Beaches

Cruises

More than cruises, Loreto offers island exploration tours that take in one, or a combination, of the five islands located just offshore. They usually offer the opportunity to visit sea-lion colonies and do some snorkeling and beachcombing. Arrange cruises through a travel agency or your hotel, or call Arturo's Sport (tel. 713/135-0766; www.arturosport.com). Their most popular cruise visits the four offshore islands, Coronado, Carmen, Danzante, and Montserrat. The 8-hour cruise from island to island incorporates snorkeling and sunning at one paradise after another for $135. Prices include snacks, beverages, and lunch. Each island is unique and offers a spectrum of activities such as sea kayaking, snorkeling, diving, hiking, or simply exploring the local desert flora and fauna.

Golf

The 18-hole Campo de Golf Loreto, Bulevar Misión San Ignacio, Fraccionamiento Nopoló (tel. 713/133-0554 or 713/133-0788), is in the process of an eco-focused renovation, at the helm of which is David Duval, 2001 British Open champion. When the 18-hole course renovation is complete, it will mirror the natural environment: The front 9 holes will be a links-style course with gently sloping fairways, and the back 9 will incorporate mangroves and water features. Until the course is complete in mid-2008, play is free, a deal that can't be beat, and golf-club rentals go for $35.

As hiking goes, there are virtually no formal trails in the Sierra de la Giganta, so a locals' perspective is invaluable and will land you in many magical spots in these towering mountains. Tour Baja's Pedaling South tour offers vehicle-supported guided mountain-bike treks for all skill levels. Choose from tours into the mountains, along the coast, and to the San Javier Mission, and combine your favorite with snorkeling or kayaking. Call Tour Baja for information on backpacking and day-hike trips into the mountains. A 3-day guided backpacking trip costs $100 per hiker per day, and a mountain-biking excursion costs $135 per day or $100 if you bring your own bike.

Horseback Riding

Tour Baja's (tel. 800/398-6200; www.tourbaja.com) Saddling South offers pack trips on horseback into the Sierra de La Giganta range and through historic ranches along the way. If you're looking to experience life on the California frontier, this is for you. The cost is $135 per day for a minimum 3-day and maximum 8-day tour.

Tennis

You can play tennis at the Nopoló Sports Center's Loreto Bay Tennis Center (tel. 713/133-0788), which was dedicated by John McEnroe. There are eight courts, a pool, a sun deck, a stadium that holds 240 people, a racquetball court, and a pro shop. As with golf, court fees are free until further notice; adult racquet rentals are $7 and racquets are $4 for kids. The center is open Sunday through Saturday from 7am to 8pm.

Watersports & Activities

The Sea of Cortez is the star in Loreto and the five islands just offshore make for some of the best kayaking, sailing, diving, and fishing in North America. Freediving, or breath-hold diving as opposed to diving with tanks, is becoming more popular as well. Loreto is the nearest major airport and city to Bahía de Magdalena (Magdalena Bay), the southernmost of the major gray whale calving lagoons on the Pacific coast of Baja, and Loreto was their stage in November 2007 while a documentary called Whales was being filmed on them.

Sea Kayaking -- Kayaking season is October through December and April through May, and although Loreto attracts mostly avid kayakers, there are options for novice recreational paddlers as well. Arturo's Sport operates the tour desk at Inn at Loreto Bay, which is situated on a stellar bay for sea kayaking, and offers kayaking day trips and by-the-hour options for $12 an hour. Tour Baja (tel. 800/398-6200; www.tourbaja.com) offers Paddling South multiday trips ($595-$1,295) in one- or two-person fiberglass sea kayaks. Puerto Escondido is also an ideal starting point for experienced kayakers who want to reach Isla Montserrat; call Tour Baja for details.

