|
Practicalities
|
|
|
From Loreto's
bus station
(tel 1/135-0767) it's a fifteen-minute walk east along Salvatierra to the mission church and central plaza, and a further five minutes in the same direction to the beach. From Loreto five buses head north daily (from the afternoon to late evening) and another handful run south (8am-midnight) to La Paz, five long hours away (US$18). If you're confined to the main road there's really nothing to detain you. El Juncalito, about 15km south of Loreto, is a nice spot with an RV park. Ciudad ConstituciA?n, about halfway to La Paz, is a large, modern town with plenty of facilities and is the gateway to Puerto San Carlos and Bahia Magdalena, the southernmost of the whale sanctuaries. Puerto San Carlos, 40km west, has hotels, a trailer park, a petrol station and bus service to Ciudad ConstituciA?n. Loreto's international
airport
(tel 1/135-0454) is a US$6 taxi ride from town and has daily flights to La Paz and numerous cities in mainland Mexico, as well as flights to Los Angeles.
Between the bus station and the beach are the best of the town's budget hotels , including the Motel Salvatierra (tel 1/135-0021; US$10-15) Salvatierra 123, near Allende, which is better value than the Posada San Martin (tel 1/135-0792; US$10-15) at Juarez 14, two blocks north of the plaza. Hotel Palmas Altas (tel 1/135-1353; US$10-15), Nicolas Bravo near Muro, offers a new trailer-home environment, a small pool and tiny though acceptable rooms, while the Motel Brenda (tel 1/135-0707; US$15-25), on Juarez between Marquez de Leon and Ayuntamiento, is a step up, with televisions, a/c and hot water. Other hotels are relatively expensive, catering mainly for diving buffs and people who know the area well; of these, the best are the beachfront Oasis (tel 1/135-0112, www.hoteloasis.com ; US$60-80), three blocks south of the plaza, which has a pool and all the trappings; and the Posada de las Flores (tel 1/135-1162, www.posadadelasflores.com ; US$80-100), near the mission at Salvatierra and Madero, a new hacienda-style luxury option with a rooftop garden and an Italian restaurant. Otherwise, the new B&B Baja Outpost (tel 1/125-1134, www.bajaoutpost.com ; US$40-60), on the malecA?n, has comfortable palapas and rooms with slightly arty decor, and the owner also offers dive, snorkel and kayak trips. Campers should head towards the beaches north of town for a free spot, or walk 1km south along Madero to Loreto Shores RV Park . On the way is Villas de Loreto (tel 1/135-0586, www.villasdeloreto.com ; US$40-60, including breakfast and bike rental), which has a pool, a restaurant and a dive shop, caters to RVs and rents out kayaks. Finding simple Mexican food is no problem at taco stands along Hidalgo or at fancier places around the plaza, notably the popular CafA© OlA© , which does good-value breakfasts and antojitos; or try the cinnamon rolls and excellent, if pricey, pizza at Tiffany's Pisa Parlour on Hidalgo south of the plaza.
The English-speaking
tourist office
(tel 1/135-0411; Mon-Fri 8.30am-3pm) is located in the Palacio de Gobierno at Madero and Salvatierra.
Car rental
is available from Budget (tel 1/135-1090) and Thrifty (tel 1/135-0815), both on the malecA?n.
Bancomer
on the plaza, has a 24hr automatic teller; the staff change travellers' cheques until 2.30pm. The
post office
is on Deportiva, just off Salvatierra on the way into town, behind the Cruz Roja building. Other useful information
for tourists (each section contains more specific sub-sections): |
|
Mexico,
|