Exploring the lost missions of Baja California

No epoch successful the past of Baja California has been arsenic oft-written astir arsenic the Spanish ngo era, and with bully reason, arsenic the successive waves of Jesuit, Franciscan, and Dominican missionaries during the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries brought sweeping governmental and taste changes to the peninsula and near a lasting legacy.

Of course, the astir tangible bequest is recovered successful the missions that were built. Several of these singular archaeological monuments inactive beryllium and are “well worthy the dusty drive” it takes to sojourn them, arsenic David Kier, an adept connected the topic, aptly puts it. David’s book, Baja California Land of Missions, was published successful 2016 and remains a definitive people resource. 

Author David Kier is an authorization connected Baja missions. (David Kier)

The eventual resource, however, is David himself, since helium continues to sojourn these sites regularly, travels touched upon successful this interrogation and covered successful greater item successful articles connected his website: Viva Baja. 

What was the timeline for Jesuit, Franciscan, and Dominican ngo gathering connected the Baja California peninsula? 

The Jesuits began the California ngo programme successful 1697, astatine Loreto. The Franciscans replaced the Jesuits successful 1768. This play lasted 5 years, and the Franciscans founded lone 1 ngo connected the peninsula, San Fernando. Their superior absorption was connected the 1769 expedition to Alta California led by Gaspar de Portolá and Junípero Serra, which was foundational successful settling what is present the U.S. authorities of California. 

The missions connected the Baja California peninsula and the onshore betwixt the San Fernando and San Diego missions were handed implicit to the Dominican bid successful 1773. The Franciscans wanted lone to enactment successful Alta California. So the Dominicans had that bluish onshore successful Baja to found their ain missions on.

How galore missions were built during these respective eras, and however galore inactive exist? I know, for example, that each the ones southbound of La Paz are gone.

The Jesuits founded 17 missions, 8 of which were relocated 1 oregon much times to amended locations, often adopting a antithetic sanction aft the move. This has proved confusing for modern writers regarding the existent fig of existent missions. A ngo is simply a project, similar a concern oregon corporation, and not a circumstantial determination oregon a religion gathering alone.

The historical ngo successful Loreto was founded by Jesuit missionary Juan María de Salvatierra successful 1697. (Villa del Palmar)

The Franciscans founded conscionable 1 ngo and handed it implicit to the Dominicans 4 years later. The Franciscans built the adobe churches astatine San Borja and Santa María. The adobe ruins of San Fernando are from the Dominican period.

The Dominicans were connected the peninsula the longest, established 9 missions (five of which were moved astatine slightest once), and continued to run the Jesuit and Franciscan missions that were unfastened erstwhile they arrived successful 1773 until each was abandoned. The Dominicans built the chromatic churches we spot contiguous astatine the Jesuit-founded missions of San Ignacio, Santa Gertrudis, and San Borja. The past 2 Dominican missions were founded aft Mexican independence, truthful they are not considered existent Spanish missions. The padre who built them, Felix Caballero, had nary authorization.

Original 1700s stonewall ngo churches (some with repairs and caller roofs) are recovered astatine Loreto, San Javier, Mulegé, Comondú, San Ignacio, San Luis Gonzaga, Santa Gertrudis, and San Borja. That’s 8 successful total.

What were the astir absorbing humanities events associated with the Baja missions? Are determination immoderate myths oregon legends associated with them?

Oh my, determination are truthful many! The Pericú Revolt began connected October 1, 1734, successful Santiago, which led to the demolition of the 4 southernmost missions: astatine Santiago, San José del Cabo, Todos Santos, and La Paz. 

The “Chilean Invasion” of 1822, led by English Admiral Thomas Cochrane, who ordered attacks connected 3 missions — astatine San José del Cabo, Todos Santos, and Loreto. These attacks occurred due to the fact that Spain had mislaid the Mexican War for Independence, but isolated Baja California inactive had authorities offices flying Spanish flags. Cochrane had served arsenic Chile’s admiral since 1818, erstwhile helium helped Chile decision Spain to summation its independence. 

Mission San Ignacio, 1 of the astir beauteous extant missions, arsenic it looked successful 2019. (Viva Baja)

The mislaid ngo legends are popular, and searching for them tin beryllium a amusive activity! There were ne'er immoderate existent mislaid missions. However, a representation created by the Jesuits successful 1757 showed 3 missions beyond San Ignacio arsenic “under construction,” feeding the rumors.

San Juan Bautista, westbound of San Ignacio, adjacent Punta Abreojos successful the Sierra Santa Clara, is 1 of them. Known arsenic the Lost Santa Clara Mission, thing has been recovered there, astatine slightest that we cognize of. Dolores del Norte is another. Even the aged Auto Club maps showed it, putting it northbound of San Ignacio. In reality, the sanction of this ngo was changed to Santa Gertrudis upon its founding to grant the woman of the fiscal benefactor (Note: Gertrudis was the sanction of the woman of José de la Puente, aka the Marqués de Villapuente, who funded galore of Baja’s missions). 

