We are Retiring in Loreto 🇲🇽 Baja Mexico! - Episode 22

[@joespurgeon7250]

My wife and I are considering Loreto as our permanent home. I used to stop in Loreto for a few days back in the late 60's - when I'd put my boat in at Bahia De Los Angeles and fish and camp down to Loreto. Was there in Jan. this year for a couple of days and love it still. Enjoy yourselves.

[@dooglassandesperanza]

It is still a really magical place. It may be developed in the future but hopefully not too soon 🤞

[@joespurgeon7250]

@Steve Denault Hola Steve. I started out using a 16' Valco aluminum boat with a 9.9 Evenrude motor which is fine for inshore fishing, but wouldn't take it out to far, 1 k. I switched over to a 20' panga type skiff, still aluminum, with a 50 horse in 1968 to fish off shore. In my experience, you can have so much fun and catch a bunch of game fish trolling along out past any shore swell. Your boat should be fine. Your motor is a little lite for my comfort zone. Have fun.

[@joespurgeon7250]

@Steve Denault Hey Steve. I haven't been up the river in Loreto. I have fished the river in Mulege years ago for some incredible Snook fishing. I'm still very cautious when fishing" El Golfo" as wind and water conditions can change rapidly. I have been in 15 - 20 ft. wind driven swells in a 20 ft. open skiff a few times and was very happy to get to the Lee side of an island or bay. Beautiful water when it's calm and sunny. Feb., early March can be quite windy.

[@BearInThePhillipines]

@Steve Denault perfect.....you can always upsize......2hp may not get you far

[@dooglassandesperanza]

@Steve Denault there is no year-round river in Loreto like in Mulege. Loretto has all dry washes that only have running water when there is a hurricane and then it's dirt and rock filled stormwater.

[@bigred19742003ify]

Okaaaaaay I'm adding this to my list...so much cultural history wrapped up in a beautiful town...loved that you took us around town with you...I was cracken up "sweet Honda dirt bike I want one" 🤣🤣🤣

[@dooglassandesperanza]

You will love it here

[@bmanscire]

I like this video Happy to see palm trees 🌴

[@dooglassandesperanza]

Thanks!

[@isma5092]

My hometown ❤️ I miss it so much

[@dooglassandesperanza]

It is an incredible place!

[@marikeyshappyhomedecor4876]

Oh wow! They finished the street where the Mission is! Last year, May 2021 we drove from the Bay Area to Cabo San Lucas and spent a few hours in Loreto, it was in the middle of construction 🚧 Tfs.

[@dooglassandesperanza]

They did a fantastic job

[@juliam.2971]

I love Loreto, can’t wait to go back. The beaches in Isla Coronado are my favorite. ☺️

[@dooglassandesperanza]

Yes

[@gmeyer6657]

So is the diving

[@ricardoalejandrosaldana633]

Keep making videos!

[@dooglassandesperanza]

More to come!

[@blakedewberry4114]

Very inviting, I really look forward to visiting for at least 2 weeks to a month. THX again!

[@dooglassandesperanza]

Please do!

[@johnportilla4978]

Welcome to Loreto guys! I live part time in Loreto and enjoy it very much. Bienvenidos! 😊

[@dooglassandesperanza]

Thank you! 😃

[@alalesc3796]

Very nice video! Loreto looks amazing!

[@dooglassandesperanza]

Thanks

[@explorinwithlaurin]

The intro to this video was incredible! The "marriage of the trees" was pretty neat to see - adding this town to our list! Thank you for sharing 🤠

[@dooglassandesperanza]

Thanks

[@kailahalling576]

Maybe the most beautiful bay in the world. Beautiful missions

[@dooglassandesperanza]

Agreed!

[@kailahalling576]

@@dooglassandesperanza Lived in Los Barriles for several years. But Loreto was such a favorite when we travelled north.

[@hugo-kikecastillomyfavorit7548]

Muy bonito, enjoy Mexico guys! 🤙🤙😎😎

[@dooglassandesperanza]

Gracias

[@jimclaytor9834]

Big cruise night with the locals and their cars Friday and Saturday night on the boardwalk. Such a beautiful little town.

