Visit the World’s Aquarium
A trip to Loreto isn’t complete without a day on and of course in the water, exploring Bahía de Loreto National Park (Parque Nacional Bahía de Loreto). The National Marine Park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2005 and is the world’s second largest after Antarctica. The park protects 2,065.81 square kilometres (797.61 sq mi) of relatively pristine marine ecosystem, is home to more than 850 species and supports the largest, most diverse population of whales (!!) anywhere.
Thankfully, the size and power of boats that traverse its waters is restricted. We boarded a typical local Panga (see pictures) and headed out with our guide. Many arid rock islands are part of this nature park. Every once in a while we glimpsed some of the most pristine beaches from the boat, with water that rivals the Caribbean in its turquoise intensity. We anchored at a beautiful natural harbor, put on our snorkel gear and jumped in the warm water. Jacques Cousteau was right when he called this area the ‘world’s Aquarium’. I was immediately surrounded by a huge school of yellow-silver fish, that didn’t pay much attention to me. A little further along an octopus, then a turtle. If you’re there during whale season, you might even get to swim with a whale shark!
There are different ways to do this excursion. In this case, our hotel organized it, but you can also use Wild Loreto Tours, or if you’re feeling more adventurous, go find your own panga captain in Loreto’s harbor, where many of the island tours start.
A heartfelt thank you to Villa del Palmar Beach Resort & Spa (Instagram: @villadelpalmarl, Facebook for a fun-filled 3 days, allowing me to discover this gem of a destination!
