If you are visiting San Antonio (or maybe as the reason to visit San Antonio), the missions are a fantastic way to dig into Texas history and I’d definitely recommend adding them to your itinerary.
The UNESCO site encompasses a group of five frontier mission complexes situated along a stretch of the San Antonio River and are an example of the blending of Spanish and Coahuiltecan cultures. All of the missions, except the Alamo, are also part of the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park that was established in 1978.
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You can start with the famous Alamo and work your way to each mission heading out of town, or start at the Mission San José with the visitors centre to kick off your learning, or as we decided to do (both times)- start at Mission Espada, which is the furthest one out and then make your way back towards the Alamo. This will leave you smack dab in the middle of town for dinner on the River Walk.
If you’re feeling really energetic you could opt to bike or hike the Mission Reach trail which is a well-marked path along the river with picnic areas, pedestrian bridges and pavilions. I just wouldn’t recommend that option if you’re visiting in the summer unless you can handle the heat!
Whichever way you decide to explore them I’d highly recommend the IMAX movie about the Battle of the Alamo to learn about its history and enhance your visit.
And now a little taste of the missions along the trail…
MISSION SAN FRANCISCO DE LA ESPADA
The southernmost of the four missions in the San Antonio National Historical Park, the Mission Espada has kind of a cosy feel to it that makes it a great mission to ease into your day of exploring.
It was established in 1731 and included the priest’s residence, a church, blacksmith’s shop, kiln, and other workrooms with spinning wheels and looms. Unfortunately, much of it was destroyed by fire in 1826 and only the chapel, granary, and a couple of the walls remain. But oh how lovely the little church is.
What sets this mission apart from the others is it has the best-preserved segment of acequia (an irrigation system) that was used to bring water into the fields. Today it operates the Espada aqueduct and dam and is worth the short drive away from the mission itself to see it. The route from the mission is marked to help find it and there is a parking area at the site so you can get out and wander around.
MISSION SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO
Established in 1731 with a church and priest’s quarters, and later a granary completed in 1756, today the chapel and bell are still in use at Mission Capistrano. There is another church on the site but that was only partly constructed when it was abandoned in 1786 when the population declined.
In its day it was a self-sustainable community that was surrounded by such fertile farmlands that the mission had excess and shared with its neighbours. Today it sits quietly near the river giving visitors a serene place to explore the church and other buildings or take the self-guided nature trail that leads to the river.
For a neat photo opportunity, there are some openings in the stone walls opposite the church which work well to frame your photos.
MISSION SAN JOSÉ Y SAN MIGUEL DE AGUAYO
Hands down Mission San José is my favourite of all the missions partly because there are so many beautiful images to capture in photos. The Spanish designers used Texas limestone and brightly coloured stucco that they incorporated with elements such as flying buttresses, quatrefoil patterns and the wonderful “Rose Window“. It is really a feast for your camera out walking around the grounds with great angles and features that work as instant frames for your photos. Oh, those stone arches and foliage!
Considered the “Queen of the Missions” it is the largest and was established in 1720 and took over 60 years to complete. It provided a sanctuary and a cultural community for about 300 people and was surrounded by fields and herds of livestock. Its gristmill and granary have been preserved so there is lots to explore at this mission.
This mission is also home to the Visitor’s Center for all the missions in the Mission National Park and includes a museum, short film about life on the missions and a gift shop. Definitely give yourself at least an hour for this stop on the Mission Trail.
MISSION NUESTRA SEÑORA DE LA PURISIMA CONCEPCIÓN DE ACUÑA
If you happen to be in San Antonio on a Sunday don’t hesitate to visit the missions thinking they’ll be closed due to church services. Oh no, they’ll be open and they will welcome you in! We happened upon this mission during their service and the gentleman at the door must have sensed my hesitancy to go in during their service because he welcomed us in even though I told him we weren’t staying for the service and had just wanted to see inside. It’s no problem at all he told us so we stepped inside and stood quietly at the back for a few moments to take in the beautiful interior and listen to the congregation as they sang.
When visiting you’ll be pleased to discover the Mission Concepción looks much like it did back in 1755 because in 2010 it was renovated to bring back the rich colours inside. The exterior originally had geometric designs but those have faded, leaving behind the beautiful stone.
READ MORE: The Day Tripper visits the four missions in the National Park in this quick five-minute video.
MISSION SAN ANTONIO DE VALERO (THE ALAMO)
Definitely the best known of the missions in San Antonio, and perhaps even the only one known by most people (myself included until I dug a little deeper into things to do in and around San Antonio), the Alamo is right in the heart of the city. On my first visit, I actually found this quite surprising because I had seen many photos of it and assumed it must be out of town as I didn’t see any other buildings and such around it. Boy was I wrong. It’s not out in the middle of the desert with tumbleweeds blowing around it at all!
Founded in 1718 as the first mission in San Antonio it served as a way station between East Texas and Mexico, but it is definitely better known for its use many decades after the mission closed when it was the scene of a battle in the Texas Revolution in 1836. For 13 days about 200 Texas defenders held the Alamo from over 1000 of General Santa Anna’s troops from Mexico but they ultimately lost and many of the names you might have heard (especially if you visit Texas) – William Travis, Jim Bowie, and Davy Crockett- were among those that died in the Battle of the Alamo.
Today the Alamo is free to visit to learn about this important part of Texas history. On a visit, there may be reenactments in the courtyard like on one of our visits, which are very interesting to stop and watch and ask people more about the history and the role they are playing. You can also pay for additional services like audio guides and battlefield tours.
When visiting do give yourself an hour or two, partly because there is likely to be a queue to get in. Everyone is guided to enter through the main church doors and once inside people tend to follow a path in one direction in the relatively small space. There isn’t a lot to see in that building so you won’t take long and then you’ll follow the people out into the courtyard where you can wander where ever you want from there.
The vegetation in the courtyard is wonderful, so very Texas, and photogenic to boot! There are also barracks to explore, and of course a gift shop if you fancy stopping for a very Southern treat- pecan pralines (well worth the almost instant toothache because they are so sweet), or books and such about the history of the Alamo, San Antonio, and Texas.
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RESOURCES | PLAN YOUR TRIP TO TEXAS
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If you’d like to learn more about these, and other UNESCO World Heritage Sites around the world, two great resources I’ve found are:
- World Heritage Sites of Great Britain and Ireland: An Illustrated Guide to all 27 World Heritage Sites (there are actually more than 27 sites now but this is still a great book)
- World Heritage Sites: A Complete Guide to 1,073 UNESCO World Heritage Sites
These are a few tours we would recommend when visiting San Antonio, Texas.
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