Photo by Dan Petersen © 2014 Loreto's oldest civic building
Agnes Boutique and Las Flores Spa and Boutique Agnes and Sergio
When Sergio decided to ask Agnes to marry him, he spirited her off to a boutique hotel south of Cancún with a small, private beach—“the best beach in Mexico,” he claims. As night fell, he led her along a path sprinkled with rose petals and flickering in the soft glow of candles to a table with a bottle of champagne. There Sergio knelt in the perfect white sand to present her with the ring.
Artesanias del Sol home furnishings store Gustavo and Angeles
“When you sleep on a park bench and have nothing,” Gustavo said, “your priority is to put something in your stomach. I always worked for food, not money. I’d knock on a door and say, ‘I’ll clean your yard for food.’ But living this way, you learn you don’t need a car, a TV, a cellphone, a schedule. You have freedom.”
El Gavilan seeds and spices shop Gabriel
Gabriel offers you a taste of his prize spicy peanuts or the latest trail mix that he’s concocted. He shows you how to cook those mysterious little wagon-wheel-shaped pastas by plunking them in the microwave for several seconds until they puff up like popcorn. He dispenses household hints: freeze flour to kill the bugs that grow into weevils in the heat.
Herzon musician Herzon
When Herzon writes, the fingers on his right hand form the letters. When he plays the guitar, the fingers on his left expertly navigate the frets. And when he talks, those left-hand fingers shape expressive gestures, still pressing imaginary strings.
The Jacksons photo gallery, inn, real estate Jill and Rick
Serendipity. That’s how Loreto became the home of Jill and Rick Jackson. And it’s how their residence in Loreto, Las Cabañas, has become a communal home, jointly owned and managed with Jill’s parents and shared with their guests—renters seeking an intimate resort near the sea and the heart of the historic town.
Los Mandiles restaurant Gustavo and Maria Eugenia
Next to the covered patio of Los Mandiles, the restaurant extends into a small stucco room with warm, orange walls and cool tile floor. When he’s not waiting on diners, Gustavo is usually sitting at one of the blue plastic tables emblazoned with a Corona logo, reading. He reads everything—novels, histories, politics. Or writing. He writes poems, short stories, novels.
Mita Gourmet restaurant Juancarlos and Marta
Once you are seated at a table beneath the festive canopy of umbrellas on the tree-shaded patio of Mita Gourmet and the young server has brought you your margarita, a charismatic and authoritative older man steps up to take your order. He has a husky build, silver hair and a broad, sun-tanned face with alert eyes and a ready smile.
New Deli and Pedro's Place restaurant Pedro and Cristina
Pedro is not just charming and business-minded; he is also philosophical. And his life is full of irony. “Never have a passion for money,” he says. “If you have a passion for what you do, the money will come along. If not, okay. You still have your passion.” But, in spite of a few minor setbacks, he’s very good at making money.
Orlando’s restaurant Orlando
At his restaurant during slow hours, Orlando sits at a table scanning the screen of his laptop. He keeps up with international news and business trends. His curiosity, his willingness to take risks, his resilience when things go wrong, and his growing confidence are features of his entrepreneurial spirit. “I was a little shy at first,” he says, “but I have become more open. I really like people, and I really like adventure.”
Silver Desert jewelry and clothing shops Maria Teresa and Rossana
As a tourist exploring the historic heart of Loreto, you are apt to experience déjà vu. Walking beneath the laurel arches, you may be drawn to the tasteful silver jewelry and T-shirts at Silver Desert. Its logo of a festive sun by the entrance beams at you. As you continue past city hall and cross the town square, you will discover another Silver Desert with the same smiling sun greeting you.
Studio 908 art studio and gallery Lisa
Lisa’s heart is warm, her mind is curious, her imagination is ripe, her smile is irresistible. When you enter Studio 908, her studio/workshop/gallery in Agua Viva, you feel welcomed into her home, which happens to be upstairs.
Vive Loreto tour guiding Maria and Rafael
Rafael considered returning to Mexico City and his former law firm, but Maria said no. “Our kids were so happy here,” she says. “And we’re very outdoorsy. We had the taste of the good life in Loreto, not the traffic and life there.” The memories still stung from the years that Rafael had worked in Mexico City, commuting more than four hours a day on a route that took ten minutes to drive at midnight.
The Wine Cellar bar Will and Cynthia
They found each other at a bar in Los Angeles in 1995. He is Black; she is White. He came from the Southwest and “the opposite side of the tracks” in South Central LA. She came from the Northeast, an industrial Canadian city near Niagara Falls named St. Catherines.
El Zopilote restaurant, brewery and inn Norma and Kieran
For Norma and Kieran, more than their menu is international. Norma grew up in the capital of the state of Hidalgo, Mexico. Kieran, born in South Wales, is proud of his Irish citizenship. Their nine-year-old son, who plays soccer and guitar and practices Tai Kwan Do, has two names: Patrick and Patricio.
