Loreto Mexico on the Baja Peninsula January 23, 2026

 

🎶 “As I walked out on the streets of Loreto I spied a …..” 🎶 most amazing sunrise!

Catching a sunrise in Loreto is a must do so I did it!  This morning was the first morning I was able to fit it into my schedule.  I left in the dark for the 20 minute walk to the water.  I was surprised to get caught up with all the school kids who were racing to get to school on time.  7:00 am is an early start for them. This was my view as I crossed the street to the walkway along the Sea of Cortez.

a panorama shot

you can see the people out on the sand bar

that’s where I am headed

view behind me of the walkway where I just walked

on the sandbar 

I sat for a little time while the day fully dawned, breathing in the sea breeze. There was much to love about this day and yet it was still early morning.  I found this stone which measured about an inch in height and width.  

After watching the sunrise then walking to the marina, I was in need of some beach time.  It’s still off season here so it is quite quiet.  That is perfect for me as was settling down on my towel under a palm shade and stretching out my legs.  I watched kayakers, paddle boarders, pangas heading out for tours and enjoyed the antics of the Brown Pelicans.

Eventually it was time to get on with the day so I aimed for the wetlands for shore birding.  

I spent more time here this time than I did on Tuesday.  

Snowy Egret

Marbled Godwit

Little Blue Heron

Snowy Egret and White Ibis

Willet

Reddish Heron

Double-crested Cormorant

Great Egret

Least Sandpiper

Osprey

Next on my agenda was to head to the market area, browse the stores and just enjoy the surroundings.  This is the Mission of Our Lady of Loreto, construction was completed in 1703. 

view inside

a cafe

a spa

one of many stores 

I shopped at this one,

a restaurant 

This is my collection of Sea of Cortez seaglass from today.  

I didn’t spend much time looking for Seaglass 

but every now and then a treasure caught my eye.

I really needed to put my feet up when I got back to my home away from home.  

Doing so paired nicely with a local cerveza!

Loreto Mexico on the Baja Peninsula January 22, 2026

 

The saying here goes like this “ If you come to Loreto and do not go to San Javier Mission then you have not gone to Loreto!” Today I went to San Javier Mission!  Everything about the whole experience far exceeded my expectations. It helps having superb weather, a great driver and guide named Santos, plus only a few others who wanted to say “I went to Loreto”.  The scenery along the narrow winding road up into the hills above Loreto was amazing.  We made one stop along tbe forty-five minute to look out to the Sea of Cortez with Loreto on this side of the Sea and Isla del Carmen on the horizon.

San Javier Mission is steeped in history which I won’t get into.  During the drive up, Santos told us anything and everything you would ever want to know about Baja, Loreto and the Mission.  History never was and is still not my favourite thing yet I want to know the basics.  View as we walked towards the church. It was finished being built in 1759.

view inside

view as we exited out the side

view looking back as we headed towards the orchard 

on our way to the orchard 

I truly enjoyed the scenery surrounding San Javier Mission. I felt that feeling that is hard to describe. It was peaceful, it was pretty, it was so very quiet, I felt a comforting embrace, it was serene, it felt calm and carefree here.  Sigh!  

It came time for lunch. 

We placed our orders when we first arrived.  

They were ready when we arrived back an hour later after our walk about.  

We entered in under the palm tree roof. 

I had two burritos, a quesadilla, refried beans and a…..

cerveza!

After lunch, we strolled the main street to the end where Santos picked us up.  

This is a shop that I shopped at.

on the main street with the church behind me

a cafe

homes

in the middle of the street

view in someone’s backyard 

what I bought in that store

a large mug with a handle that I will use as a soup bowl

So, even though I am in Loreto, I truly am in Loreto because I went to San Javier Mission!

Loreto Mexico on the Baja Peninsula January 21, 2026

I have my park pass for Loreto Bay National Park and I’m ready to go whale watching, Blue Whale watching that is. Blue Whales are the largest animals on earth, equal to the size of thirty elephants.  Ever since I went whale watching for the first time ever back in October in Victoria, British Columbia, I knew I needed to go again and soon!  Loreto Bay National Park in the Sea of Cortez came onto my radar and well, here I am!  

Mid January is early for Blue Whale sightings but I took a chance, flew here, signed up for a tour and kept my fingers crossed while saying a little prayer.  Seven of us along with our Captain Alfredo boarded a panga and set off on water that was like a pane of glass.   

With water conditions like that we were able to clip along to get out to where hopefully there would be something to see.  I was caught up in viewing and photographing the mountainous scenery. It was incredibly beautiful and unusually calm conditions for here for this time of year.  .  

Well, only thirty minutes into our trip out to further reaches, we were surprised by a Blue Whale!  The Captain cut the engine, we watched in awe!  

Oh WOW!

Once the tail comes up like in the above photo, it then dives down deep for up to thirty minutes.  That’s when we moved on to our originally planned location.  But before getting there, we were surprised once again, another Blue Whale!  

another whale watching boat

Then another one!  

We got to watch this Blue Whale for a longer period of time before it dove deep.

a three second video

I could not keep my mouth shout!

As we moved along to another location, we were surprised by a school of dolphins!  

These ones were either following us or chasing us away!

Some were so close, I could probably have reached out and touched them!

a four second video

Eventually time came to begin the trip back to the Marina. About thirty minutes out, Alfredo cut the engine again and we had lunch, lunch out on the Sea of Cortez.  All the while, as we ate, we watched for activity.  We saw a Mantra Ray, maybe a Fin Whale and another Blue Whale (may have been the one we saw at the beginning of our adventure).  

The winds known for this area for this time of year presented themselves!  

getting close to the Loreto Marina

Brown Pelicans welcoming us back!

They did move as we stepped off the panga!  We were a happy bunch of whale watchers and Captain Alfredo was happy for us.  He has been out searching each day, and today was a gift for him too!  I can’t stop looking at my photos and videos which I have so many more of  in addition to what I shared here. How am I ever going to sleep tonight after a day like today!