Loreto is part of the Sea of Cortes “Nautical Ladder,” which includes 27 ports of call, 21 integrally planned localities like Loreto, five tourist corridors, and a land bridge to transport the vessels between the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortes. The project touches five Mexican states (Baja California, Baja California Sur, and the mainland states of Sonora, Sinaloa, and Nayarit) and is intended to meet the demand for nautical tourism from California, Arizona, and Texas, representing 1.8 million vessels. Other marina facilities are overcrowded. California has a 25,000-slip deficit, and is beset with difficulties in building new marinas, due to increasingly restrictive legislation. The average occupancy rate of the Californian marinas (primarily in the San Diego and Los Angeles areas) in 2004 ranged from 95 to 100 percent, clearly indicating the huge market opportunity for the Sea of Cortes in this segment, and consequently, for its tourist destinations including Loreto.
Costa Loreto has been planned to appeal to American boaters and other tourists, vacationers and retirees looking for vacation and second homes and for retirement homes, within the rustic setting of Loreto, making the most of the synergy which is being experienced through the development of major projects such as Golden Beach, Puerto Escondido, Loreto Bay (Napolo), and other projects now underway or on the drawing board.
The Marina at Villa Julieta and Baja's Nautical Route
