Mission Photos (oldest to newest)

Map and photos by David Kier (unless otherwise credited)

Also see Mission Albums for more historic to recent photos, plus the chapter for each mission from my book is included.

The following photos are shown from the oldest, Loreto in 1697, to the final mission founded, in 1834. To see the missions from north to south: HERE

1) Loreto (1697-1829)

Full name: Nuestra Señora de Loreto Conchó

Founding date: October 25, 1697 Mission #1 of 27

Catholic Order: Jesuit

Founded by: Padre Juan María de Salvatierra

Condition: Stone church constructed from 1740 to about 1750. New roof and bell tower added in 1955.

Closing date: Closed in 1829.

GPS: 26.010278, -111.343278

Access: Mex. #1 Km. 0 (Loreto) east 2 kms.

Read more: HERE

Mission Loreto photo and info page

2) San Javier (1699-1817, two sites)

Full name: San Francisco Javier de Biaundo

Founding date: November 1, 1699 (relocated 5 miles south circa 1710-1720) Mission #2

Catholic Order: Jesuit

Founded by: Padre Francisco Píccolo

Condition: Stone church constructed from 1744 to 1758.

Closing date: Closed in 1817.

GPS: 25.860727, -111.543585

Access: Mex. #1 Km. 117 (Loreto) east & south 21 miles (paved).

3) Ligüí (1705-1721)

The location of Mission San Juan Bautista de Ligüí (later called ‘de Malibat’), now in an arroyo. Ruins were destroyed by flash floods. Photographed in 2017, 1/2 mile from Mex. #1.

Full name: San Juan Bautista de Ligüí (de Malibat)

Founding date: November 1705 Mission #3

Catholic Order: Jesuit

Founded by: Padre Pedro de Ugarte

Condition: No ruins since 2001.

Closing date: Abandoned in 1721.

GPS: 25.739500, -111.264167

Access: Mex. #1 Km. 84 (south of Loreto) east 1/2 mile.

Read more: HERE

Mission Ligüí photo and info page

4) Santa Rosalía de Mulegé (1705-1828)

Full name: Santa Rosalía de Mulegé

Founding date: November 1705 Mission#4

Catholic Order: Jesuit

Founded by: Padre Juan Basaldúa

Condition: Stone church constructed 1757 to 1766.

Closing date: Closed in 1828.

GPS: 26.885339, -111.985979

Access: Mex. #1 Km. 134 west 1 km.

5) San José de Comondú (1708-1827, two sites)

1708-1736 site, called Comondú Viejo after the move to its visita of San Ignacio. Photographed by David Kier in 2017 Read more: HERE

1736-1827. This site was a visita named ‘San Ignacio,’ before 1736. Photographed in 2017 Read more: HERE

Full name: San José de Comondú

Founding date: 1708 (relocated 22 miles south in 1736) Mission #5

Catholic Order: Jesuit

Founded by: Padre Julián de Mayorga

Condition: Stone church constructed 1751 to 1761, demolished in 1936. A side chapel was preserved.

Closing date: Closed in 1827.

GPS: 26.274278, -111.719028 (first site), 26.059726, -111.822168 (final site)

Access: Paved road from the south (BCS#53, km. 64.5) or unpaved roads, east from km. 27.5, near San Javier or northwest from San Isidro/ La Purísima.

6) La Purísima (1720-1826)

Full name: La Purísima Concepción de Cadegomó

Founding date: January 1, 1720 Mission #6

Catholic Order: Jesuit

Founded by: Padre Nicolás Tamaral

Condition: No church ruins, two crypts remain to mark the mission.

Closing date: Closed in 1826.

GPS: 26.190444, -112.072944

Access: One block north of paved BCS #53, 72 miles north of Ciudad Insurgentes.

7) Pilar de la Paz (1720-1840, three sites)

Plaque in La Paz (no original mission remains) recognizing the first location (1720-1748). Historians believe the mission was actually a few blocks south and east from this plaque. In 1748, the mission moved to its old visita site of Todos Santos, after Mission Santa Rosa was established there.

Site of second location (1748-1825) at Todos Santos (this was same location as Mission Santa Rosa, see below).

Third location of Mission Pilar de la Paz (1825-1840), in Todos Santos.

