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By David Kier
Mission Santo Tomás was established to reduce the large gap along El Camino Real between the missions San Vicente and San Miguel. This was the twenty-third Baja California mission, founded on April 24, 1791, and named Santo Tomás de Aquino. The Dominican missionary in charge was Padre José Loriente. This was the final Spanish mission built along El Camino Real to provide for the safe passage of travelers between Loreto and San Diego.
The location chosen was in a field next to a running stream lined with oak and sycamore trees. Governor Pedro Fages had questioned the wisdom of this location for fear of flash floods and the high ridge that blocked sunlight for much of the day. None of the local Indians lived at that spot and that should have been an indicator this was a poor choice to locate at. The first adobe church constructed was small at 14 feet by 34 feet. Mosquitos eventually drove the missionaries to move the mission a mile east and higher up from the creek.
On May 31, 1794, the mission was relocated. The mosquitos were no longer an issue but in 1798, Padre Miguel López wrote to the governor asking that the mission be moved one more time where there was more land to put under cultivation and several springs provided fresh water.
In 1799, Mission Santo Tomás moved a final time, about three miles more to the east. There, several buildings were erected in the first two years. Included in the construction was a church measuring 18 feet by 85 feet. The mission would remain at this location for fifty years and was the last California mission to remain in service to the Indians.
Two priests were murdered at Santo Tomás in 1803. Padre Miguel López was killed on January 13th and Padre Eduardo Surroca on May 17th. Both murders were instigated by a woman named Barbara Gandiaga, an Indian domestic at Santo Tomás.
Not one of the three mission sites have received any type of preservation from either INAH (Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History) or local citizens. The first site was in a camping and picnic area 3.9 miles west of Highway 1. In 2011, just a few feet of adobe wall base remained. In 2017, the area was fenced off and closed to any visitors. The second site was in a pepper field 2.8 mile west from Highway 1. In 2009, some adobe mounds and rocks marked the location. Within a few years, it was completely plowed over and is now gone. The third site is just north of the El Palomar Campground, to the east of Highway 1, in Santo Tomás. In 2017, just a small portion of adobe wall remained. Drive to the center of the campground and exit using the side road going north. The ruins are 150 feet from the campground.
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About David
David Kier is a veteran Baja traveler, author of 'Baja California - Land Of Missions' and co-author of 'The Old Missions of Baja and Alta California 1697-1834'. Visit the Old Missions website.
Easy insurance for peace of mind
Shauna at Baja Bound was AWESOME!! We had specific questions about how to quote the policy based on our vehicle type and she was super...ponsive and thorough. 10/10 will use again for our Baja trips!
Great service, quick response time.
I just would like to know if you guys are going to update the fastpass direction any soon, during the month of January the lane changed to... the left, therefore the directions on your website are incorrect !! It would be of great help if the information was up to date. Thank you !!
Very easy, quick, and professional
Easy, quick and fair prices. Easy to deal with if needed.
I purchased insurance through them & CHUBB for our trip to San Felipe. Unfortunately, we had to cancel due to our vehicle having an oil...ak the night we were supposed to head out. With all going on I did not think to call the insurance right away & cancel the policy however I did call right after the policy had been over. I called Baja Bound & spoke to Yara & she advised me to send in my paperwork of the repairs with when we submitted the vehicle to the mechanic & that it was worth a shot. I was amazed by the service I recieved from Yara & Baja Bound. They were quick & easy to work with & were able to reimburse me for the policy I had purchased. I will now ensure I use Baja Bound & CHUBB for future travels. P.S. its recommended to cancel the policy asap if something does happen & your plans were cancelled for what ever reason.
Super-easy and instant. Very happy with initial purchase.
Hola exelente serbicio rapido ya no pierdo tienpò esperando en Ningun otro lado ...lo ago. En linia cuando voy de Camino y ya .... ...slated by Google) Hello, excellent fast service, I no longer lose time waiting anywhere else ... I do it. On line when I go on the Camino and now ...
Great company and they use CHUBB which is a top notch insurance company.We got our policy online 30min before crossing the border and were... covered,we decided to stay an extra day and called them up and got our policy extension it was real easy.There is a reason Baja veterans use them.
Easy, fast, and affordable.
Very excellent service, needed insurance for Mexico, price was fair. The custumer service rep was Yara
I had an awesome experience with Baja Bound. Family owned and highly personal, top notch customer service. I have total peace of mind...ile driving in Mexico! Website is super user friendly. Thanks Baja Bound!!
Good seevice have use baja bound for many years good price....
Been going to baja for 45 years. This is best insurance company i have come accross.
