Loreto has been in the news a lot lately, most notably for the way its residents fought back against an April 10 decree to reclassify it as a deep-sea cabotage port, a move aimed at opening Loreto and its national park — the Loreto Bay National Park — to more cruise ship and large-scale commercial traffic. A petition filed against the decree on change.org garnered over 1.2 million signatories, indicative of the level of pushback that caused President Claudia Sheinbaum to revoke the decree by the end of May.
That fight isn’t over, any more than the fight to protect Cabo Pulmo is over, or the fight to prevent gold mining in the Sierra de la Laguna is over. Baja California Sur’s natural bounty continues to exercise a potent attraction for powerful economic interests. In the case of Loreto, a working group is being formed in the wake of the canceled decree “to update the Management Program of the Protected Natural Area (the Loreto Bay National Park) and address administrative regulations in matters of navigation in the Port of Loreto.”
These updates are much needed, especially since cruise ships are still legally allowed to transit and anchor within the boundaries of the national park, an environmentally sensitive area that is home to blue whales (seasonally) and other endangered species.
Sports Illustrated chooses Loreto as a backdrop for its 2026 swimsuit issue
Loreto’s natural beauty recently attracted the attention of Sports Illustrated (SI), which chose it as the primary location to shoot its 2026 Swimsuit Issue. Released on May 12, photography for the latest edition took place last December, when SI photographer James Macari and nine models — Haley Baylee, Lauren Chan, Jocelyn Corona, Olivia Dunne, Bethenny Frankel, Ilona Maher, Hunter McGrady, Brooks Nader and Molly Sims — headed to the Baja California Sur destination aboard Alaska Airlines to showcase the latest swimwear fashions captured against dramatic backdrops. Actress and comedian Tiffany Haddish, one of the cover models for the 2026 edition, was also photographed by Macari in Loreto
“The choice of Loreto is no coincidence,” notes the Baja California Sur Tourism Board. “James Macari, the magazine’s renowned photographer, sought to capture the essence of a destination that uniquely combines desert, ancient rock formations and the crystal-clear waters of the Gulf of California, highlighting Haddish’s strength and charisma.”
This isn’t the first SI photo shoot to take place in Baja California Sur. The second-ever Swimsuit Issue in 1965 was photographed in what is now Los Cabos, although that name wouldn’t be coined for the area for another 16 years, when the municipality was formed in 1981. Six years before that, in 1975, SI was back in the state to shoot photos in and around the capital city of La Paz for the subsequent year’s issue.
The dental tourism market is expected to triple in the coming years, with Tijuana poised to benefit
According to a recent report from Allied Market Research (AMR), the dental tourism market is poised to explode in popularity as it grows from a US $6.2 billion industry in 2021 to an expected US $21.5 billion one by 2031.
“The appeal is obvious,” notes AMR. “A dental implant procedure that costs US $3,000–$5,000 in the U.S. can be purchased for US $600–$1,000 at top dental tourism spots like Mexico and Thailand or India, creating arguably a structural long-term change in cross-border patient behavior.”
It’s not just about how much cheaper dental services are in other countries relative to the U.S. — the latter being one of the largest source markets for dental tourists — the rise in dental tourism is also driven by demographics (more older patients), and by an increase in interest in cosmetic dentistry.
Why Tijuana specifically, and Mexico generally, are boom beneficiaries
The booming market bodes particularly well for Mexico, which is much more proximate to traveling U.S. patients than other dental tourism hotspots like India and Thailand. While the global market is projected to more than triple in only a decade, Mexico’s outlook is even more bullish: Its market is expected to more than quadruple in the coming years, growing from US $527 million in 2025 to US $2.2 billion in 2033
Tijuana in Baja California has already established itself as one of the country’s premier medical and dental tourism destinations, thanks to its convenient border-friendly location and its dozens of dental clinics primarily dedicated to treating foreign patients. It’s also proximate to several notable travel spots — like Valle de Guadalupe, the heart of Mexico’s wine country — for those who want to schedule work during vacation getaways
Dental implants are among the most popular services in Tijuana currently, along with other high-value treatments like All-on-4 (a more extensive procedure, as the name suggests, involving four implants) and prosthetic reconstructions — often available 70% to 80% cheaper than in the U.S.
In some cases, U.S. insurance is accepted, and cross-border transportation can be arranged as well.
Chris Sands is a writer and editor for Mexico News Daily, and the former Cabo San Lucas local expert for the USA Today travel website 10 Best and writer of Fodor’s Los Cabos travel guidebook. He has also contributed to numerous other websites and publications, including The San Diego Union-Tribune, Marriott Bonvoy Traveler, Forbes Travel Guide, Porthole Cruise and Travel, and Cabo Living.
