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Loreto Mexico -- the next international tourist destination
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I left our sailboat Last Resort anchored in Puerto Escondido, which lies approximately 25 miles south of Loreto. At nine o’clock on the morning before Thanksgiving, I stood in front of the marina’s Porto Bello restaurant to await my ride. Soon, there were a dozen other women, cruisers from the various boats in the marina, all waiting for rides to the spa, the grocery store or sightseeing tours. I was the only one there on business and must have been the envy of the bevy when my ride, Mario Cortes, handsome project director for a major timeshare, fractional and whole ownership resort developer in Mexico – The Villa Group, pulled up in his SUV.
I was more than ready to be whisked away. I’d spent a long month onboard Last Resort with only a few brief sorties into the rich shopping district of Cabo and the easy elegance of the Malecon in La Paz. We’d left San Diego on October 26th as part of the annual Baja Ha-Ha, during which more than 160 boats – mostly sail – trekked to the southernmost point of Mexico’s Baja California. Upon our departure, we’d been asked to dress in costumes, Halloween style, to add to the festive tone of the boat rally. Prophetically, we had chosen the theme, ‘escape from Alcatraz,’ and now, a month later, I was ready for a prison-break.
Mario showed me the sleepy Mexican town of Loreto, which did not disappoint. Here was the Mexico most Americans dream about discovering. Three decades earlier the country’s tourism organization, FONATUR, had wisely set about assisting several major tourist destinations to attract an international audience. They sent planners, engineers and architects into sleepy little seaside communities such as Cancun, Ixtapa, Cabo and Loreto. All but Loreto took off. This, the most premium area of them all, somehow languished.
“The synergies just weren’t there,” explained my host as we drove along a two-lane highway with the ocean on one side and the dramatic Sierra La Giganta mountain range on the other. “It was a case of the chicken or the egg. The airlines were loathe to send planes more frequently because there weren’t enough hotel rooms. Hoteliers weren’t building because guests couldn’t get there without frequent air service.”
The Villa Group is looking to promote more airline traffic, while building a huge multi-use project just south of town in the midst of an ecological preserve called Bahia de Loreto. With the airlines bringing in tourists for kayaking, fishing, golfing, diving and snorkeling, Villas del Palmar Loreto looks to provide ten hotels with upscale timeshare and fractional shared ownership, 350 residential lots, a wellness center and a Rees Jones-designed 18-hole golf course to serve them. According to their Web site, “Villa Del Palmar Loreto is still currently under construction, but will have Phase I finished by 2010, which will open 100 villas. Call now to reserve your slice of paradise at 1-800-565-6143. For vacation ownership call 1-866-668-9088.” Mario is confident that there will be guests checking into the resort by October of next year.
I could see that was true from a vantage point on top of a promontory overlooking the nearly 3,800-acre site. Here, the Villa Group has begun the process of selling memberships and residential property in what was formerly part of a preexisting eco-lodge. Mario explained that the preserve was discovered twelve years ago and developed as a solar energy-powered hideaway with just nine rooms. When the new developer first visited the site he declared, “We have a responsibility to protect all of this.”
Mario explained, “The government passed our environmental impact plan with zero exceptions. It covers protecting several endangered species including sea turtles, rams, palomas, pelegrin hawks and provides for the rescue of a species of zebra lizard. We’ve been recognized as the number one, best company in Baja Sur, in this respect.”
“The company carries its moral responsibility and standards of ethical behavior even further, by improving the standard of living in the community,” he said proudly. “We brought in electricity, dug a huge well for fresh water, built a library and have invested in the schools. Eventually, we’ll be building a desalination plant for use at the resort.”
After the outbreak of the Swine Flu panic-attack, the government launched a tourism enhancement campaign called “Vive Mexico,” with $25 million apportioned for the Loreto area. Along with a number of improvements, including the completion of a 5,000-square-meter international airport and a well equipped hospital, Mario and his compadres at Villa Group are confident Loreto will be the next global travel destination. Judging from the resulting improvements in the lives of the locals, including youths being the first in their families to go on to college, the availability of health care for the very poorest of residents and the increased number of work and business opportunities, raising the standard of living would be reason enough to hope for their success. But on an even more expansive scale, a visit to the sparklingly-clean town of Loreto and a restorative vacation amidst one of the most beautiful natural areas in the world, is something to be shared with the outside world.
At the end of the day, I was quite sure I would return again and again. The incredibly beautiful mountains striped in ochre, red and gold, which surround the town are reminiscent of the Grand Canyon. The appeal of water sports are abundant, from fishing and boating to swimming and diving. The village is enchanting, with picturesque buildings and streets paved in textured concrete patterned to resemble old-fashioned cobblestones. Evidence of prosperity is everywhere, from playful children, well-dressed inhabitants, chock-full tiendas packed with local craft items, to the restaurant-lined Malecon. At the town’s center is Baja’s earliest ‘mision,’ built in 1697. While there is a very pleasant feeling of comfort throughout the restaurants, shops and hotels in town, prices are still surprisingly affordable. The airport is served principally by Alaska Airlines with 45-minute-long flights from Los Angeles.
(Click here for a trip to ancient Rome, via Mazatlan.)
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