HISTORY
In 1697, Jesuit Padre Juan Maria Salvatierra and a small group of loyal followers came upon San Dionisio, a small port where steep lavender mountains with spreading palms divided the arid desert from the cobalt sea. He carried with him the Virgin of Loreto and as he placed her image on a wooden cross adorned with wildflowers, Loreto, the first capital of the Californias was born.

Today, 300 years later, Loreto remains rich in history and full of undiscovered natural wonders. Dating back nearly 12,000 years, Loreto is considered the oldest human settlement on the Peninsula of Baja California. European colonizers were the first to establish the town of Loreto with its sweet water oasis and arid climate. Loreto has since been the center of many important events in the history of the Californias. It is located in the State of Baja California Sur, 220 miles to the north of La Paz and 750 miles south of San Diego via Federal Highway 1.