Mision San Javier

The road from Loreto climbs into the Sierra de la Giganta through canyons of red rock and cardon cactus, past prehistoric rock-art sites and dry riverbeds, and after an hour drops into a green crease in the mountains: a village of a hundred-odd people, irrigated fields, date palms and, standing over them, the mission church of San Francisco Javier de Vigge-Biaundo. Begun in 1744 and completed in 1758 by Jesuit missionaries and indigenous labour in cut volcanic stone, it is the best preserved of the Baja missions and one of the finest colonial buildings in northwestern Mexico - a Moorish-inflected facade, a dome, original gilded retablo and paintings inside, and stonework that has needed remarkably little rebuilding. Behind the church, an irrigation system from the same era still waters orchards, and an olive tree planted by the missionaries survives and fruits. The village fiesta on 3 December fills the valley with pilgrims. The rest of the year it is silent, and the drive alone justifies the day.

What you actually see

• The stone church - the best-preserved mission in the Californias.
• The retablo - original gilding and paintings inside.
• The mission orchards - date palms, olives and old irrigation.
• The sierra road - canyons, cardon and rock art on the way.

When to go

October to May for pleasant driving; 3 December for the patronal fiesta and its pilgrims. Mornings avoid both heat and tour traffic.

Honest expectations

The road is paved but winding, with washes that flood in rare storms. The village has one or two simple comedores and little else. Church interiors close outside visiting hours - arrive mid-morning.

Nearby

Loreto and its island marine park lie an hour east; the sierra's rock-art sites are visited with local guides.