San Jose y San Miguel de Comondu

In a hidden and fertile valley approximately 14 km long and and average of 1 km wide, like a crack opening on the heart of the Sierra de la Giganta, sit the picturesque villages of San Miguel and San Jose de Comondu, about 3 km apart. 

Missionaries from Loreto, exploring the area in search of more sites to establish missions, discovered Comondu 51 km northwest of that port, just about halfway between the two seas and located beside a spring where lived several tribes of Indians. In order to convert them, José de la Peña Castrejón y Salzinez Marquis de Villapuente founded those missions.

In 1708 Fathers Juan María Salvatierra, Juan de Ugarte and Jilian Mayorga traveled to the site of the new mission. Father Julian Mayorga was in charge of the project and remained there until his death on November 10 of 1736. In 1750 the Austrian Father Franz Inama began the construction of a temple, huge structure comprising of three buildings which was used through 1827 and the rafter abandoned. At the beginning of the 20th century, a large part of the church was demolished and the material being used to construct a school. Large sections of walls lying in ruins around the building give visitors an idea of the magnitude of the original structure. Three bells still remain dating 1697, 1708 and 1741. 

For a long time, Comondu was prosperous and almost self sufficient, cultivating many kinds of fruits, vegetables and other plants. Each year at the harvest time, ancient mills would come alive, turning the cane into various products for human consumption. Homemade stills were used to make excellent liquors and olive oil was produced in great quantities. Fernando Jordan said that Comondu had a smell of liquor and olive and we would add that it also smelt of cane syrup, mesquite fires and geraniums. Cattle produced meat, cheese, butter and leather which was used to manufacture several products, especially leather containers known as 'Zurrones' to pack dates and raisins exported to the mainland.

These quaint villages provide the ideal jumping off place for those who Love adventure, ecotourism, regional history and culture, Oases in the desert and rugged peaks with cave paintings provide a multitude of sites to explore.

There are cabins for camping with simple but wholesome offerings of regional cuisine, wine and dried fruits.