Category: Local Sights

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Misión San Francisco Javier de Viggé-Biaundó.

I rented a car yesterday to drive to Loreto from Puerto Escondido to provision. Since I had a car, I took the opportunity to drive into the mountains to see the Misión San Francisco Javier. I understand it was the second church built in the Baja California Sur state (the bottom half of Baja), the first being built in Loreto.

The mission was founded by Jesuits of the Roman Catholic church in 1699 and closed in 1817.

The architecture comprises the usual cruciform groundplan.

On the left as you walk in, there is a sanctuary with a basin of holy water.

On the ceiling is a relief.

The clergy are buried outside the church. Some of the grave markers (like this one and others from the early 20th century) are from after the mission was closed.

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Bahia Salinas

Located on Isla Carmen, Bahia Salinas is best known for its salt mining operation, which probably started in the 1600’s and ended in the 1980’s. There are several decaying buildings on the site (note the old panga on the right).

There is also some equipment left behind, including this forklift that has been turned into a planter.

And this truck (which is clearly newer than the 1990’s).

It is noteworthy that there are several newer building on the site that are well-kept-up and occupied by care keepers and some fishermen. This is their chapel.

Isla Carmen is also known for a site where the government has reintroduced bighorn sheep.

I’ll note the bay also has a 120′ tuna boat that is sunk in 35′ of water. I dove on the boat and was amazed how many fish I saw, more than I have ever seen in my 50 years of SCUBA diving.