Loreto Bay Villa, 3 BR, 3 Baths, Sleeps Six, 'Casa Maria'

Arranging the rental with the property owner was fast an easy. The property is shown as-is and suited our needs quite well. The property management company on-site was easy to deal with. There is 24-7 private security around the entire complex. Everyone we met was (whether working staff, local or tourist) hospitable and friendly throughout our entire stay. ACs did a great job of keeping the all of the rooms cool; however, we were blessed with great weather. The morning and evening temps with nice cool breezes off the sea couldn't get any better.

Overall, Loreto itself is a beautiful place with beautiful people. We never felt unsafe while visiting town or traveling to other tourist spots. I do recommend renting a car to make it easier getting around. Driving here posed no problem. There is only 1 street light in town.

Restaurants on site and in town offer superb food and really great prices. The Wine Cellar was our favorite while staying at the rental (3-4 minute walk). Mi Loreto, Mita Gourmet, Mezzaluna, Clam Shack, and El Rey Del Taco are must trys. We also brought some groceries at the Ley Express where the locals go. The Farmers Market on Sunday was a great place to pick up some fresh veggies and fruits too.

In summary, this was an extremely relaxing vacation enhanced by a beautiful property in a spectacular location. The people of Loreto are like the cherry on top. Again, my family had an exceptional vacation. I sincerely hope Loreto never becomes like Cabo, Cancun, Ixtapa or any of the other mega tourist trap places. It's perfect the way it is.

Staying at Colleen’s casa in Loreto Bay exceeded our expectations and we will be back. The interior is spacious and well appointed and kitchen stocked with stainless steel cookware. The garden, including a fountain and expansive patio space on three levels added to our staying comfort and restful experience. The short walk to the beach was always fun and interesting - the landscaping (a mix of lush sub-tropical and desert plants) along the walkways between the various residences never ceased to impress us. We loved the beach area that offered plenty of shade, a long sandy shore towards the north and the pool bar/restaurant in close proximity. A few hundred yards from the sandy beach towards the south east there is a rocky point and we spent a lot of time snorkeling and fishing in that spot. The water temperature was a very comfortable 78F (late May/early June). We rented kayaks during two days of our stay to explore the interesting coast line south of the rocky point and caught a lot of trigger fish from the kayaks. What really surprised us was that we shared the beach with only a handful of people during our stay which just enhanced the “getting away from it all” nature of our trip. Options to enjoy breakfast at the resort were pretty good - at the hotel and also at El Corazon which was our favorite breakfast location during the trip. For dinner we caught a cab to the town of Loreto most evenings (300pesos before tip) and just followed yelp/TripAdvisor recommendations and were never disappointed. Dinner was about one third to a half cheaper than in the US. We felt very safe strolling around the town of loreto at night time and never encountered a beggar, pandhandler or homeless person. We also did two deep sea fishing trips with Abraham on his panga and caught plenty of yellowtail and red snapper. Abraham collected us at the beach at Loreto Bay so there was no need to catch an early morning cab to the marina in town to start our fishing expeditions. We picked loreto bay over Loreto “proper” because we felt the beach and snorkeling experience there would be better and never regretted our choice. One last recommendation- we caught a cab one day to enjoy lunch at the clam shack 5 miles south of the resort and had a marvelous time enjoying fresh clams and fish right on the beach. We hope to be back in October again.

First of all, if you've never been to Loreto Bay, just GO. It is stunning. Every home available for rent is worth it as the place is gorgeous. We've rented homes there a number of times and have watched the development grow. Colleen's house is one of the largest designs and sits on a large lot, open on three sides. It's on the less desirable Golf course side (verses beach side), but we're talking four minutes to the beach instead of two. The price per night is phenomenal, averaging 30% less than comparable (and smaller) properties. Here's what to remember: Consumables are not supplied. What was left by the previous renters will be what you have (less what was taken by the cleaning staff). We had to buy toilet paper, hand, dish, laundry and dishwasher soap as there was none in the unit. Even the salt and pepper were empty. There are a limited number of drinking glasses and plates. On the plus side? You're saving $50/day so go into town and buy what you need! We drove up from Cabo and loaded up at Costco before arriving. And another thing, as with many of the original Loreto Bay units, DO NOT use all three showers at once! The drain system for the house cannot handle any combination of three things: Dishwasher and two showers, Laundry washer, dishwasher and one shower etc. The water will start to pool at your feet in the shower. You will have to stop immediately and wait for the drains to clear. Again, not a big deal but probably caused by years of renters putting things down the toilet they shouldn't have.

This house is a fantastic value, and Loreto Bay is breathtakingly beautiful. Do yourself a favor and check it out.

Thanks Colleen for another fantastic week in Paradise.

Our family of 4 stayed at Casa Maria for 3 weeks. We have been to Loreto before but this was the first time we stayed in this casa. Everything was clean and in good working order. Casa is very close to the store, coffee shop, restaurants, pools and the beach. We had a couple minor maintenance issues in the beginning of our stay and they were taken care of ASAP by the property manager. The only thing I would like to see added is some lighting by the bbq for cooking dinners. Otherwise it was a fantastic place to stay at and we will rent it again for our next trip. No complaints on this rental at all!! Thank you...Joe & Amy

This was our 4th time staying in Loreto Bay, but the first time in this particular home. There were a couple of issues (air conditioner, television, & plumbing), but they were dealt with in a very timely fashion. Thank you Colleen and Dahir! There were only 4 of us, so the home was extremely spacious, comfortable, and well equipped. In the future I will choose a home a little closer to the pool, but that's just a personal choice (I'm a bit of a pool psycho). Overall, this house fit our needs perfectly:)