San Antonio Missions Walk, UNESCO World Heritage Site

We will spend two days walking the San Antonio MIssions Trail, starting from Espada in the south and working our way north to The Alamo. This will be light casual walking and taking our time visiting the missions.
We will work on getting hotels and logistics defined in the coming weeks. (We are doing this for fun - we are not tour guides or do we accept personal responsibility for anyone's person or belongings - we are just a group of friends getting together to explore and learn.)

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https://www.nps.gov/saan/learn/historyculture/world-heritage-site.htm
All five missions in San Antonio, Texas, including Mission Valero (the Alamo) are a single UNESCO World Heritage Site, the San Antonio Missions World Heritage Site. Four of the five (Mission Concepción, Mission San José, Mission San Juan, and Mission Espada) comprise San Antonio Missions National Historical Park. Together they are the most complete and intact group of Spanish Colonial mission complexes in the world. Through these mission communities, the Spanish asserted political, religious, and cultural influence on its newly claimed territories. With labor recruited from Indigenous South Texans, the Spanish built these five missions on the northern frontier of New Spain. You can take the short drive between missions or walk or bike along the paved Mission Reach Hike and Bike Trail that connects these sites. All four missions within the park are active parishes and part of the San Antonio Archdiocese under the name of Las Misiones.

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https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1466
The site encompasses a group of five frontier mission complexes situated along a stretch of the San Antonio River basin in southern Texas, as well as a ranch located 37 kilometres to the south. It includes architectural and archaeological structures, farmlands, residencies, churches and granaries, as well as water distribution systems. The complexes were built by Franciscan missionaries in the 18th century and illustrate the Spanish Crown’s efforts to colonize, evangelize and defend the northern frontier of New Spain. The San Antonio Missions are also an example of the interweaving of Spanish and Coahuiltecan cultures, illustrated by a variety of features, including the decorative elements of churches, which combine Catholic symbols with indigenous designs inspired by nature.
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https://www.sanantonio.gov/Mission-Trails/Mission-Trails-Historic-Sites/Missions

## San Antonio Missions

The Mission Trails hike and bike trail includes San Antonio’s five Spanish colonial missions. Beginning at the northern end of the trail with Mission San Antonio de Valero (the Alamo), the route encompasses the other four missions of Concepcion, San Jose, San Juan, and Espada. Features found along the route that were associated with life at the Missions include dams, acequias and other irrigation resources, agricultural fields or labores, and the aqueduct at Mission Espada.


## Acequias

One of the most significant accomplishments of the Spanish Colonial residents of San Antonio was their construction of a complex and expansive irrigation system comprising dams, gates, and...


## Mission Concepción (Mission Nuestra Senora de la Purisima Concepcion de Acuna)

Mission Nuestra Señora de la Purísma Concepción de Acuña (Mission Concepción) is located approximately three miles south of downtown San Antonio. The mission was...


## Mission Espada (Mission San Francisco de la Espada)

Mission San Francisco de la Espada was established in San Antonio in 1731. Like two of the area’s other Spanish Colonial-era missions, it was relocated from East Texas, where it had...


## Mission San Antonio de Valero (The Alamo)

Mission San Antonio de Valero was founded in 1718 by Fray Antonio de Olivares. Olivares arrived in the San Antonio area in that year with Native American converts from Mission San Francisco Solano...


## Mission San Francisco Xavier de Najera Centennial Marker

The Mission San Francisco Xavier de Najera Centennial Marker is located along Mission Road, adjacent to the Riverside Golf Course. The Texas Centennial was a year-long, state-wide celebration of...


## Mission San José (Mission San Jose y San Miguel de Aguayo)

Mission San José y San Miguel de Aguayo was founded by Father Antonio Margil de Jesus in 1720. Approval for its construction was granted in order to serve several Native American groups who...


## Mission San Juan (Mission San Juan Capistrano)

The history of Mission San Juan Capistrano is similar to that of two other nearby missions in that it was relocated to the San Antonio area from East Texas in 1731. Its purpose was also similar to...


## San Antonio Missions National Historical Park

The San Antonio Missions National Historical Park was established in 1978 by the United States Congress. The Park includes four of San Antonio’s Spanish Colonial-era Missions as well as associated...

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https://thesanantoniothings.com/guide-to-san-antonio-missions/

San Antonio is, by far, one of the best cities to visit in the US as it offers the traveler’s trifecta of unique culture, delicious food, and a comprehensive list of things to do and see. Chief among this list, is the San Antonio Missions National Park. As the only UNESCO world heritage site in Texas and a significant part of Texas history, the missions are an absolute must-do for any visitor to San Antonio.