Baja Bound makes buying insurance for going south of the border as easy as it gets. The website is the easiest I have used and the staff...really tries to go the extra mile. They do a lot of trips to Baja themselves so they really know the ins and outs.
So convenient and easy to navigate thru the online process. I'll never use any other Mexican insurance service!
Great coverage options . Price buy and print policy , very quick and easy , highly recommend them when driving in Mexico
I need a tourist visa for maxico I'm from pakistan help me sir
Our go to Baja car insurance, everytime we take a visit down south . Usually it's for a day trip either for a quick getaway with the family...y or for some good tacos!! It's extremely easy login and Renew our car insurance having an account. Takes me about 5 minutes to login, Renew and print out the paperwork. I've been using Baja bound for a few years now and having that security on our car everytime, is just one less thing I have to worry about heading down south. Recommend it!
Extremely easy to acquire a policy. Many options available. Reasonable rates.
SERIOUS.
Fast and easy!
Reasonable prices and we thought best chance to actually get results if we needed them.
SIMPLE, STRAIGHTFORWARD. OLD GUYS LIKE THAT. WILL DEFINITELY USE IN 6 MONTHS IF STILL RUNNING AROUND THE WILDS OF BAJA.
Quick, easy, well designed website and not just for Baja. Good rates for temporal residente gringos. We’re now living in Jalisco. Printed...d my policy before crossing the border in Laredo and was set to go. Well done Baja Bound!
Quick easy to navigate website
Was planning to go to Mexico, but unfortunately my bike broke down. Got very friendly and fast service from Rigo. A full refund within back...k on my card within 2 days. Will definitely use them, if I get a chance to go again.
Absolutely fantastic, I already forgot her name because I have a terrible memory but the woman that helped me on the phone was wonderful,...answered all of my questions, many of which weren't even about insurance, but just about my trip in general. Very easy to use website, makes getting Mexican Insurance as an American an absolute breeze. Highly recommend.
I have used Baja Bound for years. Very easy and affordable.
Very good ans very fast. We hope all will ben good if we need it.
Third time working with Baja Bound and they made it easy! Thanks!
Incredibly fast and painless. Paid about $180 for a month of coverage. It was easier than going on line.
Baja Bound is and has been my go to Mexico insurance company. The website is extremely easy to use, keeps all your info for a quick...ase and they always have the best price.
Excellent online and by direct phone. Spanish and English with proven response to questions. Website is very informative about driving in...Mexico and places to see. My highest recommendation. Prof Rochin
Great service, very helpful people there.
so far so good, however I have read good things about them
We were trying to get an insurance for our RV in Mexico, we come from Europe and we drive with Belgium license plates. I tried a lot of...ompanies but they didn’t answered my mails. Baja Bound answered my mail immediately and the next day I had an insurance. Very nice and helpfully. I recommend this company for all the Europeans driving around in Mexico
A very easy to use website and good selection and rates. In the 10 years I have travelled in Baja, this is the only site I have used.
Have never needed to use the insurance fortunately but the website always works great. Can buy a policy in about a minute.
Changed some money. Good rate and friendly people.
Great company. unlike their competitors, Baja Bound answers the phone and you're talking to a real person. Highly reccomend!
Baja Bound could not have made it an easier ... also, I made a mistake and called them having to leave a message ... but, they called back... within 10 minutes and corrected my mistake ... their website is EZ and I thought their prices fair (especially for peace of mind) ... 5 out of 5 for them!
Very convenient, great price !!
Excellent customer service
Professional and affordable.
My wife and I were in Baja the 1st week of October. Insurance through Baja Bound was quick and easy. Thank you
Great service and prices!
Thank goodness never had to use this. Great interactive website to huy.
I always use Baja Bound to source my insurance while traveling to Mexico. Fortunately, I have not had to file any claims. I do appreciate... the ease of securing policies online. I also enjoy reading all of their online border crossing updates as well as their articles regarding the history of Baja California and places to visit.
Easy to buy Mexico car insurance from and good service
Easy to renew, offers the best coverage for me to feel comfortable while driving in Mexico.
Easy and affordable.
2nd year with Chubb. No problems
I've had Baja Bound insurance for more that ten years now with thousands of miles logged in Baja. Fortunately, I've only had one fender...nder in that time where I had to call them. That one incident was by far the smoothest process I've been through, even more so than dealing with insurance in the States. I would highly recommend Baja Bound to anyone looking to travel in Baja. Geoff and his people are amongst the finest people you'll ever deal with.
Great service, EZ and reasonbably priced. Been using Baja Bound for many years now. Great company and people!
