Dreamscapes Travel & Lifestyle Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dreamscapes.ca/i/569741
DREAMSCAPES FALL 2015 34 A s the WestJet Boeing 737 descended into Loreto, Mexico, I noticed giant cardon cacti lining the runway, the don't-mess-with-me sentinels of the desert, which stretches 1,250 kilometres south from the United States border to the tip of Mexico's Baja California peninsula. Upon landing near the historic town of about 15,000 residents located a little more than midway along the peninsula's east coast, I half-expected Wayne and his cowboy cohorts to gallop past, followed by actors playing a tribe of Cochimi Indians, the area's first inhabitants, in hot pursuit. Alas, the golden age of the American western is long past, but Loreto, the 318-year- old first capital of the Californias, retains its colonial charm with some modern touches (such as a single traffic light). In lieu of a Wild West posse, we were greeted in the airport by smiling Zayra Arroyo from Villa del Palmar at the Islands of Loreto. Opened in 2011, it's the region's newest and most luxurious vacation resort, with a gamut of land and sea adventures on offer. OFF THE RADAR On board the bus to the resort, which is nes- tled above Danzante Bay 40 minutes south of Loreto, I took a deep breath of arid, unpol- luted air, in anticipation of the rejuvenation I was sure to experience in this peaceful, little-discovered natural playground. It wasn't, however, planned this way. More than 40 years ago, FONATUR, Mexico's tourism development agency, identified Loreto as one of five sites with prime tourism potential. Unlike the others— Cancun, Ixtapa-Zihuatenejo, Huatulco and nearby Los Cabos—Loreto escaped the full-steam ahead development, which trans- formed those once-sleepy fishing villages into mega-resorts. One barrier to increased tourism has been limited flights, with none from Canada. However, WestJet's new seasonal, BAJA SUR'S NATURAL PLAYGROUND BY THERESA STORM TOP: The turtle-shell-patterned pools and lovely grounds are highlights at Villa del Palmar. BOTTOM: A grey whale checks us out in Magdalena Bay located on the west side of the Baja Peninsula just 2.5 hours from Villa del Palmar. OPPOSITE LEFT: Founded in 1697 by the Jesuits, the Misión de Nuestra Señora de Loreto Conchó in central Loreto was the first permanent mission of the Californias. OPPOSITE RIGHT TOP: A guide leads a kayak expedition from Villa del Palmar across the bay to Danzante Island. OPPOSITE RIGHT BOTTOM: A bounty of chocolate clams, some of which were enjoyed raw with a squeeze of lime and tajin seasoning. I FELT LIKE I WAS ENTERING A JOHN WAYNE MOVIE SET.