San Juan Capistrano Off The Beaten Path

While the mission is the main attraction in San Juan Capistrano, the remainder of the historic center is fairly interesting in its own right. The train depot is a beautiful brick building modeled on the mission style architecture. It also has pleasant grounds that imitates that of the mission with flowers, arbors and large shade trees.

San Juan Capistrano claims to be the home of the oldest neighborhood in California. The forty homes that comprise the district date from the late 1700s and include three adobe structures that housed the mission construction workers.

Some of the houses are still family homes, while other dwellings house restaurants, shops, museums and even a law office. The Los Rios District is located just on the other side of the train tracks from the Capistrano Depot.

Go down Ortega Hwy (72), away from the Mission, about 2 mi. It'll be on your lefthand side. If you hit Avenida Siega on your righthand side, you've gone just a little too far. Giddings Ranch sells fresh fruit, snacks, etc. It's a place that the locals know about.

Take Ortega Hwy (72) east, away from the Mission. Go about 2-3 miles. Turn right on Avenida Siega, go to the end. There should be stables in front of you. If you can't park in there, turn right on Arroyo and head down to the park about one block up (cross street, Estenaga). What you want to do is go through the stables or park, over the bump, down to the creek. Now, of course, this is all 'at your own risk', as I don't know the condition of the creek, and during El Nino years, the waters can rise to flood condition. But usually, it's just a nice, low creek. Nice for skipping rocks, looking for frogs, etc. Please don't kill any plants or animals. Thanks.

Most miss the Los Rios District. How do you get there? From the Mission entrance, walk south down El Camino toward the train depot (follow the signs and turn right, toward the Depot, down toward the tracks). Cross over the tracks to the little neighborhood on the other side. The Los Rios District is the oldest neighborhood in San Juan Capistrano. There are delightful little houses and adobes and old trellises and vines. It's quite quaint... like stepping back in time a bit.