[@dooglassandesperanza]

Cruising the Malecon is definitely a popular weekend activity.

[@bootifflebear]

Hi guys. So fun to hear you are moving to Loreto. I just returned from our annual trip to Cabo San Lucas. Coincidence is that I met a lovely couple who have owned a local bar on the marina in Loreto for 16 years. Their names are Augie and Corrine and their bar is Augie's Bar and Bait. She told me all about the beautiful sunrises over the bay in the Sea of Cortez and how the islands out there turn pink. Sounds heavenly. Stop in and say hello to them. Good luck.

[@dooglassandesperanza]

Been to Augie's many times. They have a great happy hour

[@JobSalazar]

Thank you for showing us this place so beautiful, looking forward to my retirement next year…and looking forward to visit this place

[@dooglassandesperanza]

Thanks

[@jesusgarza5319]

Very nice place

[@dooglassandesperanza]

Thank You

[@001singularity]

Good luck and congratulations on your next big adventure. I have Loreto on my short list of places to retire soon. The only drawback I found was the water scarcity that is affecting other places in Baja and the fact Loreto has had so much new development with little forethought on developing the infrastructure for things like water. The main culprit is the developers who are given cartel blanche by local government and their focus on making the money and leaving the rest for the locals to figure out. Look at the OFFICIAL water report that came out not that long ago that spells it out. Beautiful area though. Amazingly beautiful diving all around you. Also it would be helpful to learn the language. It is helpful and respectful to learn to assimilate as much as possible. Good luck. Looking forward to future videos.

[@dooglassandesperanza]

Thanks for the info on the water. I will check it out. I speak Spanish at a level that I can understand most conversations and can hold a conversation about normal daily topics. I try to learn more every day.

[@krazyboyradio]

Great video Thank you..

[@dooglassandesperanza]

You are welcome!

[@djkenny1202]

My mother has been there since 93. Maybe you will meet somewhere:) I will likely follow her footsteps in -20 years. I need to figure out the logistics with home transfer. Enjoy! I love going there. Kayaking, Snorkeling, riding bikes..breakfast At Orlando’s.

[@dooglassandesperanza]

We have met a lot of people and many single women from the US here already so maybe we have met her.

[@salvadorgutierrez2108]

Wow awesome 😎

[@dooglassandesperanza]

Thanks

[@josephgarcia2979]

Great advice and perspective on life once you have managed to reach retirement. Passed by Loreto, but for some unknown reason, we didn't stop. It is on our list of things to do, thanks.

[@dooglassandesperanza]

Definitely stop by next time!

[@aidenm8014]

Looks like a very beautiful place to retire.

[@dooglassandesperanza]

It is!

[@markwarren3060]

Thanks so much for the tour. I'm a full time RV rat and Loreto is on my list this winter. It looks great.

[@dooglassandesperanza]

Yes

[@sweetbadgerpie]

Pueblos Mágicos, I love it!!! What is the name of that amazing hotel with the roof top pool? Wow, I am so thrilled for you kids and can’t WAIT to see what kind of Mágicos you both create!💞 Christy-

[@dooglassandesperanza]

The hotel is Hotel Posada de Las Flores. Thanks so much!!!

[@MichaelSmalleyMPA]

Great little video - thanks for showcasing one of my favorite places. Save a pet-friendly room for a long term snow bird for me, in your petite hotel. :)

[@dooglassandesperanza]

We will!

[@gogofuki6769]

Gorgeous place!!!

[@dooglassandesperanza]

Yes it is!

[@dennishassler605]

Well, I'm outgoing and love to tour the town on foot - meet a lot of people. In Mexico, you go back in time to a better place in time where people have more time for people!!

[@dooglassandesperanza]

We have met a lot of people in just a couple months, even during the summer low season. We already have some good Mexican and Expat friends.

[@dennishassler605]

The most amazing places in Mexico include: Mex. City - the ruins and the Anthropology Museum at the huge park East of downtown, Huatulco (Oaxaca) and Guanjuato that makes you feel like you are in Europe.

