Loreto Gateway
Loreto International Airport (LTO) is the fly-in gateway for the Baja Sur Remote Coast zone. This is the logistics page for the arrival: where to sleep, where to eat, who drives, and how the highway and dirt roads reach the coast villages.
Getting There
Loreto International Airport (LTO) is the fly-in gateway for the Baja Sur Remote Coast zone, and the best one for San Juanico and the Comondús and La Purísima side (reported on the zone page). The zone page lists Alaska Airlines from Los Angeles (San Francisco seasonal), American Eagle from Phoenix (Dallas-Fort Worth seasonal), WestJet from Canada seasonally, and Volaris and Calafia connecting domestically through Tijuana, La Paz, Los Mochis and others. Seasonal routes shift year to year, so confirm current schedules.
No visa is needed for tourism on a US or EU passport. Flying in, you fill in the paper FMM tourist form handed out on the plane or at a counter before the immigration line, the officer sets your days up to a 180-day ceiling, and the fee of MXN 983 is already inside your ticket price. Keep the stapled exit half of the form, since you hand it back when you fly out (reported on the Mexico entry page). Rules depend on your passport, so check the official source before you book. The full list is in Getting Into Mexico.
Getting Out of the Airport
- Rent a car at the airport: that is how most travelers get into the coast villages. Get the unpaved-road policy in writing, because most international rental brands exclude graded and dirt roads (reported on the zone page).
- Southern routing: Highway 1 to Ciudad Insurgentes, then paved BCS-53 north toward La Purísima, then the Las Barrancas turnoff and about 35 miles of graded coastal road into San Juanico. The longest but easiest route, and the default for any vehicle (reported).
- Inland routing from Loreto: Highway 1 north of Loreto to the Rosarito turnoff, about 80 km north, then roughly 43 miles of dirt and washboard to San Isidro and La Purísima. Conditions swing from fair to poor, so ask locally before you commit (reported).
- Weather and roads: graded does not mean maintained. Washboard eats tires, rain closes roads for days and signage is thin, so check the weather and make a local phone call before departure day (reported).
Other Gateways for This Zone
- Loreto (LTO): the best fly-in gateway for San Juanico and the Comondús side (this page).
- La Paz (LAP): more flight options and cheaper cars, but roughly 3.5 to 4.5 more hours of driving to reach Ciudad Insurgentes via Highway 1 (reported on the zone page).
- Los Cabos (SJD): covered in full on the Southern Baja page, along with the drive-down basics (reported).
For the full route notes, see the Baja Sur Remote Coast Getting There section.
Stays
Loreto
- Hotel Loreto PalmarLoreto Hotel with a top rating from over 140 reviews. About 1 km from central Loreto in a straight line. Unverified. Google rating 5 from about 140 reviews. Google Maps listing
- Baja Mia Suites & ToursLoreto Hotel on the malecon with a top rating from 150 reviews. About 1 km from central Loreto in a straight line. Unverified. Google rating 4.9 from about 150 reviews. Google Maps listing
- Hotel La Misión de LoretoLoreto Hotel with a high rating from over 900 reviews. About 1 km from central Loreto in a straight line. Unverified. Google rating 4.6 from about 940 reviews. Google Maps listing
- Hostal Casas LoretoLoreto Hostel with a top rating from over 170 reviews. About 1 km from central Loreto in a straight line. Unverified. Google rating 4.8 from about 170 reviews. Google Maps listing
- Iguana Inn HotelLoreto Hotel in the old town with a high rating from under 50 reviews. About 1 km from central Loreto in a straight line. Unverified. Google rating 4.5 from 46 reviews. Google Maps listing
- Hacienda Suites LoretoLoreto Hotel with a solid rating from over 500 reviews. About 1 km from central Loreto in a straight line. Unverified. Google rating 4.3 from about 510 reviews. Google Maps listing
Loreto town sits a short drive from the airport. If you land late and head for San Juanico in the morning, a night here saves a long first day on the road.
