MEXICO; Cheers to LORETO; New nonstop flights from Houston access a Baja Peninsula town tucked between rugged mountains and the Sea of Cortez and emerging as a hub for snorkeling, hiking and ecotouris

LORETO, MEXICO - The jet was filled with Arizona Cardinals cheerleaders, Loreto-bound for a calendar shoot during a long weekend. As the aircraft descended over rugged terrain and jagged mountains that seem to pop randomly out of the water, one cheerleader peered through the window and said, "I feel like I'm landing in Tucson. And then there's an ocean."

Once we landed, the fire department blasted water at the plane to commemorate this inaugural Continental Airlines Houston-to-Loreto flight last month, and then local officials poured out of the tiny, thatch-roofed airport terminal to greet every passenger.

It was, all in all, an odd introduction to the small town of Loreto on the Baja peninsula about 250 miles north of Cabo San Lucas. But the experience also left an impact: Something interesting must be happening here.

"One of the things that keeps coming up when I'm talking with the girls is that it's not touristy like some other locations," said Heather Karberg, the cheerleaders' director who said the Bidwill family, which owns the National Football League Cardinals, has property in Loreto.

"It's very peaceful," Karberg said. "It's calm. You can come here and not feel like it's a big party."

Years ago, Loreto was tapped by the Mexican government as one of five locales - along with Cancún, Cabo San Lucas, Huatulco and Ixtapa - to be developed into major tourism destinations. But while the others took off, Loreto remained dormant until recently, when visionaries decided that its position on the Sea of Cortez, and activities such as whale-watching, kayaking and fishing, make this a prime spot to promote ecotourism.

"It's a very short flight (less than three hours from Houston), but you feel like you are thousands of miles away," said Jim Grogan, president and CEO of the Loreto Bay Co., which is developing a pedestrian-friendly, ecologically sustainable seaside village about five miles from downtown Loreto.

"You have a different language, unique music and food, unique culture and extraordinary natural beauty," Grogan said. "It's really geared for people who want to relax and enjoy the Sea of Cortez and enjoy the mountains, or people who are very active outdoor adventurers. The ecotourism is very big."

Yoga on the beach

At the affiliated Inn at Loreto Bay, the ecotourism aspect is apparent, from embroidered Camelbak-style hydration packs that guests receive to kayaks available on the beach at all times. Activities such as mountain biking and yoga on the beach take place every weekend.

Within a 90-mile radius of Loreto, spectacular opportunities await adventurers who snorkel the white-sand beaches of Coronado Island or hike through the foothills of the Guadalupe Mountains to see cave paintings.

San Diego residents Carlos Palacios and Sylvia Moreno wanted to celebrate Sylvia's birthday in a special way, so they packed the car and headed south on Highway 1, which runs from Tijuana to Cabo San Lucas. After 12 hours on the highway, along which cactuses seem to reach up from under the desert surface like gnarled, grasping hands, they reached El Burro Beach near the town of Mulegé.

"You're driving, and it's all desert, and then all of a sudden you see the Sea of Cortez," Palacios said, standing ankle-deep in the water. "That's what's so amazing about it. It's like an oasis."

The good life

For $8.50 a night they rented a shaded palapa and set up camp. During the day, they'd dive for scallops or bake in the sun. At night, they'd take in the fresh breezes. The only musts on their agenda were swimming, drinking and sleeping.

"The water is pristine. The fish," he said, interrupting himself to point to the water, "look, there are fish everywhere. It's not a well-traveled paradise. You can't find this stuff within the states."