TalkBaja.com » Baja Mexico Forums » Maps of Missions, Trails & El Camino Real

Website on the old missions in Baja California:

Sitios Misionales

Originally Posted by beachbum

Website on the old missions in Baja California:

Sitios Misionales

Great link. Thanks!

I can offer you a bit more, and on the entire peninsula: http://vivabaja.com/bajamissions Photos, both current and many historic.

The Baja missions web site is divided into four section... they are linked at the bottom of each last page. Here are the sections if you wish to jump to one:

The Jesuit Missions: http://vivabaja.com/missions1
The Franciscan and Dominican Missions: http://vivabaja.com/missions2
The Mission Visitas (satellite sub-missions): http://vivabaja.com/missions3
GPS and satellite views of all the mission sites: http://vivabaja.com/missions4

If you would like to see the newest (2013) book that puts all the California missions (Baja and Alta) in correct order with basic data on each one, photos, maps: http://oldmissions.com

I enjoy discussing the mission history, so feel free to ask or chat away!

Anyone know which mission in Baja California is closest to San Diego?

Originally Posted by Uzun

Anyone know which mission in Baja California is closest to San Diego?

Yes, it is on my web site (I posted the links above)...

Closest mission in Baja California to San Diego is El Descanso (near Cantamar)... however some historians only consider it a new location for San Miguel (at La Mision). After those two, would be Guadalupe (the final California mission)...

Get the book!: http://oldmissions.com ;)

I'll confirm that David's site and link is 100 times better and more complete than the one from the Baja California Secretary of Tourism.

If you want to know ANYTHING about those missions, he has the answer.

And, I do know a bit about them too.

Why go to Baja for a missions when the first mission in California is right there in San Diego?

Originally Posted by sargentodiaz

I'll confirm that David's site and link is 100 times better and more complete than the one from the Baja California Secretary of Tourism.

If you want to know ANYTHING about those missions, he has the answer.

And, I do know a bit about them too.

Why go to Baja for a missions when the first mission in California is right there in San Diego?

Hi Sargento,

Thank you for the kind words about my web site (and in my book too).

This gives me an opportunity to write about Old & New California History...

Since it came up, let me chat a bit on the San Diego mission as it was... and may not actually really be the 'first' California mission, according to history... The 'rest of the story' is...

*San Diego de Alcala was founded on July 16, 1769 and was the 19th mission founded in the land known as 'California'. 72 years of mission activity existed before it. The San Diego mission was also moved about 5 miles east to the final location, in 1774.

*San Diego de Alcala was the second mission founded by the Franciscan Order and by Fr. Junipero Serra. The first was 'San Fernando', at Velicata, on May 14, 1769.

*Until 1767, there was no 'Baja California'. Once the desire for Spain to occupy the land north of the peninsula was made, this new land was referred as 'Nueva' (New) California and then later as 'Alta' (Upper) California to clarify the region of California which was the land from Cabo San Lucas north to Oregon and east to Colorado. The peninsula, that was California first, would become known as 'Antigua' (Old) California and later as 'Baja' (Lower) California.

*The political separation of California into two districts (Baja California and Alta California) did not occur until March 26, 1804, nearly 35 years after San Diego de Alcala was founded. Until then there was politically just one California.

*The Americans took control of most of California in 1846, long after the mission at San Diego ceased to function as a mission. The 1848 treaty returned the peninsula to Mexico and the rest of California became part of the U.S.

In this new American land of (Alta) California, San Diego de Alcala was the oldest mission of those founded north of the line drawn in 1848... many years after the missions ceased to function.

Thanks for the discussion opportunity!