Where to Eat
Loreto Restaurants
- Baja HaayLoreto Seafood restaurant with a top rating from over 130 reviews. About 1 km from central Loreto in a straight line. Unverified. Google rating 4.9 from about 140 reviews. Google Maps listing
- Mariscos IvánLoreto Seafood restaurant with a top rating from over 550 reviews. About 1 km from central Loreto in a straight line. Unverified. Google rating 5 from about 560 reviews. Google Maps listing
- La Poblanita RestauranteLoreto Mexican restaurant with a top rating from over 130 reviews. About 1 km from central Loreto in a straight line. Unverified. Google rating 4.8 from about 140 reviews. Google Maps listing
- Mi LoretoLoreto Mexican restaurant with a high rating from over 900 reviews. About 1 km from central Loreto in a straight line. Unverified. Google rating 4.5 from about 900 reviews. Google Maps listing
- Orlando's RestauranteLoreto Mexican restaurant with a high rating from over 1,300 reviews. About 1 km from central Loreto in a straight line. Unverified. Google rating 4.5 from about 1,300 reviews. Google Maps listing
Bakeries and Cafes
- Pan que PanLoreto Breakfast spot with a high rating from over 350 reviews. About 1 km from central Loreto in a straight line. Unverified. Google rating 4.5 from about 370 reviews. Google Maps listing
- Panadería La GigantaLoreto Bakery with a top rating from nearly 50 reviews. About 1 km from central Loreto in a straight line. Unverified. Google rating 4.9 from 48 reviews. Google Maps listing
- Aroma CaféLoreto Coffee shop with a top rating from over 100 reviews. About 1 km from central Loreto in a straight line. Unverified. Google rating 4.7 from about 110 reviews. Google Maps listing
Transport Companies
Taxis and Transfers
- Taxis Sitio JuárezLoreto Taxi stand in the old town with a solid rating from under 30 reviews. About 1 km from central Loreto in a straight line. Unverified. Google rating 4.2 from 29 reviews. Google Maps listing
- TWRLoreto Transportation service on the airport road with a solid rating from under 20 reviews. About 1 km from Loreto Airport in a straight line. Unverified. Google rating 4.3 from 19 reviews. Google Maps listing
The zone page says the airport is the place to rent a car, so most travelers drive from there (reported).
Car Rental
- Mex Rent A CarLoreto Local car rental on the airport road with a top rating from nearly 150 reviews. About 1 km from Loreto Airport in a straight line. Unverified. Google rating 4.6 from about 150 reviews. Google Maps listing
International rental brands are left out. Most of them exclude graded and dirt roads from coverage, so get the unpaved-road policy in writing before you sign (reported on the zone page).
Board & Luggage Storage
We found no surf shop or board-repair business in Loreto that we could place with confidence, so sort out repairs before you travel. Ask your hotel first about holding board bags.
Storage
- By The Airport StorageLoreto Storage business on the airport road with a top rating from over a dozen reviews. Ask what it will hold before you rely on it. About 1 km from Loreto Airport in a straight line. Unverified. Google rating 5 from 13 reviews. Google Maps listing
Getting Out to the Zones
Baja Sur Remote Coast: see Getting There. The coast villages sit a long way down unpaved roads, so allow a full travel day and plan fuel and spares before you leave the highway (reported).
Questions People Actually Ask.
Which airport do I fly into for the Baja Sur Remote Coast?
Loreto International (LTO) is the best fly-in gateway for San Juanico and the Comondús side. La Paz (LAP) has more flights and cheaper cars but adds several hours of driving (reported on the zone page).
Do I need a visa for Mexico?
No visa is needed for tourism on a US or EU passport. You fill in a paper FMM form on arrival and the fee is already in your airfare. Check the official source for your passport (reported on the Mexico entry page).
Can I rent a car at Loreto Airport for the dirt roads?
Yes, but get the unpaved-road policy in writing, since most international rental brands exclude graded and dirt roads from coverage (reported on the zone page).
Which route should I take to San Juanico?
The zone page recommends the southern routing as the default: Highway 1 to Ciudad Insurgentes, then paved BCS-53 and about 35 miles of graded road. Check the weather and call locally first (reported).
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