This unit is available for complimentary use by personal friends and family, for trade for by Loreto Bay or other Vactaion property Home Owners, and for rental use by others.
Overview
Loreto Bay is a beautiful relaxing destination on the sea side of southern Baja. It's about 450 miles north of Cabo San Lucas and 700 miles south of Tijuana . The area (and our house) is great for families and low key beach activities. The project was conceived as the largest sustainable development in the North America, and after a lot of corporate ups and downs, and ownership shuffling, new development is staring again in 2011 after a few years of low activity.
See: http://www.villadelpalmarloreto.com/ for more area info.
And this article from the NY Times, rating Loreto as the #8 destination for 2011 travel.
See a long article on the sustainable vision of Loreto Bay: http://www.terrain.org/unsprawl/21/
See a long article on the sustainable vision of Loreto Bay: http://www.terrain.org/unsprawl/21/
Atmosphere & things to do. Loreto and Loreto Bay are not yet major tourist destinations, a situation which makes the area much more low key than most other Mexican tourist areas (Cabo, Cancun, etc...). This is not a drug cartel type city, this is much closer to a very sleepy fishing village, with friendly people and one road in and out. Because of the focus on sustainable development and management, the project has attracted people with an affinity towards such values. The area is stunningly beautiful with the mountains coming down to the sea. There is also lots of water recreation opportunities. The usually calm sea makes it very accessible to young and old alike. The area is a marine sanctuary and hosts a lot of wild life including 6 types of whales that calf there, dolphins, and lots of other animals. There is basically no nightlife after 10pm other than that which you can make for yourself. Amenities are limited to the hotel offerings at Loreto Bay and more traditional small town offerings in Loreto. There is also a 9 hole golf course that is watered with salt water.
Transportation
Air: Super convenient from Southern California, Alaska flys direct from LAX to Loreto (LTO - which is 5 minutes from the house). Flights vary greatly in price from about $325 – up to $900 at peak vacation periods and depending on how full they are. Often prices from other Alaska Air cities are the same. Continental flies direct through Houston sometimes. You could also fly to La Paz or Cabo and drive up (3 or 5 hours respectively).
Driving: You can drive to Loreto from San Diego. It is about 700 miles. It's a stunning, unearthly drive, through a huge variety of landscapes (beach, rocks, desert, Mars-like). You should only drive in the day, so plan two days min. for the trip. You kind of need nerves of steel to navigate through the cows and trucks (these can be purchased at the border for a small fee), but the road is really solid all the way.
Car Rental: You can rent cars there for about $50/day. You'll want one for at least part of your stay most likely.
House Features
3 bedrooms/3 Bathrooms (sleeps 8 easily - has slept 16)
The beds are the most incredibly comfortable experience.
- Bedroom #1 First Floor: King Bed
- Bedroom #2 First Floor: King Bed
- Bedroom #3 Second Floor: Two Queen Beds
Full Media System. The house contains an excessive amount of audio and video equipment. Just about every common song is available on the SONOS/Rhapsody music system throughout the house, plus there are significant supplemental live recordings. It is claimed that this house has the best sound in Baja, but this has not yet been definitively validated. The police have been prepaid-off not to bust you for blasting full watts.
Fully Equipped Kitchen. There is a gas stove and fully equipped kitchen. However, the types of foods available in the Loreto area are fairly limited. There are no big supermarkets. It is advised to bring a sterelite case of your favorite Trader Joe's foods with you if you want the convenience of eating a variety of things in house.
Rooftop Deck & Cook Center. The roof of the house has lounge furniture and a rooftop deck, including a gas grill & cook center.
Other Items.
There is a washer/dryer in the unit, there are also bikes (in need of tune-ups), boogie boards, a surf board (but not a lot of surf), snorkeling gear (including great vests).
Access to all Hotel Amenities. Guests have access to the Hotel amenities (3 minute walk) including free use of the pool/hot tub. There are also kayaks, small sailing rafts, wind surfers for rent. Guests can also use the fitness center and have charging privileges.
Getting Around: You probably will want to rent a car for at least a couple days during your stay. This can be done on a daily basis starting at about $50/day including insurance from budget rental.
Other. There are lots of books, DVDs, and games and other items in the house to make your stay enjoyable. There is also a washer & dryer in the unit. The beds are more comfortable than most 5 star hotels.
Weather. The weather in Loreto is pretty nice all year around. July and August get a little hot and humid, daytimes in the high 90's. December and January can be a little cold, and the sea water is a little cooler than comfortable for swimming. In summer the water is 90 degrees - almost too hot to swim.
WHAT DO YOU NEED TO DO IF YOU WANT TO USE THE HOUSE?
Check availablility.
There is only one house, and it is subject to availability. Please see the calendar for availability. Also linked on the right side of the page.
Cleaning Fee. There is a $99 cleaning fee plus tip ($20) that needs to be paid by the guests. Guests are also responsible for confirming that this is scheduled. Also, for other free & paid hotel services please tip generously.
Donations Encouraged. In the spirit of giving, please bring or locally procure something for the house when you come. This can be food, drink, art, electronics, or anything else. Nothing too small or too big. This should be something that other guests may in some format enjoy, during their stay in the house. Donations should not be monetary. Also, anything you find in the house, you're welome to use or consume.
Take me out for Lunch/Dinner. I'd love to meet you. If you're in the LA area and we have a chance to meet and I'll give you tips on great things to do in Loreto, as well as philosophy on the perfect music system.
see: http://www.villadelpalmarloreto.com/ for more area info.
and this article from the NY Times, rating Loreto as the #8 destination for 2011 travel.
questions e-mail: rahulioson@gmail.com