Full name: Nuestra Señora del Pilar de la Paz

Founding date: November 3, 1720 (relocated 50 miles south to Todos Santos in 1748, then 1 mile south in 1825) Mission #7

Catholic Order: Jesuit

Founded by: Padre Jaime Bravo, Padre Juan de Ugarte

Condition: No ruins remain at La Paz or the second site. Reconstructed, enlarged church at the third site.

Closing date: Closed in 1840.

GPS: 24.160000, -110.316500 (first site plaque, 1720); 23.460316, -110.219140 (second site, 1748) Mex. #19 Km. 49.5; 23.449767, -110.225450 (final site, 1825)

Access: Mex. #19 Km. 51.

8) Guadalupe de Huasinapí (1720-1795)

Full name: Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe de Huasinapí

Founding date: December 12, 1720 Mission #8

Catholic Order: Jesuit

Founded by: Padre Everarado Helen

Condition: Ruins from the 1750s.

Closing date: Closed in 1795.

GPS: 26.918403, -112.405787

Access: Mex. #1 Km. 131.5 (Mulegé) east & north 41 miles.

9) Los Dolores (1721-1768, three sites)

1721-1741 sites were known as Los Dolores Apaté. In 1723, the mission moved 1.5 miles further inland for better water. The mission then moved 15 miles from here to its visita of La Pasión, in 1741. Photograph by Ashek in 2014.

1741-1768 site, known as Dolores Chillá or La Pasión.

Full name: Nuestra Señora de los Dolores

Founding date: August 2, 1721 (relocated 15 miles southwest in 1741 to La Pasión) Mission #9

Catholic Order: Jesuit

Founded by: Padre Clemente Guillén

Condition: Ruins at two sites, with only rubble and foundation stones at final site.

Closing date: Closed in 1768 by the Spanish government.

GPS: 25.055543, -110.884425 (second site, Apaté) 17 miles east from Chillá; 24.887709, -111.031002 (final site, Chillá)

Access (final site): 30 miles from Mission San Luis Gonzaga at Rancho La Capilla/ Cabañas La Pasión.

10) Santiago el Apóstol (1724-1795, two sites)

Full name: Santiago el Apóstol Aiñiní

Founding date: 1724 (relocated 2 miles south in 1736) Mission #10

Catholic Order: Jesuit

Founded by: Padre Ignacio Nápoli

Condition: Modern church on second site.

Closing date: Closed in 1795.

GPS: 23.475694, -109.717333

Access: Mex. #1 Km. 84.5 (south of La Paz), west 1.9 miles (paved).

11) San Ignacio (1728-1840)

Full name: San Ignacio de Kadakaamán

Founding date: January 20, 1728 Mission #11

Catholic Order: Jesuit

Founded by: Padre Juan Luyando

Condition: Stone church construction from 1761 to 1767 and again from 1779 to 1786.

Closing date: Closed in 1840.

GPS: 27.283939, -112.898922

Access: Mex. #1 Km. 73 (San Ignacio entrance), south 1.6 miles (paved).

Read more: HERE

Mission San Ignacio photo and info page

12) San José del Cabo (1730-1748 & 1768-1840, three sites)

Full name: San José del Cabo Añuití

Founding date: April 8, 1730 (relocated 3 times) Mission #12

Catholic Order: Jesuit

Founded by: Padre Nicolás Tamaral, Padre José de Echeverría

Condition: Modern church on final site.

Closing date: Closed from 1748 to 1768 and finally in 1840.

GPS: 23.062139, -109.695639

Access: Mex. #1 Km. 32 (south of La Paz) east & south 1 km.

13) Santa Rosa (1733-1748)

Modern church at the site of Mission Santa Rosa, originally a visita of the La Paz mission, named Todos Santos, and the second site of Mission Pilar de la Paz. See also Pilar de la Paz second site photo, above.

Full name: Santa Rosa de las Palmas

Founding date: August 1733 Mission #13

Catholic Order: Jesuit

Founded by: Padre Sigusmundo Taraval

Condition: No ruins remain. Modern church and playground on the site, along Highway 19.

Closing date: Mission Santa Rosa was terminated in 1748 when the older mission at La Paz relocated to here.

GPS: 23.460316, -110.219140

Access: Mex. #19 Km. 49.5 (north edge of Todos Santos)

Mission Santa Rosa photo and info page

14) San Luis Gonzaga (1737-1768)

Full name: San Luis Gonzaga Chiriyaqui

Founding date: July 14, 1737 Mission #14

Catholic Order: Jesuit

Founded by: Padre Lambert Hostell

Condition: Stone church constructed from 1753 to 1758

Closing date: Closed on August 20, 1768 by the Spanish government.