Snorkeling/Diving -- Several companies offer snorkeling; most island exploration trips include snorkeling, and trips to Isla del Carmen, Isla Coronado, Isla Monserrate, and Isla Catalina all include snorkeling opportunities. Some fishing trips carry snorkeling gear on board to give anglers a chance to check out the underwater world. For scuba diving, contact Dolphin Dive Center (tel. 613/135-1914; www.dolphindivebaja.com); it offers several diving sites where you can admire the underwater bounty of the Sea of Cortez. The two-tank trips cost $89 to $115 per diver, and a PADI dive master guides all tours. Snacks, Loreto Bay Marine Park fees, weights, two tanks, and a boat are included, but any equipment needed comes at an extra charge (air costs $7/tank, wetsuit $10, BC [buoyancy compensator] $12, regulator with dive computer $12, mask/fins/snorkel $10). If you're new to scuba and would like to get certified, or if you want an advanced certification, Dolphin Dive Center also offers several PADI resort courses, which range from $150 for a daylong resort course to $660 for dive-master certification.

For something more unusual and boldly adventurous, take advantage of the run of giant Humboldt squid that pass inshore to spawn between Isla del Carmen and Isla Danzante from May through October. Encounters with these ink-squirting apex predators, which can grow up to 200 pounds and travel in packs called "shoals," can be arranged, at depths of 12m (40 ft.), through Sea Wolves Unlimited (tel. 562/221-1274 in the U.S.; www.squiddiving.com or www.sea-wolves.com). Scott Cassell, Sea Wolves owner, guide, and the world's leading expert on Humboldt squid -- he's all over National Geographic and the Discovery Channel -- outfits divers in special shark-repellent wetsuits and tethers them to the boat to ensure the total safety of his clients. For $2,200, not only do you get to experience how it feels to be at the bottom of the food chain, you get 3 nights of all-inclusive luxury accommodations at the Inn at Loreto Bay, a daily informational squid school, and 3 days of diving with these fascinating animals with three hearts, blue blood, pinniped brains, and the habit of swimming from arctic depths of 300m (1,000 ft.) to the tropical Sea of Cortez surface every 2 hours.

Sportfishing -- The fishing near Loreto is exceptional, with a different game fish for every season. Winter and spring months are great for yellowtail, sea bass, roosterfish, and grouper; and summer is the time for big marlin, sailfish, tuna, and dorado.

There are several different sportfishing operations in town, most of which are no-frills excursions. This is not Cabo, and if you came here to fish, that's just what you'll get. The least expensive way to enjoy deep-sea fishing is to pair up with another angler and charter a panga from the Loreto Sportfishing Cooperative at the main pier in Loreto. Prices range from $160 to $180 per boat, depending on the size and availability of shade. You can also arrange your trip in advance through most resorts and tour operators or contact the fleets directly. One of Loreto's best tour companies for fishing, spearfishing, and freediving is Pelagic Tours, owned and operated by three local expats, Brenda, Shane, and John (tel. 613/113-8678 or 613/113-8677 to inquire about pricing and details). Decades of first-hand expertise and a passion for sport set the stage for a host of tourist services, including freediving adventures, fishing and spearfishing charters, marriages at sea, sunset cruises, land tours, and bungalow rentals. Shane also runs the Loreto Smokehouse & Fish Factory (loretosmokehousefishfactory@yahoo.com), which means you can have your fish and smoke it, too. For $2 to $4 per pound, don't miss his awesome candied dorado. People with their own boats can launch at the ramp just north of the malecón in town or at Puerto Loreto, 26km (16 miles) south of town. If you plan on running out to Isla del Carmen, it's better to launch from Puerto Loreto, which cuts 10km (6 miles) off the crossing. For tackle, head to Deportes Blazer (tel. 613/135-0766) on Hidalgo, the catchall sporting-goods store in town.

Whale-Watching -- Loreto is the nearest major airport and city to Bahía Magdalena (Magdalena Bay), the southernmost of the major gray-whale-calving lagoons on the Pacific coast of Baja. For more information on popular whale-watching spots and tour operators, see the "Whale-Watching in Baja: A Primer" section later in this chapter. Arturo's Sport (tel. 713/135-0766; www.arturosport.com) conducts whale-watching trips within the Loreto Marine Park, where you'll see the giant blue whale, and to Magdalena Bay on the Pacific Coast to see gray whales. The cost is $125 for the 8-hour trip, which includes an average of 2 hours in a skiff watching the whales, transportation, snacks, beverages, and a seafood lunch.