San Antonio Missions National Historic Park

The Alamo was just the first of five missions established by the Franciscans along the San Antonio River to Christianize the native population. The four other missions, which now fall under the aegis of the National Park Service, are still active parishes, run in cooperation with the Archdiocese of San Antonio. But the missions were more than churches: They were whole communities. The Park Service has assigned each mission an interpretive theme to educate visitors about the roles they played in early San Antonio society. You can visit them separately, but if you have the time, see them all; they were built uncharacteristically close together and -- now that you don't have to walk there or ride a horse -- it shouldn't take you more than 2 or 3 hours to see them.

The easiest way to see them is to drive. The missions are about 3 miles apart from each other. Each has an information office with free maps and can give you driving instructions to the next mission. New signs make touring the missions easier. If you ever get turned around, remember that all the missions are built along the river. The main information office is at Mission San José. The other option for touring the missions is a 12-mile hike-and-bike trail that for the most part follows the river as it passes close by each mission. If you want to try biking it, see later in this chapter for bike rentals.

The first of the missions you'll come to as you head south, Concepción, 807 Mission Rd., at Felisa, was built in 1731. The oldest unrestored Texas mission, Concepción looks much as it did 200 years ago. We tend to think of these old missions as somber and austere places, but traces of color on the facade and restored wall paintings inside show how cheerful this one originally was.

San José, 6701 San José Dr., at Mission Road, established in 1720, was the largest, best known, and most beautiful of the Texas missions. It was reconstructed to give visitors a complete picture of life in a mission community -- right down to the granary, mill, and Indian quarters. The beautiful rose window is a big attraction, and popular mariachi Masses are held here every Sunday at noon (come early if you want a seat). This is also the site of the missions' excellent visitor center. If you're going to visit only one of the missions, this is it.

Moved from an earlier site in east Texas to its present location in 1731, San Juan Capistrano, 9101 Graf, at Ashley, doesn't have the grandeur of the missions to the north -- the larger church intended for it was never completed -- but the original simple chapel and the wilder setting give it a peaceful air. A short (.3-mile) interpretive trail, with a number of overlook platforms, winds through the woods to the banks of the old river channel.

The southernmost mission in the San Antonio chain, San Francisco de la Espada, 10040 Espada Rd., also has an ancient, isolated feel, although the beautifully maintained church shows just how vital it still is to the local community. Be sure to visit the Espada Aqueduct, part of the mission's original acequia (irrigation ditch) system, about 1 mile north of the mission. Dating from 1740, it's one of the oldest Spanish aqueducts in the United States.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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