The Alamo and the River Walk are two of the first things that come to mind when people think of San Antonio. Neither would have occurred without the San Antonio River.

The Headwaters of the river are located in a protected 53-acre sanctuary established by the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word, who came to San Antonio in 1869 to care for victims of a massive cholera epidemic. The sanctuary is free and open to the public.

The Native people called the spring Yanaguana, a Coahuiltecan word that means Spirit Waters, and it once gushed 20 feet into the air.

San Antonio now has the Mission Reach and the Museum Reach of the River Walk. The Sisters have named this segment the Spirit Reach.

According to signage on site, the San Antonio River begins a little south of the Blue Hole, which is often dry because of on-going drought. When the Edwards Aquifer’s level is 676 feet above sea level or more, the spring is visible.

On the day my husband and I visited, I understood how the spring got its name. The crystal-clear, blue water was breathtakingly beautiful. Despite the heat of the noonday sun, peacefulness radiated from the site.

Located near the center of San Antonio on the campus of the University of the Incarnate Word, 4503 Broadway, this sanctuary provides city-weary visitors a chance to meander along trails and connect with mighty oak trees, native plants, and wildlife that includes more than 100 species of birds.

The sanctuary also provides volunteers an opportunity to restore the ecosystem health of this sacred space. Parking is ticket-free on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays near the University of the Incarnate Word’s baseball fields. Look for the sanctuary entrance near the Headwaters’ toolshed (GPS: 29.4698, -98.4708). Walk toward the main campus and across a footbridge to see the Blue Hole, which is to the left, beyond a sand volleyball court.

The Headwaters sanctuary is a non-profit Earth care ministry of the Sisters. For more information, call (210) 828-2224, ext. 280.

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!