Yet, Dolores del Norte inactive comes up on with Santa Gertrudis connected immoderate maps. The awesome visita ruins (a visita was a tiny sub-mission outpost) successful San Pablo Canyon are besides sometimes referred to arsenic a ngo by INAH (the Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia). 

Santa María Magdalena, the 3rd ngo connected the 1757 representation shown betwixt San Ignacio and Bahía de los Angeles, has much going for it. Bells with that sanction are astatine Mission Santa Gertrudis, arsenic if the ngo was aborted and the bells were fixed to the nearest mission. Historical writer (and Desert Magazine editor) Choral Pepper believes the enigma walls astatine Bahía Las Animas mightiness conscionable beryllium the aborted ngo project. 

Finally, the Lost Mission of Santa Isabel. This is simply a much caller fable from the precocious 1800s to aboriginal 1900s arsenic an mentation for what came of Jesuit treasures erstwhile they learned of their impending banishment. A waterhole connected the 1757 representation named Santa Isabel, northbound of the last Jesuit ngo of Santa María and Gonzaga Bay, whitethorn beryllium the root of the name. So galore chaotic stories astir Santa Isabel searches person been published, including my own. 

What, successful your opinion, are the champion missions to visit, and why? 

Misión San Francisco Javier de Viggé-Biaundó successful San Javier is called the “jewel of the missions.” (Viva Baja)

I bask visiting each the ngo locations that I can. The highly awesome San Javier (Misión San Francisco Javier de Viggé-Biaundó), known arsenic the “jewel of the missions,” and the magnificent San Ignacio are apical contenders. Both are connected paved roads for casual access. San Borja is conscionable implicit 20 miles from a road and stands retired arsenic a must-see. It is the furthest-north chromatic ngo connected the peninsula. Coming upon it successful the mediate of the harsh godforsaken is rather the experience. 

My favourite ngo determination is Santa María. Its ruins are the astir intact of the adobe missions. Located successful a astir hard location, lone the best-equipped four-wheel-drive vehicles tin anticipation to scope it. It takes 3 hours oregon much conscionable to question the 15 miles of ungraded roadworthy from Cataviña oregon Santa Ynez. Don’t spell without different conveyance to enactment you. My 5th sojourn to it was 3 years ago.

What should our readers cognize astir going to spot these missions earlier readying a trip? 

They should survey the many missions either successful my publication oregon connected my website pages to prime retired the ones that look the astir absorbing oregon person an intriguing story. Each ngo has an absorbing history. Two months ago, a person and I went to 8 ngo sites that are on oregon precise adjacent to Federal Highway 1, betwixt Tijuana and Cataviña, implicit a weekend. 

We besides visited different absorbing sites proving Baja is simply a onshore of truthful galore wonders that a beingness of travels determination cannot spoil opportunities to spot more. Your readers volition request to determine however they question and what they privation to see. For some, that whitethorn mean flying in, renting a car, and staying astatine hotels. Others volition bash arsenic I ever person done, unafraid a susceptible vehicle, and campy nether a entity truthful afloat of stars that you volition deliberation you are connected the acheronian broadside of the moon!

Do you person immoderate tips connected borderline crossing oregon driving successful Baja? Is determination an established way for an itinerary to sojourn aggregate missions? 

Yes, I effort to support a page updated with details connected driving crossed the border. Keep successful mind, things tin and bash change, truthful beryllium alert of that and effort to bask the acquisition of driving into different country.

The itinerary tin beryllium arsenic ample arsenic desired. The lone missions that person nary nonstop roadworthy oregon casual automobile entree are San Pedro Mártir, Los Dolores Apaté, and Santa María. The Guadalupe ngo site, forty miles westbound of Mulegé, whitethorn beryllium fenced disconnected to visitors, according to a caller report. There are lone immoderate walls, foundations, and stairs to see. 

Most of the missions are connected oregon adjacent paved roads. Three of the intact, chromatic missions — Santa Gertrudis, San Luis Gonzaga, and San Borja — are immoderate region distant from the road but good worthy the dusty thrust if you are successful a motortruck oregon SUV.

Chris Sands is the Cabo San Lucas section adept for the USA Today question website 10 Best, writer of Fodor’s Los Cabos question guidebook and a contributor to galore websites and publications, including Tasting Table, Marriott Bonvoy Traveler, Forbes Travel Guide, Porthole Cruise, Cabo Living and Mexico News Daily. His specialty is travel-related contented and manner features focused connected food, vino and golf.