Baja California Tourism Board

The protected Loreto Bay National Park is easily accessible from the charming town of Loreto.

Baja California Tourism Board

Descend into an underwater paradise, and surround yourself with tropical fish, seamounts, pinnacles and caverns. With more than 50 dive sites to explore, Loreto, Mexico, should be on your dive radar. Located off the Gulf of California coast of Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula, Loreto is home to the Loreto Bay National Park, which protects 206,000 hectares of sea. The national park is naturally protected by five surrounding islands: Isla Coronados, Carmen, Danzante, Monserrate and Santa Catalina. Visiting in the summer months of June to November is ideal for divers, but you can always expect mostly calm seas and underwater visitors such as seals, whales and mantas. Coronado and Carmen are home to dive sites suitable for all levels. Divers who hope to get a peek at colorful soft corals and dramatic lava formations will have much to discover here. Beginner divers will find many suitable sites to explore off the north half of Danzante Island, where moray eels, turtles and thousands of reef fish frolic between sandy bottoms and underwater walls and boulders.

More advanced divers will enjoy the south half of Danzante, where deeper sites and steep pinnacles make up this underwater playground. When you’re not diving, the town of Loreto offers plenty of charm and a laid-back vibe. The Mission of Our Lady of Loreto dates back to the 1600s and is worth a visit. Nature lovers will find plenty of topside activities to pass the time whether it be whale watching, beach hopping or hiking in the Baja California Desert.

With more than 50 dive sites to explore, Loreto, Mexico, should be on your dive radar.

Baja California Tourism Board

EXPLORE FURTHER

Known for big-animal encounters and biodiversity, Loreto also offers a divable shipwreck. The wreck of the C-54 Agustin Melgar is 180 feet long and can be found off Danzante Island. The former minesweeper vessel was purpose-sunk in 2000 to create an artificial reef for divers. Since then, it has become one of the most well-known wrecks in the Loreto Bay National Park, attracting grouper, snappers, rays and eels.