Went down to TJ June 11 2020 No problems going into TJ but the way back was a ordeal 6 hours in line to get back into the USA but no...es with COVID or anything1/2 the people had masks on half did not. Thankfully I have not had occasion to need to file a claim in my many trips to TJ or Hermosillo. Never had a issue buying or getting a fair price from Baja Bound I also enjoy the newsletters they send from time to time.
Great customer service, quick, friendly staff helpfully answered all questions, very patient with my learning curve on a new product. Would...d use them again and recommend them to anyone!
I have not had any claims thus far so rating is based on ease of purchase.
They are very good . There website doesn't show you need a title to bring a vehicle across the border.I was stopped and told I had to...eturn to the United States. The border agents informed me that the insurance company should have known this . I still don't see anything that says you need a title I told the insurance company needs to look into this. I called them and they said they would definitely look into and let me know . I still think they are a 5 star rating.I hope to hear from them so everybody will know what the rules really are. 👍 I will give you a up date to this when I hear from them 🌝
If you are going to Mexico Baja Bound is excellent. Buy online, good price, good quality. Fast and efficient.
Getting a policy was simple, Provided more than provider for price comparison.
Super easy to purchase just the coverage you need when crossing the border in your own car. I especially appreciate the fact that I was...ble to choose from two different options. I was provided with my policy within seconds.
I wish every company was as easy to deal with as Baja Bound. I ended up staying in Baja longer than expected and it took a 3 minute phone...call from a truck stop for them to extend my policy. Every time I call or email, I''m treated like they actually know me! I can't say enough good things about them!!!!
Easy to get and the price is right
If you’re looking for Mexican Insurance that you can trust and feel good about while traveling in Mexico, you’ve found the right place..... Our truck broke down on the way to Mexico we had to turn around come back get a different truck to go back into Mexico and it was easy switching the vehicles. I got a call back right away and they handled switching the vehicles right away.
Very professional, very helpful, great policy, I couldn't be happier with Baja Mexican Insurance, the friendly smiles and ease of it all in...n getting just what I wanted, what I needed, at a very competitive price.
Super simple, inexpensive, easy to work with, amicable and great communication
Baja Bound made it SO EASY to purchase insurance for our one week trip to Tijuana. I would definitely use them again for future trips and...would highly recommend them to anyone traveling in Baja.
Where do i start..... you dont know you have good insurance until you have to actually use it. I have had Baja Bound INS for over 5 years...and just recently got into an accident all the way down in Cabo. This was one of the smoothest processes I've ever been through. I would even say smother that having a accident in the states. The adjuster was on site within the hour, delt with the local police for me and made everything go so smooth. I cant say thanks enough to Geoff and his team for helping me out. I'm never leaving you guys!!!!!!!
I will never drive south of the border without Baja Bound in my center console. I was in an accident a couple hours south of Ensenada and...the Mexican insurance company sent an adjuster out for the claim. A couple hours later, the adjuster informed me that the claim was denied. I called Baja Bound shortly after on my drive towards the boarder and spoke to Yara. She calmed me down a little and promised to reach out to the insurance company herself and get back to me. I didn’t have any expectations of things going better, but over the course of a couple weeks, Yara had the claim approved and had an adjuster sent to my house to check out the truck for an estimate. A week after the adjuster left, I received a check in the mail that will completely cover all repairs. I can’t imagine that this story would be the same without the efforts of Yara and Baja Bound. Thank you!
I have been a customer for years and when I really needed them they stepped up in every way. I had a freak accident to my car and they...nt out of the way to ensure I was taken care of. Five stars is not enough!!!
Easiest way to purchase insurance when traveling to Mexico. I have used their service for the last 7 years and it only gets easier and...ier. Thanks Baja Bound for your great service and price.
Great service!
I have been using BajaBound Insurance for 15 years - multiple trips per year. Their website is easy, their coverage is great, and the...omer service is outstanding. I have many friends that use BajaBound and unfortunately I have seen claims be filed. Outcomes have always been quick, fair, and what you would expect from the contract. I would HIGHLY recommend using BajaBound anytime you travel to Mexico.
I reapplied for my Baja Bound Mexican car Insurance yesterday and I spoke to Ms. Shauna. This lady processed my application quickly and...ailed me my insurance. I had a very pleasant phone conversation with her. In short Ms. Shauna is an excellent professional lady! I had insurance with Baja Bound (HDI) for almost 4 years. But my Sentri expired and I had to reapply again. Ms. Shauna helps you and provide you with all sort of good information. For example, she told me about Baja’s specific insurance that is cheaper and has better services such as medical expenses. I hope you are lucky and can speak to Shauna. Kind regards Mehdi
Had a great experience getting insurance at Baja Bound, before I always stoped at the border to purchase my insurance, not anymore. By the... way you don't need the title, current Registration is all you need.