[@timstroud6603]

Awesome! We have a place in Loreto. Waiting on retirement to enjoy it more

[@dooglassandesperanza]

That is awesome!

[@bigskyblessing]

Awesome video! We are moving to La Paz or Queretaro in less than a year. Loreto was awesome we visited recently. We liked Mulege probably slightly better it was less gringos. But Loreto is an amazing place. Just subscribed look forward to seeing your new chapter. Thanks for sharing! God Bless

[@dooglassandesperanza]

Mulege was second on our list, but the everyone says the mosquitos are very bad there most of the year, and mosquitos love me. We love to live outside as much as possible so lots of mosquitos is not ideal

[@gmeyer6657]

May look you two up. Been there since the 80’s..looking to possibly retire there, too.

[@dooglassandesperanza]

Definitely get in touch.

[@fg9650]

Great content.

[@dooglassandesperanza]

Thanks

[@renemunoz7237]

nice video I loved 😍 I like how respectful whit locals and knowledge whit trees variety. I went to los Santos 3yrs ago and local Americans was looking at me and my family like what this guy doing here?😅 I would sale my properties here in Arizona and I will move to Baja before I die, to many California's moving here is time to go after 30yrs!🤭✌

[@dooglassandesperanza]

Come on down!

[@ParraguezPinto]

Have you very been in Mexico Estado de México?? At the north area as Cuautitlan Izcalli as invest to retired , it is so close from Mexico city and have everything to give the american retired people good quality life...k

[@dooglassandesperanza]

No, but it is much colder there than we were looking for. Perfect weather for us would be 31C (87F) High and 23C (73F) Low every day of the year. Southern California was too cold for us in the winter. I have to be able to grow Coconut Palms!

[@ShauninParadise]

Yew! Felicidades y bienvenidos! What a beautiful place to live! I subbd :)

[@dooglassandesperanza]

Gracias!

[@BearInThePhillipines]

I subscribed in the first few minutes

[@dooglassandesperanza]

Awesome! Thanks for subscribing

[@buildingbuildercip8292]

I have a home in Baja. Usually whenever the streets are empty and the place looks like a ghost town… it’s best to stay indoors. There’s usually more of a reason than just the heat and humidity.

[@dooglassandesperanza]

Thanks for the input, although we have found that the smaller towns that aren't major tourist destinations like San Felipe, Mulege, Loreto, Los Barriles, etc all become ghost towns when 80%-90% of the expats (snowbirds) go back to the US and Canada during the hot 3 months of the summer. Everyone in Loreto says this has been the cycle for over 30 years.

[@buildingbuildercip8292]

@@dooglassandesperanza that’s very interesting, but also very nice too. I guess it’s a good thing.

[@HM-ji7le]

As a foreigner is there a price difference when it comes to buying real estate? And what banks are in the area that are US dollar friendly? Thank you for sharing your video

[@dooglassandesperanza]

As a foreigner buying real estate you have two things to deal with. First is that you will probably not be used to the standard of living that most Mexicans live in our area. Many houses are very modest with only a small refrigerator and hot plate. Many people don't have air conditioning. We have even seen several houses with dirt floors. So if you're looking for a house similar to what you would find in the US then you will be paying more. Second is that we have experienced many people raise prices after we make an offer. As far as banking goes, all the banks here allow you to open accounts in US dollars or pesos. Most of the people in town don't take dollars. You almost have to have pesos except at some of the bigger businesses. Even though the banks have dollar accounts their exchange rates when you change dollars to pesos take a large fee of about 15%. We moved dollars from the US into our Mexican peso account through Charles Schwab. They do not charge any fees and their exchange rate is usually within a few tenths of a percent of the current exchange rate. We have found this to be the best way to move money for us. We spend only pesos in Mexico.

[@EastWing411]

Wind blows there constantly for weeks on end. Drives you insane

[@dooglassandesperanza]

Strange, We specifically noticed that the wind rarely blows here? If you watch our videos in Loreto and the videos coming up you will notice there is very little wind. I haven't had to use my windscreen on my mic since we got here. Maybe it blows more at other times of the year?

