Eusebio Francisco Kino is the founder of many missions along the territory of Sonora and Arizona, and with time, these old towns, churches, and ruins have been telling beautiful stories about Sonora’s colonial times.

Father Kino’s Route is nothing else, but a tour through the missions this missionary founded in the state of Sonora many years ago. These missions are beautiful for its historical and cultural value to the communities that surround them. Some of them might be in ruins, but its mystical interaction with the desert and its dramatic tale, makes them be an invaluable treasure.

Nuestra Señora del Pilar y Santiago de Cocóspera

This Mission was founded in 1687. The ruins of this church are located between Imuris and Cananea. The structure of this construction has three main parts and it’s sustained by an iron pillar that prevents its fall.

San Ignacio de Caborca

It’s located between Imuris and Magdalena. This Jesuit temple is constructed in one level and an additional extension. Its big white walls are sustained by enormous ramps particular of the mission buildings. It is well preserved until now and its white structure rules trough the desert.

Magdalena de Kino

This city is located between Nogales and Hermosillo, the State Capital. Father Eusebio Kino died at Magdalena Mission on March 15, 1711, place where his remains rest.

Magdalena´s actual territory was originally occupied by natives: Pápagos and Pimas Altos.

When missionary Kino arrived in 1687, he found a small ranch called Buquivaba (house beside water) near Magdalena River inhabited by Pima Indians. In there, he established the Mission Santa María de Magdalena de Buquivaba. This mission was destroyed by Father Kino himself.

Magdalena used to be part of the district in the second half of the XIX century. On October 1st, 1923 it received the title as city. In 1966 it obtained the name of Magdalena de Kino.

The city has a semi-dry semi-warm climate, with an average annual temperature of 19.3°C. Between July and August, the average maximum temperature is 26.3°C; between December and January, the average minimum temperature is 11.3°C. Rainy season presents between July and August.

Places to Visit:

Misión de Santa María de Buquivaba

Founded in 1687 by missionary Eusebio Francisco Kino and later reconstructed by the Franciscans. Actually it is known as San Francisco Javier temple.

The front of the building has an arch flanked by columns and a coral window with figures of angels. The tower has arches. The first floor looks like a cross.

Mausoleum to Father Kino

Located in the monumental plaza where Eusebio Francisco Kino’s remains are found. He was born in Italy in 1645 and arrived to New Spain in 1681.

As an evangelist and explorer of Baja California, Sonora, and Arizona, he founded one of the first missions that existed in the state. He died in 1711 when he was 66 years old in Magdalena, however, his remains where discovered until 1966.

The mausoleum is a quadrangular base with four accesses and a dome. Inside the dome, an allusive painting of the evangelization and Jesuit order is located as well as some evangelized towns.

Palacio Municipal

It is building of two levels constructed in the second decade of the XX century. In both levels, there are three central arches; in the first level, flanked by two accesses with arch, and in the second several accesses in form of stars.

Other places to visit: Monumental Plaza, Santa María de Magdalena Church surrounded by colonial type stalls, Clock Tower, and the San Ignacio Mission.

Festivities:

From May 20th to 28th festivities in honor to Padre Kino take place.
From July 23rd to August 3rd people celebrate San Ignacio de Loyola.
From September 29th to October 8th, San Francisco Javier is celebrated with amusing fairs, craft expositions, and indigenous groups’ attendance.

At these festivities, people may admire La Danza del Venado and La Danza de los Pascolas, typical dances from our region.

Gastronomy:

Quince jelly and peach preserves are typical desserts from Magdalena de Kino.

San Antonio de Oquitoa

It was founded in 1689 with the name of San Antonio de Oquitoa given by Jesuit missionary Eusebio Francisco Kino.

Its church was constructed in the Franciscan Period at the end of the XVII century. It has been restored and is located 11 kilometers away from Altar.
The mission’s architecture shows a unique example of the antique Colonial building. Its thick white walls crowned by a simple tower are home of the figures and structures that live in the church. It has six oil paintings about the Crucifixion, made by Mexican artisans.

Festivities take place on San Antonio’s Day on June 13th.

San Antonio de Oquitoa has a very dry climate, with an average annual temperature of 21.8°C. Between June and August, the average maximum temperature is 31.6°C; however, the average minimum temperature is 12.7°C. Rainy season presents between July and August.

Handicrafts:

People from Oquitoa make wreaths out of broken glass of different colors to decorate tombs.

San Pedro y San Pablo de Tubutama

It is located 30 miles up the San Antonio de Oquitoa River. This mission was founded in 1689, and was rebuilt in 1791. Its church is decorated by many details such as structures and forms in the walls and sculptures in relief on the ceiling and walls.