## History of the San Antonio Missions

While the history of the Alamo - where famed frontiersmen like Jim Bowie and Davy Crockett perished in defense of the outpost - is known the world over (thanks for that, John Wayne), the history of the other missions is not nearly as familiar.
The other four missions – Espada, San Juan, San Jose, and Concepcion – share a common story. Each was settled in the early 1700s by Franciscan Spanish missionaries looking to convert the Coahuiltecan native tribes that lived throughout south Texas to Christianity. These missions were responsible for not only spreading Catholicism, but propagating the skills required for survival such as farming, ranching, and masonry.
For years, these missions rose beyond the settlement of churches to become thriving communities of native Americans working and living together. But sadly, each of these missions also share a common tale of demise. Famine, disease, and enemy tribes ultimately spelled disaster for the missions, and each was secularized and ceased operations by 1824.
At the heart of each mission was its church, and these churches draw visitors year-round to learn about the 300+ year history of San Antonio. Today, each church is still used for regular religious services, some by congregants who can trace their ancestry back to the formation of the missions.
Each mission sits along the banks of the San Antonio river and can be accessed from the river Mission Trail that runs along the River Walk.
This trail is approximately 10 miles long and winds its way from the Alamo, south to Mission Espada. Those who choose to have a go at this trail will not only get to see the missions but will enjoy the views of the picturesque San Antonio river as well as the local plant and wildlife.

## 1. Mission Espada

Mission Espada, the southernmost mission, was established in 1731 and is the smallest of the historical missions.
Located in a rural neighborhood, Espada’s characteristic Spanish features – including the intricate arched church doorway, the belltower, the Espada aqueduct, dam, and acequia (an irrigation system that is the oldest in the United States) – lend themselves to a particularly peaceful feel as you stroll around the grounds of the enclosed mission.
Head into the museum to see relics from the life of the mission such as an operational loom, farm tools, and a variety of boot spurs.

## 2. Mission San Juan

Mission San Juan Capistrano, also established in 1731, lies just 5 minutes up the road from Espada. San Juan got its start in East Texas in 1716 with a mission to serve the Nazonis Native Americans. The mission, which was largely unsuccessful, saw everything contained within it that could be moved, decamped to the banks of the San Antonio river where it stands today.
Mission San Juan is unique among the missions for its clean, white stone church building, which was constructed in the 1750s, as well as for its greatest contribution, the development of agriculture and farming. Visitors to Mission San Juan can still see the original farm fields that were worked in the 1700s.
Bonus Info: If you’re heading to Mission San Juan and are up for some light hiking, don’t miss the Yanaguana Nature Trail.
This paved and ADA-accessible trail is a short 1/3 mile and takes guests through lush greenery along a channel of the San Antonio river where it’s not uncommon to run across local wildlife including owls, turtles, snakes, and herons.

## 3. Mission San José

Just three miles up the road from San Juan lies the largest and most commanding of the missions, Mission San Jose. San Jose was the first mission in SA, established in 1720, and given its imposing size (at its peak, the mission housed 350 native people in 84 two-room apartments), was dubbed in 1777 as the “Queen of the missions.”
And queen it certainly is. The absolute must-see at San Jose is the limestone church, crafted in Spanish baroque architectural style. The surviving stone detail on the façade of the church is unmatched among the missions and definitely worth laying eyes on.
Today, San Jose has been almost fully restored to its original layout which means that there is much to explore as guests wander the grounds and learn about the community that once lived here.
Protip 1: Mission San Jose is the only mission (besides the Alamo) where guests can take a live guided tour by a National Park Ranger.
These free tours are packed with information and history and provide great context for what you will see as you visit San Jose. Daily tours begin at the visitor center and are offered at 10am, 11am, and 2:30pm and last for approximately 45 minutes. All tours are ADA and wheelchair accessible.
Protip 2: Mission San Jose is not only the biggest of the missions but also happens to be the busiest, second only to the Alamo. San Jose is a common stop for many local school fieldtrips, so if noisy, bustling students might detract from your experience of the historical site, simply plan to go on a Saturday or Sunday.

## 4. Mission Concepción

Mission Concepcion, also established in 1731, is about three miles north of San Jose and located smack dab in the middle of an urban, residential neighborhood just south of downtown San Antonio.
Concepcion boasts the oldest, unrestored, stone church in America. Extensive preservation work on the mission has uncovered a treasure trove of color from the original frescos that were painted in the 1700s and faint hues can still be seen today throughout the surviving structures.

## 5. The Alamo

Mission San Antonio de Valero, better known by the popular moniker “the Alamo,” stands right in the middle of San Antonio’s buzzing downtown area, right next to the San Antonio River Walk. The mission dropped anchor in SA in 1724 and operated until 1793 when it became a Spanish military outpost.
The iconic church façade and a few small structures (the long barrack and Convento courtyard) are all that remain today from the original compound.
Guests can tour these structures and learn about the Texas Revolution and the 13-day siege of the Alamo in 1836 by famed Mexican general Santa Anna.
Visits to the Alamo are free of charge but do require a timed entry. To reserve your tickets, click here.