California Official Visitor's Guide 2018 - 20

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On a Mission
21

historic missions

California's mission era ended in 1834, but you can still see its
architectural legacy in the state's red tile roofs and bell towers.
All 21 missions-listed south to north-are open to visitors.

1

11

Basilica San Diego de Alcalá
SAN DIEGO
Built in 1769 and fully restored in 1931,
this mission has a striking 46-foot bell
tower (campanario) holding five bells
and immaculate gardens.

2

San Luis Rey de Francia
OCEANSIDE
Known as "King of the Missions," San
Luis Rey is set within a six-acre central
square and marked by an octagonal
dome atop the building.

3

San Juan Capistrano
SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO
Every March brings the return of swallows that spend most of the year here
before flying to Argentina for the winter.
San Luis Rey
de Francia

Santa Barbara

5

San Fernando Rey de España
MISSION HILLS
Carefully tended grounds include a
convent, winery, gardens, cemetery
(where actor Bob Hope is buried), and
a colonnade with 20 arches.

20 | VISITCALIFORNIA.COM

12

18

San Antonio de Padua
JOLON
A land donation from William
Randolph Hearst left this mission's
countryside setting untouched.

7

14

Santa Barbara
SANTA BARBARA
The "Queen of the Missions" features
a magnificent Moorish fountain and
spectacular rose gardens.

Old Mission Santa Inés
SOLVANG
Manicured gardens and well-preserved
paintings make this one of the most
charming and colorful missions.

4

Santa Clara de Asís
SANTA CLARA
A gift from King Carlos IV of Spain,
Santa Clara's mission bell has rung
faithfully every evening since 1798.

13

San Buenaventura
VENTURA
At its most prosperous, this small mission (a.k.a. "Mission by the Sea") had a
herd of more than 41,000 livestock.

9

Misión La Purísima Concepción
De María Santísima LOMPOC
Now a state historic park, this is the
most completely restored of the chain;
10 of the original buildings remain.

10

San Luis Obispo de Tolosa
SAN LUIS OBISPO
In 1776, several Native Americans
hostile toward the mission shot flaming arrows onto the thatched roof,
prompting the missionaries to learn to
make roof tiles from clay.

17

San Miguel Arcángel
SAN MIGUEL
This National Historic Landmark
houses colorful wall frescoes that were
painted by Native Americans in 1821.

6

8

San Gabriel Arcángel
SAN GABRIEL VALLEY
This fortress-like mission boasted a
170-acre vineyard, the largest in the
mission chain.

Basilica San Diego de Alcalá

San José de Guadalupe
FREMONT
Take a self-guided tour of the reconstructed building (the 1797 original
was leveled in an 1868 earthquake).

Nuestro Señora de la Soledad
SOLEDAD
Known as the "hard-luck mission," this
site was left in ruins for nearly a century, then beautifully restored in 1954.

San Carlos Borromeo de
Carmelo CARMEL
Wander among the original paintings
and statues, massive holy-water
fountain, cobblestone pathways, and
flower-filled courtyards.

Old Mission Santa Inés

19

San Juan Bautista
SAN JUAN BAUTISTA
Film buffs will recognize this mission
from the 1958 Hitchcock thriller Vertigo.

San Francisco de Asís
SAN FRANCISCO
A 90-minute guided tour explores this
mission, which is San Francisco's oldest intact building.

16

20

15

Santa Cruz
SANTA CRUZ
The original 1795 adobe church was
destroyed by an earthquake in 1857,
then rebuilt in 1931 at less than half its
original size.
San Miguel
Arcángel

San Rafael Arcángel
SAN RAFAEL
Built in sunny San Rafael as California's first hospital, this mission served
ailing Native Americans stationed at
foggy Mission San Francisco.

21

San Francisco de Solano
SONOMA
Now part of a state historic park, this
rustic mission sits on Sonoma's downtown plaza, next to gourmet eateries
and upscale boutiques.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: DAVID MADISON/GETTY IMAGES, NIK WHEELER/ALAMY, SAULIUS T.
KONDROTAS/ALAMY, RICHARD CUMMINS/GETTY IMAGES, MACDUFF EVERTON/GETTY IMAGES

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of California Official Visitor's Guide 2018
