We visited later in the day and we were lucky enough to meet one of the Monks that takes care of Espada...he gave us a tour and told us all the "secrets" there are to Espada! He was so wonderful! I enjoyed his stories!

This was a very peaceful place, the church is still used, the padres live there still. Fire damaged most of the mission and walls, but still nice to see.

Out of the five missions in San Antonio, this seemed like the most authentic and the most quaint. The simple mission church is beautiful.

I loved this mission. It felt like the most intimate on the Mission Trail. The church is small but lovely, and the attached building has great arches and houses a cloister of Franciscan monks. It was definitely worth a stroll around the grounds.

The City and Park Service need to improve upon the signage-directional and otherwise. The signage is shameful!

Like Mission Espaneda (sp?) If you're on a tour bus, take some time to look around. It's a small mission but has some nice interesting pics that need to be taken.

Hot day for bicycling, but we made it to the last mission, Espada. If there is still construction on the Riverwalk, then go by way of Mission Road to get there.

This was the last one on the mission trail. It is much different than the other missions regarding design and layout. The interior and decorations are not ornate as the other, but sometimes simple can be more elegant.

It was very nice and beautiful! Make sure you also visit the visitor center and walk around the area.