It’s impressive to see the stone wall and imagine what the space was like, what happened around it, and how the Jesuits lived while building the first mission. Today, all that remains are ruins.
In 1683, the Jesuit missionaries arrived at the lands of Baja California Sur, located only 20 km north of Loreto and within the same municipality. Father Eusebio Francisco Kino, Matías Goñi and Juan Bautista Copart arrived at the first missionary settlement, “Misión de San Bruno”, founded by the Spaniards.
Upon arrival, the natives warmly welcomed the missionaries and assisted them in constructing a small chapel and some basic housing.
But the sun evaporated the water in San Bruno and dried up the crops. However, motivated by their religious beliefs, the missionaries continued establishing additional places of worship.
Father Kino started the construction of the Mission of San Juan Bautista Londó in 1683, but he died before its completion. In 1699, in the northern part of Loreto, Father Juan María de Salvatierra continued Father Kino’s work and founded the “San Juan Bautista Londó” mission. As a resident of the area, Salvatierra was responsible for visiting the place, performing religious duties, and carrying provisions to the ranches. The chapel was built in 1702 by Father Basaldúa, who completed it in 1705.
After functioning for ten years, the site was abandoned following a decline in population due to a plague epidemic in 1708. It has remained abandoned to this day.
Much of the church building has been lost, with cattle ranches, farms, and fields surrounding it. Today, there is a cemetery and stone wall where the earliest surnames of the region are laid to rest.
