Misión El Descanso

Due to the frequent flooding of Mission San Miguel by the Río Guadalupe, missionary Tomás de Ahumada sought another site located on higher ground.[1] Due to its proximity to the Pacific Ocean, El Descanso had been involved in a maritime commerce with ships that traveled along its shores in search of merchandise such as otter fur, salt, tallow, vegetables, and grain.The adobe was made with local soil, water, clay, and sand; unlike the other missionary complexes of the area, these were mixed with pebbles and crushed shells instead of the usual straw, to make the material tougher.Animals that inhabited the region included red fox, badger, skunk, coyote, deer, cougar, bobcat, hare, rabbit, squirrel, California quail, rattlesnake, several water snakes, and lizards.Efforts to preserve and study the remaining traces of Mission El Descanso have been implemented under the auspices of Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH).
The new mission church.
Location of Mission El Descanso among the Spanish missions in Baja California
Detail of the adobe walls of the mission: crushed shells are clearly visible
Metal covering over the remains of the mission
El Descanso Church, built on the site of the 1830 Dominican Misión El Descanso
Baja CaliforniaMexicoPlayas de Rosarito MunicipalityPatronArchangel MichaelDominicanNative tribe(s)KumeyaaySpanishSpanish missionKumeyaay peopleSpanish provinceSpanish missions in Baja CaliforniaMission San MiguelPresidio of San DiegoFélix CaballeroDecree for the Secularization of the Missions of Californiasacristyacequiastallowarroyowatercresspurslanecattailmustardmangrovegrease woodmanzanitahoney mesquitewillowchollagoat nutbadgercoyotecougarbobcatrabbitsquirrelrattlesnakewater snakeslobsterabalonemusseloctopussea basssharkssardinebarleycattlehorsesNational Institute of Anthropology and HistoryRosarito, Baja CaliforniaSpanish missions in CaliforniaMission San Diego de AlcaláMisión Guadalupe del NorteMission San Francisco SolanoMisión San BrunoMisión de Nuestra Señora de Loreto ConchóVisita de San Juan Bautista LondóMisión San Francisco Javier de Viggé-BiaundóMisión San Juan Bautista MalibatMisión Santa Rosalía de MulegéMisión San José de ComondúMisión La Purísima Concepción de CadegomóMisión de Nuestra Señora del Pilar de La Paz AirapíMisión Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe de HuasinapiMisión Santiago de Los CorasMisión Nuestra Señora de los Dolores del Sur ChilláMisión San Ignacio KadakaamánMisión Estero de las Palmas de San José del Cabo AñuitíMisión Santa Rosa de las PalmasMisión San Luis Gonzaga ChiriyaquiMisión Santa GertrudisMisión San Francisco BorjaVisita de CalamajuéMisión Santa María de los ÁngelesMisión San Fernando Rey de España de VelicatáVisita de la PresentaciónMisión Nuestra Señora del Santísimo Rosario de ViñacadoVisita de San José de MagdalenaMisión Santo Domingo de la FronteraMisión San Vicente FerrerMisión San Miguel Arcángel de la FronteraMisión Santo Tomás de AquinoMisión San Pedro Mártir de VeronaMisión Santa Catarina Virgen y MártirVisita de San TelmoMisión de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe del Norte