Missions

Religious missions started settling in Baja California Sur since 1697 with the objective of evangelizing the peninsula´s inhabitants. Juan María de Salvatierra, a Jesuit priest, was the founder of the first mission in Baja California named Nuestra Señora de Loreto. Along Ruta 1 it is possible to visit the following missions that still preserve its original structure, either totally or partially.

San Ignacio Mission (1728 - 1840) is located in the Mulege municipality at an oasis in the middle of the desert.  This mission is one of the best-preserved missions thanks to the volcanic stones it was built with.  Inside the mission visitors can still appreciate the wooden carved altar with golden sheets, as well as the statue of San Ignacio de Loyola, which is considered a jewel of XVIII century religious art.  The Santa Rosalía de Mulegé Mission (1705 - 1828) has been restored in different periods of time and still conserves its original exterior architectonic elements but no longer its interior ones.

From 1972-1973 the National Anthropology and History Institute worked on the restoration of San José Comondú Mission (1708 -1827) especially on the dome or barrel vault and the walls. In the Comondu municipality it is possible to visit also the San Luis Gonzaga Chiriyaqui Mission (1740-1768).

Nuestra Señora de Loreto Conchó Mission (1697- 1829) is located in the Loreto municipality and as mentioned before, it was the first mission founded Baja California. Two years after its construction, as the evangelization moved on, it was possible to build a temple made of stone, however during the 1877 earthquake, the structure was damaged.  Nevertheless today the mission stands strong and is home of the Museum of the Missions.

Nuestra Señora de La Paz Airapí Mission (1720-1861) was founded in 1720 but due to the indigenous population hostility and lack of water, the missionaries moved to the village today known as Todos Santos.   The construction of the temple in La Paz started in 1861 and it is known as Nuestra Señora de La Paz Cathedral, seed of La Paz dioceses.

Santiago de los Coras Aiñiní Mission (1721-1725) took its name from the Coras, the indigenous people that lived in this region.  The mission has gone through several restoration efforts since several natural phenomena have damaged the building.  The San José del Cabo Mission (1730-1840), was the most southern Jesuit mission and as of today locals still celebrate its foundation as well as its patron saint.  Both of these missions are located in Los Cabos municipality.