Interesting Facts: Cliff Swallows (Las Golondrínas) return to mission from their wintering grounds 2000 miles away on or about each March 19 (St. Joseph's Day). The return of the swallows is celebrated in Leon Rene’s famous song "When the Swallows Come Back to Capistrano."
San Juan Capistrano was actually founded twice. Construction had begun in 1775 when news of the Indian attack on the San Diego mission forced the padres to stop construction and delay the founding until late 1776.
Richard Dana described the brisk trade in hides and tallow at the San Juan Capistrano in his coming-of-age book Two Years Before the Mast.
Follow the coastal route along the ocean from San Diego, site of the first Spanish mission in California, to the best known mission, San Juan Capistrano. Each beach town along the route has a shopping area and access to the beach. This route from San Diego to San Juan Capistrano can be done by Amtrak train. To visit the mission, you can take the San Diego trolley. Board the Red line Trolley downtown, then transfer to the Green line trolley at Old Town and continue to the San Diego mission.
Mission Church: In 1778, two years after the mission was moved to the present site, a small adobe chapel was built, and soon replaced by the Serra Chapel in 1782. This is the only remaining church in which Fr. Serra held mass. In order to accommodate the mission's growing population, the Great Stone Church was constructed between 1797 - 1806. This cathedral-like building was 180 feet long by 40 feet wide, and had a high-vaulted ceiling surmounted by seven domes fronted by a 120 foot tall bell tower. In December, 1812 a massive earthquake destroyed the Great Stone Church, killing 40 neophytes.
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