In the interior there is a chapel dedicated to San Pedro apostle, with a beautiful painting of him. At the sides of the church there is a collection of paintings of the XVIII century with different themes as the purgatory, angels, the Virgin of Guadalupe, and San Pablo apostle. There is also a clock painted on the walls that apparently, it measured time with the solar rays’ movements. In the center, there is a rod in vertical position that reflects the shadows.

Tubutama has basically two climates, one that is semi-dry warm, and other one semi-dry semi-warm. The first one has an average annual temperature of 21.3°C. Between July and August, the average maximum temperature is 30.2°C; between December and January, the average minimum temperature is 12.8°C. Rainy season presents between July and August, that is on summer. The second type of climate has an average annual temperature of 20.6°C. Between July and August, the average maximum temperature is 29.1°C; between December and January, the average minimum temperature is 11.9°C.

Places to Visit:

Paraje El Arroyo (The spot stream)

Site located in the town’s surroundings where people go the weekend to have a picnic under de shadow of the palms and swim in the Altar River.

Handicrafts:

The confection of leather objects is typical from Tubutama, here you can find every kind of object made out of this material.

Visitors interested in buying these objects might have to go and visit the artisans’ own workshops.

Clocks made out of wood and mesquite, are also typical from Tubutama.

Festivities:

San Pedro and San Pablo Festivities

They take place on June 28th and 29th, with regional bands, dances, food, handcraft sale, horse racing and sport events.

Patriotic Festivities on September 15th and 16th also take place each year.

San Diego de Pitiquíto

The mission was founded in 1694 by Father Kino. Located between Altar and Caborca, Kino never started an important church here. The actual church was founded by Franciscans in 1778. In 1976 paintings and words on the walls were discovered. These paintings were made by natives and represent the good and evil through figures such as the death, a demon with a snake on its hand, the Virgin, angels and the Holly Spirit.

Pitiquito has a semi-dry climate, with an average annual temperature of 21.1°C. Between July and August, the average maximum temperature is 31.4°C; between December and January, the average minimum temperature is 12°C. Rainfall is scarcely, however most rainy season presents between October and January.

Handicrafts:

People from Pitiquito make “talabarterias” or leather work sewed by hand, such as coats, jackets, wallets; as well as musical instruments, cloth dolls, and necklaces made up of sea shells, snail shells, shark bones, seeds, etc.

Festivities:

San Diego is the local saint and this festival takes place to honor him every November 13th. Festivities are made the week before that date. The events consist of: fireworks, sport events, folkloric and popular dances, fair games, “jaripeos” and horse racing.

La Purísima Concepción de Nuestra Señora de Caborca

The municipal heading of Caborca was founded in 1688 as a missionary town by Jesuit Father Kino in a point called Caborca Viejo (Old Caborca). In 1790, Caborca was established in the place that currently occupies, at the banks of the Asuncion River. The place was inhabited by Pimas Altos.

Nuestra Señora de la Purísima Concepción is the greatest temple of ancient Alta Pimeria. There were three churches constructed before the actual one.

On April 6th, 1857, Nuestra Señora de la Concepción de Caborca, became scene of violent combats when residents of Caborca were besieged in the old mission by a band of American filibusters commanded by Henry Alexander Crabb. The filibusters were defeated by Papagos, supported by residents of neighboring towns.

Papago native, Francisco Javier, attacked with incendiary arrows into the dynamite filibuster’s deposit and destroyed it.

As said before, the original temple was destroyed and a new temple was built in the year 1803. Today this temple is surrounded by a great terrace that carries the name of Father Kino. In one side of the terrace you can see a big arch of brown quarry that acts as an entrance to the terrace. The access to the inside is restricted; the INAH authority has to give a special permission to do so.

The bullet holes can still be seen on the Church’s walls. Currently, it is a cultural center with a small museum and a large esplanade at the front.
The city has an extremist semi-dry hot climate, with an average annual temperature of 22.3°C. Between July and September, the average maximum temperature is 31.9°C; between December and January, the average minimum temperature is 12.4°C. Rainy season presents between July and August. There are occasionally frosts on February.

Festivities:

On April 6th, the filibusters’ defeat is celebrated each year.
On July, people celebrate La Feria de la Uva (Grape’s Fair).
On October, La Feria del Algodón (Cotton’s Fair) takes place.
The missions founded by Kino surpass the Sonora border and make their way to the Sate of Arizona. San Cayetano de Tumacácori and San Javier del Bac are some of the missions in Arizona.