GPS: 24.908056, -111.290903

Access: Mex. #1 Km. 195 (north of La Paz) east 22 miles.

15) Santa Gertrudis (1752-1822)

Full name: Santa Gertrudis

Founding date: July 15, 1752 Mission #15

Catholic Order: Jesuit

Founded by: Padre Georg Retz

Condition: Stone church construction completed in 1796

Closing date: Closed in 1822

GPS: 28.051117, -113.085325

Access: Mex. #1 Km. 189 (north of Santa Rosalia), east 47 miles.

16) San Borja (1762-1818)

Full name: San Francisco de Borja Adac

Founding date: September 1, 1762 Mission #16

Catholic Order: Jesuit

Founded by: Padre Wenceslaus Linck

Condition: Adobe ruins from 1759-1773. Stone church from 1801.

Closing date: Closed in 1818

GPS: 28.744547, -113.753997

Access: Mex. #1 Km. 52 (south of Punta Prieta at Nuevo Rosarito), east 22 miles or Mex. #12 Km. 45 (L.A. Bay highway), south 21 miles.

17) Santa María de los Angeles (1766-1775, two sites)

1767-1775 site. Adobe church building by the Franciscans in 1768.

Full name: Nuestra Señora de Columna/ Santa María de los Angeles

Founding date: October 16, 1766 (relocated 30 miles northwest and renamed on May 26, 1767) Mission #17

Catholic Order: Jesuit

Founded by: Padre Victoriano Arnés, Padre Juan Diez

Condition: Adobe outlines at 1766 site. Adobe buildings at second site, from 1768-1769.

Closing date: Abandoned in 1774 or 1775.

GPS/ Access: 29.421194, -114.195100 (first site/ Calamajué), Mex. #5, Km. 179.5, east & south 17 miles or Mex. #1, Km. 251, east & north 15 miles.

GPS/ Access: 29.731742, -114.547379 (second site/ Santa María), Mex. #1, Km. 181 (Santa Ynez), east 15 miles.

Read more:

Calamajué

Santa María

Mission Santa María photo and info page

Calamajué mission site photo and info page

18) San Fernando (1769-1822)

Adobe building likely from the Dominicans.

Full name: San Fernando de Velicatá

Founding date: May 14, 1769 Mission #18

Catholic Order: Franciscan

Founded by: Padre Junípero Serra

Condition: Adobe ruins remaining date to the 1790s

Closing date: Closed in 1822

GPS: 29.971109, -115.236434

Access: Mex. #1, Km. 121, south of San Quintín, 2.3 miles southwest, gate at 1 mile.

19) El Rosario (1774-1822, two sites)

Full name: Nuestra Señora del Rosario de Viñadaco

Founding date: July 24, 1774 (relocated 2 miles west in 1802) Mission #19

Catholic Order: Dominican

Founded by: Padre Francisco Galistéo

Condition: Adobe ruins at both sites

Closing date: Closed in 1822

GPS/ Access: 30.066944, -115.718889 (first site) Mex. #1, Km. 58.5, south of San Quintín, just uphill.

GPS/ Access: 30.041389, -115.739111 (second site) Mex. #1, Km. 57.5, south of San Quintín, 2 miles west.

Mission El Rosario de Abajo photo and info page

20) Santo Domingo (1775-1822, two sites)

Full name: Santo Domingo

Founding date: August 30, 1775 (relocated 2.5 miles east in 1798) Mission #20

Catholic Order: Dominican

Founded by: Padre Miguel Hidalgo, Padre Manuel Garcia

Condition: Adobe ruins at second site.

Closing date: Closed in 1822

GPS: 30.770889, -115.937222

Access: Mex. #1, Km. 169, south of Ensenada, 5 miles east.

Mission Santo Domingo photo and info page

21) San Vicente (1780-1829)

Full name: San Vicente Ferrer

Founding date: August 27, 1780 Mission #21

Catholic Order: Dominican

Founded by: Padre Miguel Hidalgo, Padre Joaquín Valero

Condition: Adobe ruins, stabilized in a park setting.

Closing date: Closed in 1829.

GPS: 31.329972, -116.259167

Access: Mex. #1, south of Ensenada, Km. 88.5, 1 km. west.

