Loreto

A small bay city on the Sea of Cortez side of Baja California Sur, Loreto was the first permanent European settlement on the Baja Peninsula, and the mission church founded in 1697 remains the oldest active church in the Californias. The Sierra de la Giganta mountains rise abruptly behind the town, and the channel between the coast and Isla del Carmen in front of the town is designated part of the Islands and Protected Areas of the Gulf of California UNESCO site. Kayaking and sport fishing are the primary outdoor activities.