San Javier Mission and Loreto
Today we had a cultural experience that took us from the shoreline of the Gulf of California, all the way up into the heart of the Sierra de la Giganta. San Javier Mission was our first destination for the morning. Established by missionaries in the proximity of a natural oasis, this is the best-preserved mission of all the upper and lower Californias. Not only is it in great condition, but it is fascinating to see that the agricultural practices, which were first established by the missionaries more than 300 years ago, are still in existence. Date palms, grape vines, horses, cows and goats, all of them descendants from the first ones, brought here from Sinaloa by Father Juan María de Salvatierra in 1698. The Jesuits were able to prove their efficiency in colonizing one of the most inhospitable territories, the Baja California Peninsula. They established 18 missions and were the first outsiders to survive and conquer the natural forces of the remote peninsula.
A sui generis cultural identity was born from the men and women who decided to stay in Baja California after the natives and missionaries were gone. Having the possibility to migrate elsewhere, where conditions were less rigorous, this new wave of Californios are now the “rancheros,” and today we spent the morning in their realm. We discovered a small factory of traditional “Chollero” beds, which are made with palm wood and rawhide from the ancestral “chinampo” cattle.
Being a natural oasis, a number of birds are attracted to the greenery surrounded by interminable desert. Avid bird watchers had the opportunity to see the endemic Xanthus’s hummingbird, a few verdins and a rock wren, among others.
Loreto was our destination for the afternoon. Here we visited another mission. Nuestra Senora de Loreto is the head and mother of all the missions of the higher and lower Californias. The mission was established by Juan Maria de Salvatierra in 1697. It became the first mission and Loreto became the secular and religious capital of the Californias, until 1829, when a hurricane forced it to move to La Paz.
Today Loreto is a quiet town, where people can walk through picturesque streets and visit craft stores. We also visited a museum, which is part of the mission, and visiting it, we traveled back in time to the days of the religious conquest of the Californias.