22) San Miguel (1787-1834, three sites)

Both the second and final site (1788-1810 and 1814-1834)

Full name: San Miguel Arcángel

Founding date: March 28, 1787 (moved 7 miles west in 1788, then north 8 miles in 1810, then back circa 1814) Mission #22

Catholic Order: Dominican

Founded by: Padre Luis Sales

Condition: Adobe ruins at the second site.

Closing date: Abandoned in 1834

GPS: 32.094279, -116.854331

Access: Mex. #1, Km. 65.5, south of Tijuana, next to school in La Misión.

23) Santo Tomás (1791-1849, three sites)

Full name: Santo Tomás de Aquino

Founding date: April 24, 1791 (moved 1 mile east in 1794 and 3 more miles east in 1799) Mission #23

Catholic Order: Dominican

Founded by: Padre José Loriénte

Condition: Adobe ruins at final site, nearly vanished.

Closing date: Abandoned in 1849 (was the last California mission to be operating)

GPS: 31.558333, -116.413583

Access: Mex. #1, Km. 50, south of Ensenada, just north of El Palomar RV Park.

24) San Pedro Mártir (1794-1811, two sites)

2024 photograph from Mundo Medina. Cenovio Gamboa Lazcano and Rogelio Serrano made the route possible for Mundo for him to get to the mission.

Full name: San Pedro Mártir de Verona

Founding date: April 27, 1794 (relocated 7 miles south after just 3 months) Mission #24

Catholic Order: Dominican

Founded by: Padre Caietano Pallás, Padre Pablo Grijálva, Padre José Loriénte

Condition: Stone footings at first site. Stone walls at second site.

Closing date: Abandoned in 1811

GPS: 30.790069, -115.472458

Access: 2 days backpacking or horseback ride, one way.

25) Santa Catalina (1797-1839)

Full name: Santa Catalina Virgen y Mártir

Founding date: November 12, 1797 (last Spanish mission founded in Baja California) Mission #25

Catholic Order: Dominican

Founded by: Padre José Loriénte, Padre Tomás Valdellón

Condition: Footing stones, room outlines

Closing date: Abandoned in 1839

GPS: 31.660583, -115.821111

Access: Mex. #3, Km. 91, southeast of Ensenada, east 5.4 miles (90% paved).

CABALLERO’S MISSIONS (founded after 1822 by one Dominican)

26) El Descanso (1830-1834)

Foundations located behind the modern church date to 1830 and are partially protected by this steel awning.

Full name: El Descanso

Founding date: 1830 (near the 1810 relocated San Miguel mission site) Mission #26

Catholic Order: Dominican

Founded by: Padre Felix Caballero (well after Mexico’s independence from Spain)

Condition: Floor and footings exposed and protected, next to the modern church.

Closing date: Abandoned in 1834

GPS: 32.205433, -116.905558

Access: Mex. #1, Km. 49, south of Tijuana, 1/2 mile east.

27) Guadalupe (1834-1840)

Full name: Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe

Founding date: July 25, 1834 Mission #27

Catholic Order: Dominican

Founded by: Padre Felix Caballero (after Mexico’s independence from Spain)

Condition: No remains. Footings added at site in 1998 to simulate mission.

Closing date: Abandoned in 1840.

GPS: 32.091944, -116.574250

Access: Mex. #3, Km. 77, south of Tecate, 1 mile south through town.

These are the mission sites on the peninsula of Baja California, first to last. In addition to the mission locations, are many visita sites. A visita was a satellite chapel of the head mission, located at other water sources and Native settlements. Some missions had several visitas attached to them. Some visitas became missions themselves. Photos at visitas are HERE

All my photographs at the mission sites, plus others, over multiple years: https://vivabaja.com/mission-albums/

To discuss or share about missions in Baja California: On Facebook ‘bajamissions’

Before the mission program began in 1697, the Jesuit Padre Eusebio Kino and a Spanish force made two attempts to colonize California, in 1683. Three months at La Paz and two years at San Bruno, where until recently the ruins were visible: https://vivabaja.com/san-bruno-1683-1685/

Finding El Camino Real, the mission road

To have the most complete and up-to-date history and details, order a copy of Baja California Land of Missions from Amazon Books: HERE (or from your local book dealer). Missions are listed in the book in the order they were founded, #1-#27.