[@coneboy75]

Please mono your commentary audio. The stereo makes your voice switch between left, both and right speakers.

[@dooglassandesperanza]

I do all my editing with headphones so I should have caught this. I will go back and take a look to see what happened. Thanks for the feedback.

[@MrHate444]

It would have been so relaxing without the constant background music! Why were there no one on the streets?

[@dooglassandesperanza]

We used a lot of background music in the beginning but we don't anymore. It is summer low season and it was near 100 degrees out so not many people.

[@MrHate444]

Thanks for the informative reply I appreciate it. I thinking of making a move some time in the future just dont know exactly when.

[@davidcitizen]

Hi guys. Have you found great snorkeling from the shore (without a boat) in Loreto? Near Loreto? And since I sucked at understanding spoken Spanish even30 years ago when my brain was absorbent, for snowbirding in Loreto, can a friendly respectful gringo get by with mostly English?

[@dooglassandesperanza]

There are several place we have snorkeled from shore in Loreto but there were not many fish and not as clear of water. For the good snorkeling you need to go out on a boat or drive an hour up the coast north. You can easily get by with no Spanish, but it makes it easier to know some. Especially if you are going to be here for a long time.

[@davidcitizen]

@@dooglassandesperanza Thank you for the great info!!!

[@chainedaddiction]

Hey Dooglas, Happy New Year! I am planning a long trip to explore Baja Nov -Apr 2023. I have been south to San Felipe and other places in mainland Mexico. I am not looking for touristy spots. I have two cats and a car and plan to do mostly car camping. I just dont like living in the US during the wet and cold weather on the coast in Brookings, Southern Oregon. Any tips would be helpful. I have the knowledge of the requirements for auto insurance and the six month travel visa purchase before arrival. I only need the basics. Food and water and a way to wash clothes. I plan to watch all your videos. I wont be there past May 2023. I can not handle the heat. Cheers, Alex

[@dooglassandesperanza]

Hi Alex, I would definitely watch all the videos that you can. You will get tons of great information. We have a large travel trailer so we haven't done any beach camping. Most of the beach spots have vendors that will come around and sell you food, water, and propane. Many of the beach sites have outhouses, others you will have to figure out your bathroom yourself. You will probably have to go into a town once a week or so to do laundry and shopping. Also note that many of the beach camping spots do not have cell service so you will need to provide your own connection... if you want to be connected. Starlink is a good option, but you need reliable AC power for it so you would need a good solar system and batteries. Good Luck, let us know how it goes!

[@chainedaddiction]

@@dooglassandesperanza Dooglas, I will look into starlink and I will be bringing a Bluetti all in one solar gen and 200w solar panel. I’m fitting out my car and will camp in it multiple times in OR to refine my items down to just what I really need. Is chicken readily available most places? I only really need it to feed my cats but they can also eat other meats. I always have some canned fish to get them by for a day or two if necessary. Are BB rifles also forbidden there? I would like to bring it to shoot rabbits but not if I will get in trouble. It’s nothing fancy.

[@dooglassandesperanza]

@@chainedaddiction Chicken is readily available. You can find it raw in probably just about every town. You can find pre-cooked frozen chicken in bigger towns like San Felipe and most towns with a big supermarket will also do rotisserie chickens. I would be careful with any guns, even a BB gun. I believe technically they are legal here but not every law enforcement or military person that you encounter may believe the same thing and you could end up detained or worse.

[@dooglassandesperanza]

@@chainedaddiction tuna is also very readily available canned and in the pre-packed foil bags. You'll find that you can probably get any type of meat that you could get in the US down here

[@chainedaddiction]

@@dooglassandesperanza Dooglas, Good to know on the meat and BB gun situation. I am looking at making a two week trip down to Baja in late Jan or early Feb this year. I’m interested in understanding the ins and outs of buying vs. renting a place. I’m leaning towards renting because I only plan to be there 6 months out of the year to avoid rainy season on OR coast Nov-Apr. I will have a better idea once I hear success stories vs all the horror stories of property ownership in Mexico.

[@santitc1790]

Is Baja California, not only Baja.

