The first two mission sites, listed below, are considered extensions of Mission San Miguel, by some historians. They were founded after the Spanish period had ended.
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
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
Almost half of the missions relocated during their operational years. Usually for a better supply of water, farmlands, or for the Native population. Ruins remain today at some of these other locations. Missions often were called by the location name after a move. The idea of one mission with two names (and two locations) was confusing to some.
San Miguel (1787-1834):
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
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
Santo Tomás (1791-1849)
Santo Tomás de Aquino
April 24, 1791 (moved 1 mile east in 1794 and 3 more miles east in 1799) Mission #23
Dominican
Padre José Loriénte
Adobe ruins at final site, nearly vanished.
Abandoned in 1849 (was the last California mission to be operating)
31.558333, -116.413583
San Vicente (1780-1829)
San Vicente Ferrer
August 27, 1780 Mission #21
Dominican
Padre Miguel Hidalgo, Padre Joaquín Valero
Adobe ruins, stabilized in a park setting.
Closed in 1829.
31.329972, -116.259167
San Pedro Mártir (1794-1811)
San Pedro Mártir de Verona
April 27, 1794 (relocated 7 miles south after just 3 months) Mission #24
Dominican
Padre Caietano Pallás, Padre Pablo Grijálva, Padre José Loriénte
Stone footings at first site. Stone walls at second site.
Abandoned in 1811
30.790069, -115.472458
Santo Domingo (1775-1822)
Santo Domingo
August 30, 1775 (relocated 2.5 miles east in 1798) Mission #20
Dominican
Padre Miguel Hidalgo, Padre Manuel Garcia
Adobe ruins at second site.
Closed in 1822
30.770889, -115.937222
El Rosario (1774-1822, two sites)
Nuestra Señora del Rosario de Viñadaco
July 24, 1774 (relocated 2 miles west in 1802) Mission #19
Dominican
Padre Francisco Galistéo
Adobe ruins at both sites
Closed in 1822
30.066944, -115.718889 (first site), 30.041389, -115.739111 (second site)
San Fernando (1769-1822)
San Fernando de Velicatá
May 14, 1769 Mission #18
Franciscan
Padre Junípero Serra
Adobe ruins remaining date to the 1790s
Closed in 1822
29.971109, -115.236434
Santa María de los Angeles (1766-1775, two sites)
Nuestra Señora de Columna/ Santa María de los Angeles
October 16, 1766 (relocated 30 miles northwest and renamed on May 26, 1767) Mission #17
Jesuit
Padre Victoriano Arnés, Padre Juan Diez
Adobe outlines at 1766 site. Adobe buildings at second site, from 1768-1769.
Abandoned in 1774 or 1775.
29.421194, -114.195100 (first site/ Calamajué), 29.731742, -114.547379 (second site)
San Borja (1762-1818)
San Francisco de Borja Adac
September 1, 1762 Mission #16
Jesuit
Padre Wenceslaus Linck
Adobe ruins from 1759-1773. Stone church from 1801.
Closed in 1818
28.744547, -113.753997
Santa Gertrudis (1752-1822)
Santa Gertrudis
July 15, 1752 Mission #15
Jesuit
Padre Georg Retz
Stone church construction completed in 1796
Closed in 1822
28.051117, -113.085325
San Ignacio (1728-1840)
San Ignacio de Kadakaamán
January 20, 1728 Mission #11
Jesuit
Padre Juan Luyando
Stone church construction from 1761 to 1767 and again from 1779 to 1786.
Closed in 1840.
27.283939, -112.898922
Guadalupe de Huasinapí (1720-1795)
Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe de Huasinapí
December 12, 1720 Mission #8
Jesuit
Padre Everarado Helen
Ruins from the 1750s.
Closed in 1795.
26.918423, -112.406086
Santa Rosalía de Mulegé (1705-1828)
Santa Rosalía de Mulegé
November 1705 Mission#4
Jesuit
Padre Juan Basaldúa
Stone church constructed 1757 to 1766.
Closed in 1828.
26.885339, -111.985979
La Purísima (1720-1826)
La Purísima Concepción de Cadegomó
January 1, 1720 Mission #6
Jesuit
Padre Nicolás Tamaral
No church ruins, two crypts remain to mark the mission.
