Missions in Northern Baja California (May 2025)

Traveling in Baja has always been a huge pleasure and full of excitement and interesting things to see! The four wheeling in a Toyota truck isn't so bad, either!
Last May, a friend and I traveled south to see the old Spanish missions and other sites. I made a webpage for it on my VivaBaja.com site (linked near the top 'May 2025 Trip'). The missions in the north were all made from adobe and some are nearly vanished as the weather and treasure hunters make adobe disappear. After the missions were abandoned, and the roof was gone, the adobe walls were exposed to rain.

Missions (church, workshops, irrigation systems, housing) were how Spain began the colonization process to convert the Natives (Indians) into Christians who lived the European style (farming and ranching) vs. their long history of hunting and gathering food. Of course the end result was disastrous for most of the Natives. Missions were founded on the peninsula of Baja California from 1697 to 1834... the two founded after 1821 were not officially Spanish as Mexico won its independence then. Baja was remote, like an island to the rest of Mexico. If you want to know more, get my book!
https://sunbeltpublications.com/shop/baja-california-land-of-missions/

Here are the mission photos... north to south, May 2025:
El Descanso (1830-1834). Stabilized foundations protected by this steel awning




San Miguel (1787-1834).






Santo Tomás (1791-1849).






San Vicente (1780-1829).









Santo Domingo (1775-1822).









El Rosario (1774-1822 at two locations, two+ miles apart)
First location known as Rosario de Arriba (1774-1802):








Second location 'Rosario de Abajo' (1802-1822):





The above missions were founded by the Dominican Order, who replaced the Franciscans who were happy to just have missions in Alta California (San Diego and north).

San Fernando de Velicatá (1769-1822). This was the first Franciscan California mission and founded by Junípero Serra (now a saint) on his way to establish missions at San Diego and Monterey. The adobe ruins are all or mostly from the Dominican period, however. The Franciscans operated in Baja California for only 5 years (1768-1773)



Mission aqueduct runs a mile to a large reservoir:


Passing petroglyphs... one looks like a Viking ship!

Gotta Love Baja!


The Spanish Missions of Baja California:

El Descanso (a 'Mexican mission') is 8 miles north of San Miguel.