Loreto, Baja California Sur - Definition

Loreto (or Conchó) was the first Spanish town on the Baja California Peninsula, the capital of Las Californias from 1697–1777, and the current seat of the Loreto municipality in Baja California Sur. The town of about 10,000 people is located on the coast of the Sea of Cortés, about 220 miles north of La Paz.

The town was founded in 1697 by Jesuit missionaries. The Mission Nuestra Señora de Loreto was founded in the town in 1752. The town served as the capital of the province of Las Californias from its founding until the capital was moved to Monterey on February 3, 1777; when the town became the headquarters for the Liuetenant Governor of California Viejo (later the province of Baja California).

The town is now a tourist resort, catering to American travelers, with daily flights from the U.S. state of California arriving at the local airport.