[1] Loreto is a regional economic and cultural center, as well as a major tourist destination on the Baja California Peninsula.

Loreto is located on the east coast of the Baja California Peninsula, at 26º00'46" N 111º20'36" W. It is bordered on the east by the Gulf of California, on the west by the Transpeninsular Highway, and on the south by the Arroyo Loreto, a dry creek bed that only fills with water after a heavy rainfall.

The geology and topography of the Loreto region, extending from Bahía Concepción to Agua Verde, is a coastal belt consisting "mainly of a narrow belt of ridges, valleys, and pediments adjacent to the escarpment, low- to moderate-elevation ranges transverse to the coast, and narrow coastal plains".

[3] The city is a tourist resort, catering mostly to American travelers, with daily flights from California to Loreto International Airport.

One concern for Loreto is the Pacific hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to November 30, and some times causes heavy rainfall and floods in the area.

The Municipality of Loreto (which includes Nopoló, Puerto Escondido, San Javier and the rest of the little villages from the coast and mountains) has a population of 21,071 people.

[14] Due to Loreto's small population and low immigration, large families are characteristic, and residents often have the same last name, a phenomenon also found in other state localities.

The two largest families are the "Davis", predominating in the east of the city, along the beach ("Calle Davis" is a street with this last name), and the "Murillo", predominating in the south along the Arroyo Loreto, in the neighborhood known as "barrio del Muro", named after the retaining wall built to hold flood waters from the creek.

[15] There are seven buildings in Loreto from the 18th to 20th century that are considered historical monuments by the federal government; the most important is the Mission of our Lady of Loreto at the start of El Camino Real ("The Royal Road"), an historic corridor that follows north along the ancient route of the Spanish missions, to its ending in Sonoma, California, USA.

It has a collection of religious art, weapons and tools from the 17th and 18th centuries that were used in the Spanish missions in Baja California.

[20] Some of the cave paintings from the indigenous groups of Baja California have been added to UNESCO's list of world heritage sites.

[27] The two "foundations" of Loreto's sport fishing are the "dorado" and the "yellow tail" (Seriola lalandi dorsalis).

The yellow tail is one of the strongest species; its season begins in November, peaks from March to April, and comes to an end in late May.

The city is served by Loreto International Airport, offering domestic flights on carriers Volaris and Calafia.

American Airlines has announced seasonal service to both Phoenix PHX and Dallas Ft. Worth DFW starting in 2021[31]