Agnes Boutique and Las Flores Spa and Boutique Agnes and Sergio
When Sergio decided to ask Agnes to marry him, he spirited her off to a boutique hotel south of Cancún with a small, private beach—“the best beach in Mexico,” he claims. As night fell, he led her along a path sprinkled with rose petals and flickering in the soft glow of candles to a table with a bottle of champagne. There Sergio knelt in the perfect white sand to present her with the ring.
Artesanias del Sol home furnishings store Gustavo and Angeles
“When you sleep on a park bench and have nothing,” Gustavo said, “your priority is to put something in your stomach. I always worked for food, not money. I’d knock on a door and say, ‘I’ll clean your yard for food.’ But living this way, you learn you don’t need a car, a TV, a cellphone, a schedule. You have freedom.”
El Gavilan seeds and spices shop Gabriel
Gabriel offers you a taste of his prize spicy peanuts or the latest trail mix that he’s concocted. He shows you how to cook those mysterious little wagon-wheel-shaped pastas by plunking them in the microwave for several seconds until they puff up like popcorn. He dispenses household hints: freeze flour to kill the bugs that grow into weevils in the heat.
Herzon musician Herzon
When Herzon writes, the fingers on his right hand form the letters. When he plays the guitar, the fingers on his left expertly navigate the frets. And when he talks, those left-hand fingers shape expressive gestures, still pressing imaginary strings.
The Jacksons photo gallery, inn, real estate Jill and Rick
Serendipity. That’s how Loreto became the home of Jill and Rick Jackson. And it’s how their residence in Loreto, Las Cabañas, has become a communal home, jointly owned and managed with Jill’s parents and shared with their guests—renters seeking an intimate resort near the sea and the heart of the historic town.
Los Mandiles restaurant Gustavo and Maria Eugenia
Next to the covered patio of Los Mandiles, the restaurant extends into a small stucco room with warm, orange walls and cool tile floor. When he’s not waiting on diners, Gustavo is usually sitting at one of the blue plastic tables emblazoned with a Corona logo, reading. He reads everything—novels, histories, politics. Or writing. He writes poems, short stories, novels.
Mita Gourmet restaurant Juancarlos and Marta
Once you are seated at a table beneath the festive canopy of umbrellas on the tree-shaded patio of Mita Gourmet and the young server has brought you your margarita, a charismatic and authoritative older man steps up to take your order. He has a husky build, silver hair and a broad, sun-tanned face with alert eyes and a ready smile.
New Deli and Pedro's Place restaurant Pedro and Cristina
Pedro is not just charming and business-minded; he is also philosophical. And his life is full of irony. “Never have a passion for money,” he says. “If you have a passion for what you do, the money will come along. If not, okay. You still have your passion.” But, in spite of a few minor setbacks, he’s very good at making money.
Orlando’s restaurant Orlando
At his restaurant during slow hours, Orlando sits at a table scanning the screen of his laptop. He keeps up with international news and business trends. His curiosity, his willingness to take risks, his resilience when things go wrong, and his growing confidence are features of his entrepreneurial spirit. “I was a little shy at first,” he says, “but I have become more open. I really like people, and I really like adventure.”
Silver Desert jewelry and clothing shops Maria Teresa and Rossana
As a tourist exploring the historic heart of Loreto, you are apt to experience déjà vu. Walking beneath the laurel arches, you may be drawn to the tasteful silver jewelry and T-shirts at Silver Desert. Its logo of a festive sun by the entrance beams at you. As you continue past city hall and cross the town square, you will discover another Silver Desert with the same smiling sun greeting you.
Studio 908 art studio and gallery Lisa
Lisa’s heart is warm, her mind is curious, her imagination is ripe, her smile is irresistible. When you enter Studio 908, her studio/workshop/gallery in Agua Viva, you feel welcomed into her home, which happens to be upstairs.
Vive Loreto tour guiding Maria and Rafael
Rafael considered returning to Mexico City and his former law firm, but Maria said no. “Our kids were so happy here,” she says. “And we’re very outdoorsy. We had the taste of the good life in Loreto, not the traffic and life there.” The memories still stung from the years that Rafael had worked in Mexico City, commuting more than four hours a day on a route that took ten minutes to drive at midnight.
The Wine Cellar bar Will and Cynthia
They found each other at a bar in Los Angeles in 1995. He is Black; she is White. He came from the Southwest and “the opposite side of the tracks” in South Central LA. She came from the Northeast, an industrial Canadian city near Niagara Falls named St. Catherines.
El Zopilote restaurant, brewery and inn Norma and Kieran
For Norma and Kieran, more than their menu is international. Norma grew up in the capital of the state of Hidalgo, Mexico. Kieran, born in South Wales, is proud of his Irish citizenship. Their nine-year-old son, who plays soccer and guitar and practices Tai Kwan Do, has two names: Patrick and Patricio.
