Baviácora

Baviácora is a small farming town on the Río Sonora, the first real stop on the river route north of Ures. It was founded in 1639 by the Jesuit missionary Bartolomé Castaño as the mission of Nuestra Señora de la Purísima Concepción de Baviácora, to evangelize the Ópata people who farmed this valley. The name comes from the Ópata word babícori, for the wild mint that grows along the river.

The mission church, built by the Jesuits in the 17th century, still stands over the main square, a shady plaza with old trees and benches. Next to it the town also has a newer church, and the contrast between the two is part of its charm. The town keeps the slow, quiet pace of the river villages.

Baviácora is a good base for exploring the countryside. In the hills nearby, Las Tinajas is a natural canyon where people go hiking, mountain biking, and watching wildlife, and the town sits on the Ruta del Río Sonora, which continues north through Aconchi and other old mission towns.