Santa Maria Mission

The final Jesuit mission, Santa Maria de los Angeles, was situated in a desert-like canyon halfway between the present-day town of Cataviña and San Luis Gonzaga Bay. The Franciscans constructed adobe walls and stone corrals in 1768. This mission has been the subject of adventure stories for over a century, and for good reason; It's almost impossible to get there! A vehicle could not even drive to Santa Maria until the 1960s.