Loreto Municipality, Baja California Sur

Loreto
Top: Panoramic view of Sierra de la Giganta from Loreto Bay; Middle: Loreto, Coronado Island ;Bottom: Mission San Francisco Javier of Viggé-Biuandó, Mission Our Lady of Loreto Conchó
Coat of arms of Loreto
Location of Loreto in Baja California Sur.
Location of Loreto in Baja California Sur.
CountryMexico
StateBaja California Sur
Municipal seat and largest cityLoreto
Government
 • MayorPaola Margarita Cota Davis (PAN)
Area
 • Total4,418.98 km2 (1,706.18 sq mi)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total18,052
 • Density4.08/km2 (10.6/sq mi)
 • Seat
16,311
Time zoneUTC−7 (Pacific (US Mountain))
 • Summer (DST)UTC−6 (Pacific)

Loreto (Spanish pronunciation: [loˈɾeto]) is a municipality in the Mexican state of Baja California Sur. It was created in 1992 from the partition of the neighboring Comondú Municipality. The municipal seat is in the town of Loreto, which was the former capital of Las Californias during Spanish colonial times.

The 2020 census reported a population of 18,052, about 94% of whom lived in the town of Loreto. The municipality has an area of 4,311 km2 (1,664 sq mi).