The southernmost of the San Antonio missions, furthest from downtown and consequently the quietest. Mission San Francisco de la Espada was founded in 1731, its modest church rebuilt in the 18th century. The facade's Moorish-influenced arched doorway is unusual among Texas missions. The church is still an active parish; Mass is celebrated here regularly, as it has been for nearly three centuries.
The Espada Aqueduct, about a mile north of the mission, is one of the most remarkable pieces of colonial engineering in North America — a two-arch stone aqueduct carrying irrigation water that has flowed continuously since 1745. The Mission Reach trail connects all five missions; cycling the full route makes for a good half-day out.