Leaving Concepcion Bay, the highway snakes up into spectacularly rugged mountains before dropping down to Loreto on the gulf. Loreto, Baja's first city and capital for 132 years (founded by Salvatierra in 1697) still enjoys its one time prominence and is rapidly gaining a new reputation as a fisherman's haunt. Located here is the Mother of Missions Baja's first rebuilt again and again, and most recently restored in 1941. It was from Loreto in 1769 that Junipero Serra began his northward march.
A canopy of date palms covers parts of town and extends right down to the beach; the trees lean out over the sand very much as coconut palms do in the South Seas. Resorts front this beach and a seaside walkway makes a good spot for watching the spectacular sunrises and sunsets.
Fly in guests at the Flying Sportsman Lodge use a private landing strip, and facilities there now include camper sites. The large main airstrip where commercial airliners land discharges visitors to waiting taxis for the trip to the verdant Oasis or the new El Presidente (formerly Playa Loreto).
Fishing is great. In proportions that vary somewhat with the seasons, all the valiant game species are ready to do battle yellowtail, marlin, sailfish, roosterfish, tuna, bass, sierra mackerel, bonito, cabrilla, pompano, and others. For shellfishing and shore casting, you can go south of town a few miles to where the hills come right down to the water, forming headlands and sheltered coves.
You're not a fisherman? Visit the mission museum to see the artifacts collected from all over Baja; stroll along the side streets until you discover the outdoor mud and brick oven of Loreto's bakery; visit the few shops for souvenirs; sit in the plaza and people watch; or lie in a hammock and look out to sea. Most hotels have pools and tennis courts. The large island in the channel is Isla Carmen, noted for its spectacular grottos and good skin diving.
A visit to San Javier, a hidden little community back in a spiny mountain gorge, takes almost all day. Ask your hotel to pack a lunch; then hire a truck and driver and allow 31/2 hours for the 22 miles each way on very primitive road. The goal of this rough but beautiful trip is to see the finest example of mission architecture in Baja the only original mission church remaining intact. It was finished in 1758, 10 years before the arrival of the Franciscans.
South of Loreto, it is a long 225 mile drive through desert and agricultural communities to reach La Paz. For 23 miles below Loreto the road hooks in and out along the gulf. Notable stops are Nopolo, where pelicans go berserk in winter months when currents and winds combine to pile up schools of small fish; Notri, with limited camping under palm trees; and Puerto Escondido, a natural harbor
where you can rent a boat or fish off the dock. Watch for changes in Puerto Escondido as plans proceed for ferry service to the mainland.
Villa Insurgentes and Ciudad Constitucion, the two principal inland towns, offer a minimum of communities surrounding them. Near Ciudad Constitucion a paved road cuts across Magdalena Bay on the Pacific. Fishing, clamming, and even swimming are great, but don't expect any facilities.
