Looking for a place to relax? Loreto, Mexico is the best vacation we’ve had in years. We stayed at Villa del Palmar Beach Resort and Spa Loreto and it was the perfect place to unplug and recharge.
It’s a two-hour flight from LAX to Loreto and they take your relaxation seriously, making it the perfect getaway for a few days. We can’t wait to go back!
Loreto, Mexico: The Location
Loreto is located on the eastern side of the Baja peninsula, 250 miles north of Cabo San Lucas, along the Sea of Cortez.
Jacques Custo called this area of Mexico the “aquarium of the world,” due to the diverse amount of fish (800 species, to be exact) and wildlife in the area.
On a trip out to the Islands of Loreto, we saw dolphins, birds and ducks, and fish and sea lions before docking. It is also very likely that you will see whales as well.
The town of Loreto is what some like to call “old Mexico.” If you’ve ever been to neighboring Cabo San Lucas, you know that the infiltration of the Spring Break crowd can be overwhelming, especially if you’re not into loud clubs and wet t-shirt contests.
Loreto offers the same, nearly perfect weather (an average of 300 days of sunshine year round with temperatures usually in the 80s), but the tourist that Loreto attracts is generally looking for a more laid-back Mexican getaway: think long strolls through town, dips in the ocean, mountain hikes and a good nights sleep.
The Resort:
The Villa del Palmar Resort is nestled in between the Giganta Mountain range and the Sea of Cortez, and many of the 181 rooms on the 3,600 acre property have a view of the water.
There are three restaurants, 20,000 square feet of pools (that together, create the picture of a turtle from above), a fitness center should you want to work out and the Sabila spa, which deserves its own blog post, truth be told.
I walked out of there feeling like a glowing, squeaky clean, detoxified and much more present version of myself. It was lovely. Check out all that the spa has to offer here.
The staff in the spa and in the resort itself are kind, accommodating people, and they are also bilingual. These folks are a direct reflection of the people you will meet in this area of Mexico. Locals are polite and warm, and as a single woman, I felt safe both inside and outside of the resort. It was one of the most relaxing atmospheres I found throughout my travels in the country.
Hungry? I left Loreto feeling pleasantly full, having tasted local fare, some of the freshest seafood the country has to offer. The plates that came out of the fine dining restaurant at the resort were works of art – dishes were prepared and plated with the precision of a painter. Also, it was delicious.
The Tours and Activities:
Fishing, kayaking, snorkeling, hiking, scuba diving, whale watching and paddle boarding are only some of the activities you can get into while visiting Loreto.
Want to get on a boat? It’s an easy ride into town from the resort, where you can get a tour of the Islands of Loreto, swim a little bit, snorkel if you feel so inclined, and take photos of wildlife all while you get a tan. If that’s not multi-tasking, I don’t know what is.
Feel like doing something non-beach related? The second oldest mission in Baja California, the San Javier Mission, is located in Loreto.
This mission was built in 1697 and is extremely well-preserved. Behind the mission is farmland, where you can see a one thousand year old olive tree. You can also visit some ancient cave paintings located in the Giganta Mountain Range, which are now a UNESCO world heritage site. Want to learn about the history of the town? Guided tours are the way to go. The guides from Wild Loreto Tour Company are bilingual and extremely knowledgable. Win, win.
The Deal:
If you’re interested in going to visit the Islands of Loreto, the Villa del Palmar has a special promotion going on now through May 19 – mention this blog post when calling the Villa del Palmar Beach Resort and Spa and you will receive free airfare for two flying in and out of LAX. This promotion is based on availability, but what a deal right?! Happy travels!
