BAJA CALIFORNIA

Named in Spanish literature as a mystical land reined by its sovereign Calafia, Baja California is a treasure waiting to be explored. Once discovered, Baja California resisted European colonization for one hundred and fifty years, until the arrival of the sword and the cross with the establishment of the first missions and presidios.

Discover the pre-Hispanic and colonial past of the peninsula reflected in the sites of the Route of the Missions. Visit the main missionary sites, cave paintings, and local museums and discover the complex cultural heritage of Baja California.

Camino Real Misionero / Royal Missionary Path

From the late 17 th century through the 19 th century, the Jesuit, Franciscan and Dominican friars founded a number of missions in California. The missions were part of the many institutions that the Spanish crown used to colonize the border territories of Nueva España and further consolidate its dominion.

The Camino Real Misionero de las Californias, was a footpath connecting all the missions from the peninsula to the north. The route included religious establishments and rancherías, but native communities dedicated to hunting, harvesting and fishing did not always gratefully accept the message of the European missionaries.