bajamissions

The Spanish missions and visitas of Baja California

Mission to the Baja Missions:

The missions and visitas (mission visiting chapels) found throughout the Baja peninsula have endured up to 300 and more years in varying states of decay and reconstruction. The quest of Jack Swords, Kevin Clough, Robert Jackson, and David Kier has been to photograph and GPS locate each mission structure as it now stands at the beginning of the 21st century. Each photo and GPS coordinate (WGS 84) from Jack Swords, are copyrighted. Dr. Robert Jackson has contributed photos taken over the past 100 years. Also see Dr. Jackson's photos and history at http://www.timsbaja.com/rjackson.html .

BAJA MISSIONS & VISITAS CONTENTS:::::::::::::::::

Loreto de Concho (1697-1822)


Completed in 1752, in the first permanent settlement in California.
This was the head and mother of all the missions in California (Baja and Alta).
N 26°00.61' W111.20.60' c Jack Swords

San Bruno (1683-1685) The First Jesuit Colony


Photo by Edward Vernon


Before Loreto, the first attempt by the Jesuits was at San Bruno 15 miles to the north.
N26°13.55' W111°23.56'. GPS & Photo by Kevin Clough on 12-97.

San Francisco Javier de Vigge-Biaundo (1699-1817)


Moved to this site from it's first location at Rancho Viejo, in 1720.
Construction begn in 1744, and completed in 1758.
This is the most well preserved Jesuit mission on the peninsula. N 25°51.73' W111°32.65' c Jack Swords

San Javier, east side view.


copyright (c) photography by Jack Swords

San Juan Bautista de Ligui / Malibat (1705-1721)


Located south of Loreto, at N25°44.37' W111°15.85'
by the intersection of roads to Playa Ligui and Ensenada Blanca.
Only floor tiles and some foundation remains visible in this 1975 photo by Robert Jackson.
Hurricane Juliette, in 2001, enlarged the arroyo and destroyed the foundation.
A chunk of which was in the arroyo. The tree remains on the arroyo's edge.


Ligui in December, 2001 following Hurricane Juliette's flash flood.
Just some foundation rubble laying in the enlarged arroyo.
Photo by David K

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