Venture Through the Historic City of Goliad

Journey to a place that hangs heavy with the historical remnants of its storied past.

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You probably remember Goliad, but did you know it was the birthplace of cattle ranching in Texas?

Spanish priests at Goliad’s Mission Espíritu Santo were the first to gather up wild cattle for large-scale beef production, expanding from 4,000 head in 1758 to over 40,000 within a few decades. In 1779, the first cattle drive out of Texas departed Goliad for New Orleans to feed Spanish soldiers battling the British there during the American Revolution.

But we remember Goliad for a different war of independence, the Texas Revolution. Time for a vote: You’re a Texian soldier fighting against Santa Anna’s tyrannical regime with 400 of your fellow revolutionaries, and you’re surrounded by the Mexican Army. You’re outnumbered three to one and trapped without water in the middle of the open prairie. Dozens of your friends are already wounded including your leader, Colonel Fannin. It’s a battle you can’t win. Do you vote to surrender? Or do you vote to try and escape — and leave the wounded men to their fates?

The Texians took a vote: Surrender it was. Believing they’d be protected as prisoners of war and paroled to the United States, the soldiers were confined inside the imposing Spanish fortress of Presidio La Bahía. On March 27, 1836, they were marched out at sunrise and shot. The death toll at the Goliad Massacre was twice that at the Alamo, and the battle cry “Remember Goliad!” helped unify the resistance and propel the Texians to victory.

Both the mission and presidio still stand in Goliad, each beautifully restored and powerfully evocative of early Spanish settlement in the New World. Built in 1749 to establish Spanish supremacy and convert the indigenous Aranama people, Presidio La Bahía squats on a hill above the San Antonio River. Despite formidable bastions and three-foot-thick walls, the fortress was besieged and changed hands many times throughout history. Stroll through the museum in the soldiers’ quarters and visit the ancient chapel where mass has been held almost every week since 1779 — and where the first Texas Declaration of Independence was signed. Look up on your way out to see the earliest flag of Texas independence flying in the breeze, the “Bloody Arm” flag with its burly severed arm grasping a blood-dripping sword.

Behind the presidio, you can pay your respects at Fannin Memorial Monument, hallowed ground where the Goliad Massacre victims are buried. It’s also the beginning of the paved Angel of Goliad Hike and Bike Trail, which runs 2.5 miles to the town center and passes through Goliad State Park and Historic Site. Nestled in a scenic crook of the San Antonio River, its star attraction is Mission Espíritu Santo. The Spanish mission’s whitewashed walls gleam against the blue Texas sky. It’s a dramatic, romantic place of refuge whose sacred feel is enhanced by rural environs.

Continue the trail into town to reach the historic town square and its striking Second Empire-style courthouse from 1894. On the north lawn, there’s a hanging tree where capital sentences were carried out in swift style. From Wild West justice and Texian rebels to Spanish priests and Aranama natives, Goliad’s rich history reveals itself at every turn. Before there was Texas, before there was Mexico, there was Goliad.

Explore Goliad

Savor: Blue Quail Deli is known for its award-winning cream of jalapeño soup. But the paninis on asiago cheese bread are just as delicious, especially when you dip them in the soup. A few doors down is Deborah’s Kitchen Table, the go-to joint for chicken-fried steak and scratch-made country cooking. Save room for a slice of coconut pie. Drop into Dwell for craft coffees and trendy eats like avocado toast with goat cheese and pistachios. You’ll also find several Mexican restaurants around town; Wanda’s may be a hole-in-the-wall but gets the highest marks for homestyle Tex-Mex, fresh salsa, and friendly service from the owners.

Shop: You can spend the better part of an afternoon doodling in and out of boutiques around the courthouse square. Pick up pretty potted succulents at The Garden’s Path nursery and browse rare pistols and antique rifles at The Best Little Gun Shop in Texas. Need a new sage bundle or a Tibetan singing bowl? Shop for them at The Soul Emporium, along with other metaphysical supplies like crystals and candles. Every second Saturday, the courthouse lawn hosts Market Days with open-air vendors selling a little bit of everything: Bundt cakes, handmade crafts, kettle corn, and wooden furniture.

Enjoy: In addition to Mission Espíritu Santo, Goliad State Park is also home to a floating dock for fishing and a landing site for the 6-mile Goliad Paddling Trail. You can look for wildlife on looping nature paths and explore exhibits about El Camino Real, the historic Spanish “King’s Road” that ran right through Goliad. The nearby Zaragoza Birthplace State Historic Site honors the Mexican general whose army defeated the French at the Battle of Puebla, a spectacular upset now widely celebrated as Cinco de Mayo each year. History buffs may want to tour the ruins of Mission Rosario and Fannin Battleground State Historic Site, both outside of town, or visit on March 27 for the annual Goliad Massacre Reenactment.

Snooze: Sleep inside a National Historic Landmark when you book the officer’s quarters at the Presidio La Bahía, a surprisingly comfortable four-room apartment with rough stone walls, heavy wooden doors, and a crackling fireplace. Overnight guests have the fort’s capacious inner courtyard all to themselves. With no TV or Wi-Fi, it’s quite the atmospheric experience. But you may not want to read the guestbook until morning, because it’s filled with tales of “ghostly” encounters and other strange bumps in the night. There are also a couple of ranch/river homes to rent on Airbnb and Vrbo, campsites at Goliad State Park, and a Best Western. Otherwise, head over to Victoria (26 miles away) for a larger selection of short-term rentals.

How to Get There: Drive south on Interstate 35. Just before Georgetown (about 18 miles past Salado), take Exit 265 for TX-130 S, the loop around Austin. Stay on TX-130 S for about 60 miles, following signs for TX-130 S/Lockhart/San Antonio, until Exit 470 for US-183. Exit to US-183 S and continue for 98 miles to arrive in Goliad. The trip is about 315 miles and takes around five hours with no stops or traffic.