San Antonio’s missions pre-date the U.S.A.
San Antonio is one of 26 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the United States–and the only UNESCO site in Texas–thanks to our Spanish colonial missions that date back to the 1700s.
My husband and I had the privilege of walking the 500-mile Camino de Santiago in the Fall of 2022, so we were thrilled to learn about the San Antonio missions’ partnership with this 1,200-year-old journey in Spain.
El Camino de San Antonio Missions
By walking El Camino de San Antonio Missions from Mission Espada to San Fernando Cathedral, you will earn a Compostela with 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) of credit toward the Camino Inglés pilgrimage route from Ferrol to Santiago in Northwestern Spain.
Before your pilgrimage, visit the Padre Margil Center behind Mission Concepción to pick up your passport so that you may record your visit to each mission. At the end of your pilgrimage, return to the center to show your completed passport and pick up your Compostela.
We recently joined a group of 120 Camino pilgrims from four Texas cities and one Southeast Oklahoma group, all members of American Pilgrims on the Camino, to make the trek.
Mission Espada
We arrived early to mingle with fellow pilgrims, get our marching orders, sing “Ultreia” and visit the mission to say a prayer and stamp our passport.
Thanks to the Mission Reach of the San Antonio River Walk, the walking path is level and well-maintained, and it follows the San Antonio River.
Nature beckons
The best part of the pilgrimage is being surrounded by nature. We really do live in the Garden of Eden. The San Antonio River Authority has documented more than 200 species of birds along the Mission Reach since the transformation of this stretch of the river has taken place.
Wildflowers, spiny lizards, Texas Live Oaks and more await your discovery.
Mission San Juan
A national park ranger gave us some background history on Mission San Juan, the agricultural engine of the missions, before we entered to stamp our passports and say another prayer. A local watercolor artist was sitting on an outside bench, capturing the simple beauty of the mission.
Pilgrims took the opportunity to use the restrooms and fill up their water bottles at the mission before heading onward.
Hospitality at its best
Outside of the mission, Lorie, one of the members of the Alamo Area Chapter of American Pilgrims on the Camino, greeted pilgrims with a variety of snacks and drinks, including frozen sangria! ¡Viva San Antonio! ¡Viva Lorie!
Places to purchase snacks are non-existent along the Mission Reach, so make sure you bring some along to tide you over. Also, bring a reusable water bottle to refill at each mission.
Mission San José
On the way to our final stop of the day, we walked past “Whispers,” an installation by Arne Quinze, a Belgian artist. Thanks to the San Antonio River Foundation, public art along the Mission Reach is one of the joys you’ll experience while walking.
We also came across volunteers who were picking up trash along the banks of the river. Since the San Antonio River empties into the Gulf of Mexico, this vigilance pays off in the health of our oceans and sea animals.
Which path to take to Mission San José from the Mission Reach is a bit tricky, so we laid down sticks to create an arrow to let pilgrims know to walk down and take a left onto East Pyron, which will take you to the parish entrance of the mission.
Mission San José, known as the queen of the missions, was our final stop of the day. We were treated to a cappello performances by two high school choirs. Definitely a nice way to end the first half of our pilgrimage!
We stamped our passports, visited with fellow pilgrims, admired the Rose Window and encouraged pilgrims to watch “Gente de Razón,” a 20-minute film in the National Parks Service Visitor Center open from 9 to 5 that explains the life and times of the native people who built the missions. The film runs every hour on the hour.
Lunch at Nicha’s Comida Mexicana
After walking approximately 6 miles, we were hungry! My husband and I headed over to Nicha’s, conveniently located near Mission San José. We each had a senior plate (aka children’s plate) for $8, which was the perfect amount of food. I also treated myself to a mimosa while snacking on Nicha’s delicious chips and salsa.
Another nearby dining option is Fruteria La Mission. Their corn in a cup is something that I think about on the regular. Don’t miss it. Their fruit cups are also a tasty treat.
World Heritage Center
Since the World Heritage Center had recently opened and is located across the street from Nicha’s, we popped in for a visit. Here, you will learn about the history and culture that surround the missions and the people who made San Antonio what it is.
Day two
The next day, we paid another visit to Mission San José, then started where we’d left off the day before on East Pyron at Padre to make our way down the Mission Reach to Mission Concepción.
Along the way, you’ll spy the famous Hot Wells Hotel historic site. You’ll also find displays with information about the river and its transformation over the years.
Run the Alamo Marathon
A 26.2-mile marathon was taking place the day we walked from Mission San José to San Fernando Cathedral. Along the way, we gave words of encouragement to those who had just six miles left to complete this massive undertaking.
I noticed a lot of sunburned bodies along the route, so make sure you apply plenty of sunscreen and wear a sunhat while you walk.
Mission Concepción
For those who picked up their passports before starting their journey, Mission Concepción will be familiar. The mission is one of the country’s oldest stone churches. Built on bedrock, it never lost its roof. Every year on the Feast Day of the Assumption, light streams into the church, illuminating a painting of Mary that’s over the main altar.
When I was a college student back in the early ’80s, we toured the missions, and I took a black and white photo of well-worn stairs topped by an Alamo-like arch at the back of the church that remains a favorite photo.
Confluence Park
From Mission Concepción, you’re close to the spot where San Pedro Creek and the San Antonio River merge. Confluence Park is worth a stop. (Bathrooms and water station aside.) Here, visitors learn about the San Antonio River Basin so that conservation, stewardship, restoration, preservation, education and enjoyment stay top of mind.
The American Institute of Architects presented Confluence Park its Honor Award for Architecture in 2019. Check it out!
Blue Star
As you walk closer to downtown San Antonio, you’ll cross under elevated train tracks, see the stacks of the old Lone Star Brewery and begin to feel less like you’re out in the country. When we got to the Blue Star Arts Complex, we decided to stop and have lunch at Blue Star Brewing Company.
We were hungry, hot and tired, so Blue Star’s Texican beer hit the spot as did our food. My husband chose loaded nachos, and I had a patty melt with fries. The stop was just what we needed before we made our final push to the cathedral.
San Fernando Cathedral
The walk from Blue Star to the cathedral leads you past HEB’s corporate headquarters that oversees 435 stores across Texas and Mexico. The route also provides you with a beautiful view of the Tower Life Building with its green roof and giant American flag. Built in 1929, it’s the tallest 8-sided structure in the United States.
You may stay on the River Walk, but you’ll have to cross over to the east side at the dam that’s on the south side of East Nueva. Walk to the Drury Plaza Hotel and cross the pedestrian bridge that leads over to Main Plaza.
Since we stopped for lunch, we were the last to reach the cathedral. We bumped into a group from Fort Worth who we’d visited with the night before at a gathering for those in town to walk the Camino. We all agreed San Antonio’s Camino was well worth the effort, and we predicted that once word got out, more would make the journey. BUEN CAMINO!
Denise Barkis Richter, Ph.D., author of “San Antonio’s Passport to Fun,” has been blogging about San Antonio since June of 2010. Follow her at facebook.com/SanAntonioTourist so that you’ll never miss a post. Her love affair with the Alamo City began at Hemisfair in 1968. She moved to San Antonio in 1979 as an 18-year-old college student, and San Antonio has been her home ever since. Denise completed certification to become a professional tour guide in 2019. Please contact her at sanantoniotourist at gmail dot com if you’d like for her to curate a fabulous San Antonio experience for you!