Signing up for policies is super easy. Never had a claim and hope I don't have to. But the service and process was fast and good.
Mexican Insurance made easy, I have used Baja Bound Mexican Insurance for all most 5 years, price and ease is great, luckily I have never...need to use it. Recommend it highly.
This is an update to my previous review. Baja Bound, unbidden on my part, reached out to me to assist. They coordinated a contact with...UBB, and the insurance company made me whole by paying for damage sustained to my car. They even reimbursed the $300 payment (or bribe or ...) made to the other party. This is by far the best treatment ever received from an agency or insurance company. I can strongly recommend both Baja Bound and CHUBB. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This review is about the insurance process in Mexico with US agents. I have driven in Baja many times, but never had to use my Mexican auto Insurance. This time I did, and it is not a pretty picture: Having purchased a daily CHUBB insurance policy through BAJA BOUND, I drove across the border for a dental appointment. Almost immediately, I had a non-injury minor-moderate collision with another car. We waived each other down, drove a couple of blocks to a side street. We got out to exchange information and discuss - my spanish is extremely poor while the other driver spoke better English. He blamed me for the collision. I showed him my insurance policy. He said it was invalid. He called in a Policia Municipal officer who spoke little English. I showed my policy again. We would have to go to the policer station to work this out - not good! I called CHUBB in Mexico to report the incident and for help. Meanwhile, the other guy said that US$1,000 would settle his interest. I said: "no, forget it - I have insurance!" I asked the CHUBB agent to intercede and handed my phone to the Policia - they talked for a while and nothing happened - off to the Police Station!! I told the guy I was in pain, needed to go to the dentist, and offered him US$300, He said yes and took the money. The cop said to both of us: " OK, are you both satisfied?" We said yes. He left, I drove off, and went back across the US border. My CHUBB policy was apparently useless. I wrote a long note to BAJA BOUND about what happened, but never heard back from anybody. Apparently a slick website does not guarantee anything.
Great renewal process, if only south Dakota would do the same for car registration.
Easy to obtain, good quality, auto insurance for Mexico.
Best insurance I've had so far
fast replies and great price!
Honestly their app is so fantastic and saves all my info I can literally buy the same insurance for my Baja trips in less than 45 seconds...it’s incredible
I recently purchased insurance for my trip with Baja Bound because of their reputation and reviews. Easy enough to purchase and print...ne, you just need your VIN and Plate #'s. We fortunately didn't need to submit a claim nor were asked for proof of insurance while spending a week in Mexico, but it was reassuring having printed off the policy and having access to it online. I bought online because it was easy a little leery about buying insurance in person at the border. Thanks for offering this service.
Great, easy to use service. I haven't had to file a claim (and hope I never have to) but the online portal is very easy to use, and it's...ery easy to understand the coverage available. We travel frequently to Mexico, and will continue to use Baja Bound for our insurance needs.
Super easy to sign up for insurance for both our Truck and Four Wheel Pop-Up camper. We had no issues while driving south of the boarder....... our friend did, and stated Baja Bound was on point to get things settled for his claim.
Easy and fast in less than 10 minutes you could have insurance for Mexico. I have used them for about 8 years already.
Easy to work with 😉. Always courteous and helpful. Have used them for all trips to Mexico. Easy website to navigate
Me gusta la asuguranza porque la puedes comprar por un dia y te asegura en Mexico por el tiempo que vas ya sea hasta por mes (Translated...by Google) I like the insurance because you can buy it for a day and it assures you in Mexico for the time you go either up to a month
Great company, great prices, and even better customer service. We've lived in Baja for 7 years and have used them for the past 6years....rtunately only claim has been road side assistance. Broke down on the way back from San Diego just inside Tijuana. Living in Ensenada we were worried about the cost of a tow that far. Insurance covered it completely all the way home. Driver license policy is great for up to 3 drivers and includes the road side. We've opted for full coverage on our vehicles that stay permanently in Baja just in case they ever got stolen. So far it's not been needed. But that's the thing with Insurance....you hope to never need it.
We use them every time we travel to Mexico. Luckily we have not needed their services yet but getting insurance through them is quick and...easy.
Team were on point, provided inside information, prices were great and they had my proposal already in the system when I called back....ful and so damn friendly. Cut my costs to help me out as well. Highly recommended.
Yara is very helpful and explains everything. Love working with companies like this.
Excellent
By far the best service for Mex insurance in Baja. They are personally there for you if you have problems south of the border.
Baja Bound is #1. They make getting Baja Mexico insurance a pleasure.
Thank God I had a safe trip but it did have me at peace knowing I was fully covered. The staff were friendly and very helpful.