Closed in 1826.
26.190444, -112.072944
San José de Comondú (1708-1827, two sites)
San José de Comondú
1708 (relocated 22 miles south in 1736) Mission #5
Jesuit
Padre Julián de Mayorga
Stone church constructed 1754 to 1760, demolished in 1936. A side chapel was preserved.
Closed in 1827.
26.274278, -111.719028 (first site), 26.059726, -111.822168 (final site)
Loreto (1697-1829)
Nuestra Señora de Loreto Conchó
October 25, 1697 Mission #1 of 27
Jesuit
Padre Juan María de Salvatierra
Stone church constructed from 1740 to about 1750. New roof and bell tower added in 1955.
Closed in 1829.
26.010278, -111.343278
San Javier (1699-1817)
San Francisco Javier de Biaundo
November 1, 1699 (relocated 5 miles south circa 1710-1720) Mission #2
Jesuit
Padre Francisco Pícolo
Stone church constructed from 1744 to 1758.
Closed in 1817.
25.860727, -111.543585
Ligüí (1705-1721)
San Juan Bautista de Ligüí (de Malibat)
November 1705 Mission #3
Jesuit
Padre Pedro de Ugarte
No ruins
Abandoned in 1721.
25.739500, -111.264167
Los Dolores (1721-1768, three sites)
Nuestra Señora de los Dolores
August 2, 1721 (relocated 15 miles southwest in 1741 to La Pasión) Mission #9
Jesuit
Padre Clemente Guillén
Ruins at two sites, with only rubble and foundation stones at final site.
Closed in 1768 by the Spanish government.
25.055543, -110.884425 (second site, Apaté), 24.887709, -111.031002 (final site, Chillá)
San Luis Gonzaga (1737-1768)
San Luis Gonzaga Chiriyaqui
July 14, 1737 Mission #14
Jesuit
Padre Lambert Hostell
Stone church constructed from 1753 to 1758
Closed on August 20, 1768 by the Spanish government.
24.908056, -111.290903
Pilar de la Paz (1720-1840, three sites)
Nuestra Señora del Pilar de la Paz
November 3, 1720 (relocated 50 miles south to Todos Santos in 1748, then 1 mile south in 1825) Mission #7
Jesuit
Padre Jaime Bravo, Padre Juan de Ugarte
No ruins remain at La Paz or the second site. Reconstructed, enlarged church at the third site.
Closed in 1840.
24.160000, -110.316500 (first site plaque, 1720), 23.460316, -110.219140 (second site, 1748),
23.449767, -110.225450 (final site, 1825)
Santa Rosa (1733-1748)
Santa Rosa de las Palmas
August 1733 Mission #13
Jesuit
Padre Sigusmundo Taraval
No ruins remain. Modern church and playground on the site, along Highway 19.
Mission Santa Rosa was terminated in 1748 when the older mission at La Paz relocated to here.
23.460316, -110.219140
Santiago el Apóstol (1724-1795)
Santiago el Apóstol Aiñiní
1724 (relocated 2 miles south in 1736) Mission #10
Jesuit
Padre Ignacio Nápoli
Modern church on second site.
Closed in 1795.
23.475694, -109.717333
San José del Cabo (1730-1748 & 1768-1840)
San José del Cabo Añuití
April 8, 1730 (relocated 3 times) Mission #12
Jesuit
Padre Nicolás Tamaral, Padre José de Echeverría
Modern church on final site.
Closed from 1748 to 1768 and finally in 1840.
23.062139, -109.695639
Those are the mission sites on the peninsula of Baja California, north to south. 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 on the next page…
My photographs at the mission sites (more to come):
- Mission San Fernando in photos: https://vivabaja.com/san-fernando/
- Mission Santa María in photos: https://vivabaja.com/santa-maria/
- Mission San Borja in photos: https://vivabaja.com/san-borja/
- Mission Santa Gertrudis in photos: https://vivabaja.com/santa-gertrudis/
To learn and see more about the missions and visitas: https://vivabaja.com/missions1/
To have the most complete and up-to-date history and details, order a copy of Baja California Land of Missions at www.oldmissions.com (or from your local book dealer or Amazon.com). Missions are listed in the book in the order they were founded, #1-#27.
