Little hints of the rich history of Loreto appear everywhere you look: in the seashells pressed into the stone walls of the 300 year old Mission, in the images painted on the walls of nearby caves by the vanished Cochimi, and in the taste of fragrant molé made from an old family recipe. There are so many stories on the history of this place. We’d like to share one of our favorites with you.

La historia de Loreto
The discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus brought rumors and speculation about the undiscovered land even further to the west called California. European imaginations ran wild with visions of unlimited wealth in gold, pearls and land. Numerous attempts to explore the west coast failed, even those by renowned explorer Herman Cortés / Herman Cortez who conquered the mainland of Mexico. Another 162 years would pass before a young Jesuit would employ his passion and religious conviction to gain a foothold on the peninsula we know as Baja California.

La Misión de Nuestra Señora de Loreto – The Mission of Our Lady of Loreto
As a young Italian Jesuit, Juan Maria de Salvatierra venerated the Virgin of Loreto. His assignment by the Jesuit order to colonize the unknown Western coast of Mexico inspired him to bring an icon of the Virgin with him on this arduous journey. When the padre landed on the shores of this tranquil bay, he placed her image there and christened the Mission of Loreto. Thus, the Town of Loreto was founded on this extraordinary bay of islands on October 25, 1697.