began to frequent Loreto (most arriving by small plane). A growing number of travelers followed upon completion of Highway 1 through Loreto in 1973. Recent years have seen a significant amount of restoration and refurbishment of the central area, and new developments such as the small harbor through which you will begin your discovery of this beautiful area.
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