Mission San Francisco de la Espada

Mission San Francisco de la Espada is the oldest mission in Texas. It was founded in 1690 and was named San Francisco de los Tejas at that time. It is one of the missions part of the San Antonio Missions National Historic Park and also a World Heritage Site since 2015. The other missions are San José y San Miguel de Aguayo, Nuestra Señora de la Purísima Concepción de Acuña, San Antonio de Valero (The Alamo) and San Juan Capistrano. You can visit four of the missions in one day if you don’t spend too much time in each and make the Alamo an entirely separate visit. Otherwise, plan on two days for a more enjoyable and relaxed visit. There is also a bike trail connecting Mission Concepción, Mission San José, Mission San Juan and Mission Espada.