Mission San Juan Capistrano

Mission San Juan Capistrano is a Spanish mission station in San Juan Capistrano, California, with several buildings arranged around courtyards and gardens. The complex includes a small chapel with thick walls, ruins of a larger stone church, and long arcades connecting rooms and workshops.

The complex was founded in 1776 as the seventh station in the chain of California missions and served as a religious and agricultural outpost of Spanish colonial administration. An earthquake in 1812 destroyed the large stone church, leaving ruins that remain visible today.

The name honors an Italian saint, while the architecture shows arches and courtyards reminiscent of Andalusian villages. Local celebrations and ceremonies take place in the gardens and chapels, where visitors can still observe religious and community traditions today.

The entrance is located on Ortega Highway and leads into a large courtyard from which all areas are accessible. Guided tours help with orientation between chapel, ruins, and gardens, and a visit typically takes one to two hours.

Swallows return here every spring, an event celebrated with a festival for decades. The birds build their nests under the arches and in the wall niches of the old buildings.

Location: San Juan Capistrano

Inception: 1776

GPS coordinates: 33.50278,-117.66278

Latest update: December 12, 2025 23:44