A Sonoran Pilgrimage

This day-long tour takes travelers to Magdalena de Kino, Sonora—a historic pilgrimage town with deep cultural and spiritual significance. You’ll explore the legacy of Father Eusebio Francisco Kino, Jesuit missionary, explorer, and advocate for Indigenous communities. You’ll visit his resting place, explore mission-era churches, and learn how the region’s Indigenous and colonial histories continue to shape the cultural fabric of northern Mexico. The tour follows historic routes—many originally carved by Indigenous peoples and later adopted by missionaries and settlers. Through guided interpretation, conversations with residents, and time spent in plazas, chapels, and markets, you’ll gain a vivid sense of life in a Mexican border town. You'll also explore the surrounding Sonoran Desert, home to the iconic saguaro cactus. Included is a relaxed lunch featuring regional dishes and drinks—an opportunity to enjoy Sonoran flavors and reflect on what you’ve seen and learned through the day.

This experience stands out for its intimate, cross-cultural approach to one of the most historically rich towns in northern Mexico. It blends historical insight with lived experience in a place where faith, identity, and frontier history still shape daily life. Rather than a passive sightseeing tour, you’ll engage deeply—with the guides and residents, through the storytelling, conversation and reflection. Stops at family-run eateries and artisan shops add local flavor and texture, grounding the history in everyday life. Magdalena is the terminus of a centuries-old pilgrimage route. Pilgrims from across the region travel here each year to “pagar la manda”—a promise fulfilled through a 60-mile journey to visit the reclining statue of Saint Francis Xavier. The monumental plaza and chapel serve as the final destination for thousands of walkers moved by devotion and tradition. This is about human connection to place, past, and the sacred continuity of life in the Sonoran borderlands.

Alex and Rocío have been running tours along the U.S.–Mexico borderlands for many years, primarily as a way to share positive, accurate information about the region they call home. Beginning in 2019 with efforts to disseminate local history, they soon expanded to offering tours and experiences that connect visitors with communities on both sides of the border. Alex’s earliest memory is a family visit to Tijuana—an experience that sparked a lasting fascination with the people and heritage of Mexico. While at university, he focused his studies and research on the Hispanic cultural heritage of the American Southwest and Mexico. Rocío is a graphic designer who has managed communications projects for a range of institutions, including government agencies and nonprofits in both the U.S. and Mexico. She loves sharing the diversity and richness of the region through visual storytelling.

Plenty of water Sun protection (hat, sunscreen, sunglasses) Layered clothing for changing conditions Curiosity — and a good spirit for connection