[@dooglassandesperanza]

Thank you for clarifying. Most Mexicans and foreigners here uses Baja, Baja California, and BCS all to refer to the state of Baja California Sur. Baja is a common abbreviation here just like most people abbreviate Tijuana as TJ.

[@claudiaskaggs538]

What is the safest route to travel to Loretto from Colorado?

[@dooglassandesperanza]

Not sure about the US route from Colorado to the border. When you refer to safety I assume you are speaking of the danger of hitting animals on the road or the condition of the roads? That is the only danger we have seen in Baja. We have seen animals, mostly cows and deer, hit on the road everywhere. Most people don't drive at night because it is much harder to see animals in the road, and cows like to stand on the road during the night because of the radiant heat. Most of the highway is in pretty good condition with minimal potholes, but it is very narrow and very curvy with no guardrails and large drop offs in many places. In Mexico we like to cross at Mexicali East or Tecate if we are bringing a load of stuff back. In either case we take Mex5 to Mex1 down to Loreto.

[@claudiaskaggs538]

@@dooglassandesperanza thank you so much for the information. Ha, we have the same problem here at San Juan mountains south west of Colorado, hitting the deer, elk, coyotes and even cows. Many Blessings 🙏, thanks again.

[@ryanmcfall7725]

Hang on hurricane Kay!

[@dooglassandesperanza]

Kay is here and will peak tonight

[@41546able]

What is the link to that Airbnb you stayed at that you mentioned in this video.

[@dooglassandesperanza]

www.airbnb.com/rooms/30350268?source_impression_id=p3_1669819072_QVOZDWjPJ%2BN8quEo

[@santalucia17]

Just beautiful!

[@dooglassandesperanza]

Thank you

[@RexPonder-y6b]

Boy what happened Mexico is now more expensive than the United States and the government is very scary now.

[@dooglassandesperanza]

I think I'm going to make another video about Mexico prices because many people seem to have this misconception. I was just in the US in Portland and San Diego and I spot checked a large number of items that we use regularly. Mexico prices overall average 30%-40% less than those two locations for similar items. When you are comparing prices make sure you are comparing apples to apples. For example there are restaurants with a massive difference in pricing in both places. In Mexico I can get a dinner anywhere from $1.50-$150. In San Diego I can get the same for $3-$2000 (yes there are places that charge $2000 an entree in San Diego and probably more). In Vegas I went to a place that had an $8k entree. So just make sure you are comparing comparable items of comparable quality to make your assessment.

[@Jammer411]

Where are all the ppl?

[@dooglassandesperanza]

Low season and around 100 that day so not many people out

[@Jammer411]

Do you two make $2600. Usd every month to get residency?

[@dooglassandesperanza]

We qualified with assets.

[@brianakoby8762]

Why are there NO people anywhere? Looks a little deserted?

[@dooglassandesperanza]

It is the middle of the low season where it is very hot and many expats go back to their home countries for the summer

[@brianakoby8762]

So it’s that empty. Are restaurants and things open?

[@dooglassandesperanza]

I would estimate that 60% of the tourism based businesses stay open through the summer. Of course things like the grocery stores and department stores all stay open year round. We saw this in San Felipe also, but there more businesses were closed during the summer.

[@garthkelly1668]

What is the date this video was made?

[@dooglassandesperanza]

Mid July 2022

[@cherijacobs6378]

Where are people ? I do not see any people there!

[@dooglassandesperanza]

This was filmed in the middle of the summer on a 100 degree day. There are very few expats here in the summer and most people don't go out to walk around until late evening.

[@mikemcmike1]

u guys should try thailand....so much better ....so more alive!!!! and so cheaper......meals starting 1$ .....hotel starting 8-10$ .....but still thanks for this video.....was wondering what time was, got suprise to see how empty is this city.....BTW it would be nice to see prices of food and room on some next episode because baja is known for high prices......

[@dooglassandesperanza]

I actually spent a month in Thailand. My best friend lives there. Incredible place and very inexpensive. Unfortunately we have several parents in bad health and we need to be close to them in Oregon. When I came home from Koh Samui it took 32 hours of travel time total. I can make it home from here in 4 hours. I will definitely have some more prices in upcoming videos. We have several food videos coming up.

