By: Hing Wong, FAICP, and Alex Hinds, Co-Directors, APA California — Northern International Program
We only have space for a couple more people to attend this fun and educational tour to Mexico! If you’re interested, please contact Hing Wong, FAICP, at hing@hingwong.info right away!
This will be our seventh international planning tour. Our past tours included Cuba (2003), China (2007), India (2009), Brazil (2012), Eastern Europe (2014), and Southeast Asia (2017).
This tour will combine the activities that we are doing as part of the international practices related to city planning in Loreto and the Villages of Loreto Bay (aka Nopoló).
The length of this tour will be only one weeklong (previous tours have been 2-3 weeks except for Cuba which was also one week). By being fewer days and closer in distance to the Northern Section, the travel costs will be lower, and we hope to get young and emerging planners to join along with more experienced professionals.
Registration – OPEN
This tour is for APA members.
We are pleased to offer Northern Section’s International Planning Tour to Baja California Sur, Mexico. The tour dates are April 12-19, 2025.
COST – Each member can bring one other person (spouse, significant other, friend, etc.)
- $1,159 — double occupancy, per person
- $1,939 — single occupancy
- If you are traveling solo and would like a roommate, please contact Hing Wong (hing@hingwong.info) ASAP and he will try to match you up.
Tour includes: provided by Loreto DMC & Travel
- Breakfasts each morning
- Welcome Dinner and Farewell Dinner (meals included, but not drinks or tips)
- Transportation within Baja California Sur, Mexico when we need to travel from one location to another
- 7-night lodging in three locations:
- 2 nights in Loreto Bay at the Aventuras Hotel
- 2 nights in Loreto at the Rosarito Hotel
- 3 nights in La Paz at the Catedral Hotel
Not included in tour:
- Flight to Loreto International Airport (LTO) on Saturday, April 12
- There are limited flights to Loreto
- Please book Alaska Airlines flight #1356
- Leave SFO at 2:38 PM; arrive LTO at 5:17pm – only nonstop flight from the Bay Area
- There will be vans picking us up after we land and clear customs
- Flight out of San José del Cabo International Airport (SJD) on Saturday, April 19 or later
- You will have the option to leave on April 19 or stay a few extra days (on your own or with a small group) in Cabo San Lucas or San José del Cabo
- There are several flights daily to the Bay Area provided by Alaska Airlines and United Airlines
- If you plan to fly out on April 19, choose a flight that leaves SJD after 3:00 PM as we plan to get to the airport around 1:00 PM
Cancellation and Refund Policy: please be mindful of these policies
- Cancellation between March 16 — March 31: 50% penalty charge
- No cancellation or refund on or after April 1
Customs, Passport, and Entry Requirements to Mexico
- US citizens do not need a visa to visit Mexico for tourism or business for up to 180 days
- However, you will need to present a Mexico Tourist Card when you enter the country
- Have a valid passport with at least six months of validity and at least one blank page
- US Customs and Border Protection’s advice when planning a trip to Mexico from the United States (link).
For those interested in attending, we will have two three virtual meetings to prepare for this tour (one in early March, one in mid-March, and one in early April). If you are interested in attending or if you have any questions, please contact Hing Wong (hing@hingwong.info) and Alex Hinds (alexhinds47@gmail.com). We are using the list of those interested to notify them of the virtual meetings. Finally, if you put in your deposit or paid in full, please also contact Hing and Alex so we can double check with the travel agency to make sure they’ve received it.
Quick Facts on Loreto:
- Historians believe that Loreto is the oldest human settlement in Baja California and estimate that people began living there 12,000 years ago.
- Loreto was founded in 1697 and a couple years later, the city served as the first capital of the Province of the Californias.
- Loreto celebrated its 325th anniversary several years ago.
- Commercial and sport fishing have been the mainstay of Loreto’s economy while ecotourism activities such as whale watching is especially popular.
- The walkable, pedestrian-oriented resort community of the Villages of Loreto Bay is now also an important factor in the regional construction and vacation-oriented tourist sectors.
- The Loreto area is home to a network of ecologically-concerned not-for-profit organizations assisting in conservation and environmental education.
- Loreto is an officially designated “Pueblo Mágico” (magical town) as defined by Mexico.
Quick Facts on La Paz:
- La Paz is the capital city of the Mexican state of Baja California Sur.
- The city population is 250,000 making it the most populous city in the state.
- Outdoor activity is by far the most important source of tourism income in La Paz.
- There are 900 islands and inlets in the Gulf of California with 244 under UNESCO protection as World Heritage Bio-Reserves.
- This international planning tour in Loreto and La Paz will include opportunities to meet with professional colleagues, municipal and NGO representatives, and educators from the area. There will be an opportunity to visit nearby islands and hopefully see dolphins, blue whales, and other aquatic life in the Gulf of California (aka the Sea of Cortez) which Jacques Cousteau referred to as the “aquarium of the world”.