Spanish Missions

Plaza in Loreto

Post: We had been sailing through the islands of the Sea of Cortez for almost a month when we arrived at Puerto Escondido (“Hidden Harbor”) located fourteen miles south of Loreto, Mexico. It was time to get off our twenty-four foot sailboat “Little Lara” and do a different kind of traveling—by car. Up until now we had seen only the coastline of Baja California. Now we wanted to see what the interior of this peninsula looked like. So we rented a car and started our inland journey traveling at sixty miles per hour verses our typical 4-5 mile per hour. As we drove we noticed that every town or city we visited, like most Mexican towns, had a central plaza and a Catholic church. We were interested to learn of the historic and cultural contributions these old missions played in developing the area.

Mision Nuestra Senora de Loreto

The first mission in the Californias was founded by Juan Maria Salvatierra in the city of Loreto in 1697. As the area grew in population it served as the base for California’s exploration and the expansion of the Catholic mission system throughout the Baja and western United States region. Thus, Mision Nuestra Senora de Loreto is known as the “Mother and Head of the California Missions” and was the capital of all Spanish California. We were told that at one time even the early Mormon settlers had to travel here to record official government documents (i.e. marriages, births, deaths, etc.). The still functioning church sits in the center of the plaza surrounded by small shops selling souvenirs, clothes and food.

Mision San Francisco Xavier

Twenty-two miles southwest of Loreto is a small village of thatched-roofed, adobe houses named San Javier. Just getting to the village was an adventure in itself. We were told that the road was good - “all paved”. What they forgot to mention was the washed out portion up the steep winding canyon. We could tell the rushing waters from the last hurricane took out the road and was powerful enough to roll car sized boulders down the canyon. In a half dozen other places we had to ford rivers crossing over the “paved road”, and skirt goats wandering down the center of the road. But our little rental car made it to San Javier in one piece. We were entranced with the cobble stone streets and the clean orderly town. Here is located the best preserved Jesuit Mission we found: Mision San Francisco Xavier de Vigge-Biaundo. In 1701 Juan de Ugarte arrived in the area after traveling from Mexico City. The entire building, from foundation to vaulted ceiling was constructed using stone quarried from nearby Arroyo de Santio Domingo. No two side windows are identical. The two bells in the church tower are dated 1761 and 1830, respectively. The altars within were brought here from Mexico City by boat and burro in the mid 18^th century. In the center alter stands a statue of San Javier.

Mision Santa Rosalia de Mulege

In 1770 the Mision Santa Rosalia de Mulege was constructed inthe town of Mulege after the original building was destroyed in a flood. Constructed of native river stone the building stands on the bluffs over looking the town and the palm treed lined Rio Santa Rosalia. What we found striking in this church was the unusual statue of the “Resurrected Christ” ascending to heaven. The town of Mulege is bisected by a river (one of the few flowing rivers we have seen in Baja) which flooded the town in the recent hurricane and the damage is still very apparent.

Mulege's “Resurrected Christ” statue

Iglesia Santa Barbara de Santa Rosalia

A novelty in the Baja is Iglesia Santa Barbara de Santa Rosalia. Though not an old building compared to the missions noted above, it is unusual because it is a prefabricated, steel walled church designed by French architect Alexandre Gustave Effiel in 1884. Effiel is best know for designing the locks of the Panama Canal, the Statue of Liberty, and Paris' Effiel Tower. Originally the church was built in 1887 and exhibited in Paris at the 1889 World Exposition. Effiel took first place for the building's modular design. It was purchased in 1897 by Compania El Boleo, a French copper mining company and shipped to Santa Rosalia then reassembled so the mine workers living in the area would have a place to worship. While we were visiting the plaza we met a group of teenage girls practicing their drill routine for a marching competition. They were very interested in practicing their English with some willing Americans. One 12 year old spoke quite well because she visits her cousins in the San Francisco Bay area every summer. Her English was much better than our Spanish! We also made sure we visited the French Bakery that was originally established in the 1800s!

As always, every village, town or city we visited in Baja California the people were friendly and extremely helpful. It was delightful to get to know them and visit a part of the peninsula we normally would not see on a sailboat. We hope all is well with you and want you to know how much we appreciate our family and friends, whom we miss very much. Be safe and fair winds wherever your travels may take you.

Plaza in San Javier