The Spanish built five missions using indigenous Texas labor and four of them are in the San Antonio Missions National Park and together with Mission Valero (The Alamo) are UNESCO World Heritage sites. Apart from the Alamo which is surround by inner city buildings the others are in wide open spaces and pretty much as they were when built, a positive compared to the Alamo. It is an easy drive south of the city to Conception, San Jose, San Juan and Espana. It is also possible to walk. All four are well preserved, some better than others. If you only see the Alamo, you miss the rich Spanish history in the town.

Mission Park Historical Park run by the NPS is well done. If you go plan to take the tour with a ranger as you will understand why this is a treasure to America. We enjoyed the short film at the visitors center and then the guided tour. Time allowed only one other stop so we were advised to go to Conception as it is in original condition. The whole of the Mission Park is a designated World Heritage Site.

A good way to spend an afternoon. Each mission was different from the next, but viewed consecutively, you appreciate the preservation at the sites. Very interesting and worth the trip.

Rent a B bike and visit each mission.Peaceful trail next to the river. Lots of bird activity. A couple of spots you need to go on highway. The missions are a glimpse into the past. Greatful to have caught a funeral mass service.

This might have been the hidden highlight of our vacation. These missions are some of the coolest buildings you will see in Texas. I believe the park ranger stated the trail was about 15 miles, so we took the driving route. There are 4 missions on the trail, and all are worth the time.