The preserved ruins of an impressive Spanish colonial mission stand at the center of Tumacácori National Historic Park (daily; $3; 520/398-2341), 42 miles from Tucson, 19 miles north of Nogales, and just three miles south of Tubac, off I-19 exit 29. The site was used by missionaries as early as 1691, but it wasn’t until 1800 that they set to work building the massive adobe church. Though never finished, thanks to Apache raids and the Mexican Revolution, Tumacácori stands as an impressive reminder of the religious passion of the friars and their efforts to convert local tribes.

  Directly across the highway from Tumacácori is a rare sight—a Greek café—and a half mile north is Wisdom’s (520/398-2397), which serves reliable Mexican and American food.