[@aldojhosep6758]

Me pregunto si los gringos que se vienen a vivir a Mexico pagan sus impuestos...

[@dooglassandesperanza]

Gran pregunta. Contamos con una S.A. de C.V. propietario de la propiedad y del negocio. La corporación paga IVA del 16% sobre todos los ingresos y también pagamos un impuesto de habitación del 4% a BCS. También contamos con RFC personales y pagamos el impuesto sobre la renta personal mexicano sobre todos los ingresos personales. También pagamos el impuesto a la propiedad mexicano. Luego tenemos licencia comercial con el municipio y licencia hotelera. Pagamos las inspecciones anuales del jefe de bomberos. También donamos a varios grupos locales. Y encima tendremos que volver a pagar impuestos sobre los mismos ingresos en Estados Unidos. Así que todo nos cobra doble imposición. Great Question. We have a S.A. de C.V. that owns the property and the business. The corporation pays IVA of 16% on all revenue and we also pay a 4% room tax to BCS. We also have personal RFCs and we pay Mexican personal income tax on all personal income. We also pay Mexican property tax. Then we have a business license with the municipality and a hotel license. We pay for yearly fire marshal inspections. We also donate to several local groups. And on top of it all then we have to pay taxes again on the same income in the US. So we get double taxed on everything.

[@gmx5051]

Any cartel activity?

[@dooglassandesperanza]

None at all

[@dobrodaddy2850]

Been there many times, too bad it's being gentrified.

[@dooglassandesperanza]

Thank You for your comment

[@dennishassler605]

Loreto is a very boring place without much to do, so great if you like the peaceful life.

[@dooglassandesperanza]

We both come from the country but have lived in the city for much of our lives also. We left the US to get away from the city and suburbs, and back to a slower, simpler life. I lived on a farm with animals which most people would call boring, but I had stuff to do for 12 hours a day 7 days a week. I never got bored.

[@dennishassler605]

One Xmas in CA. I took a trip to that location, but much of the trip was isolated - amazing how remote Baja is, because there's not much to do there and it's a huge driving distance - more remote than Alaska. That was over 25 yrs. ago though. You might visit Huatulco (Oaxaca). which is a favorite of mine after Puerto Vallarta - it's a resort that's not too populated. They have amazing birds in Mex. and I visited a remote beach and found wild horses - I always enjoy being in Mex. and plan to move there after I sell my house.

[@marikeyshappyhomedecor4876]

Just visiting and attending mass at the very first church, the Mother of all the missions in the Californias is a blessing 🙏🏽 the stunning views of the Mar de Cortez, the peaceful town of Loreto is my husband’s and I favorite place to retire 🤩 in 15 years 🤞🏽

[@dooglassandesperanza]

We have been to PV but not Oaxaca yet. One of the reasons we moved to Mexico was the affordability of travelling domestically. We will definitely be checking out the rest of Mexico after we get settled in Loreto.

[@juliam.2971]

@@marikeyshappyhomedecor4876 I completely agree with you. My hubby and I are in love with Loreto. Been visiting for the past six years. When we first attended mass at The Loreto mission, we settled in a pew and a parishioner came and turned on one of the fans toward us, how welcoming was that. Can’t wait to go back again.

[@MrIdioto]

Gringos, Si van a venir a vivir a Mexico minino intenta aprender español!

[@dooglassandesperanza]

Hola Amigo, Hablo español y trato de aprender más cada día. Mi esposa habla un poco de español y también está trabajando para aprender más.

[@tormentaeneldesierto3059]

Ojalá que aprendan español, hay demasiados gringos que no quieren aprender y por lo tanto no se integran y viven en su burbuja gringa criticando la forma de vivir de los mexicanos. Gringos go home!!

[@dooglassandesperanza]

Lo siento que sientas eso. Muchos Estadounidenses tienen los mismos sentimientos acerca de los Mexicanos que vienen a los Estados Unidos. Creo que todos deberíamos llevarnos bien ☺️