(Photo by James Blank)
Portuguese explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo led a Spanish fleet up the coast of Baja California in 1542, landing at the bay he named San Miguel. He found the area occupied by a group of native people called the Kumeyaay.
After a week of exploration, Cabrillo sailed on, to follow Alta California's uncharted coast north. Spanish explorer Sebastian Vizcaino renamed the bay San Diego in 1602. Franciscan padre Junipero Serra put San Diego on the map, so to speak, when he celebrated mass at the settlement on July 16, 1769.
San Diego celebrates its history all around the region, from Cabrillo National Monument on Point Loma, to Old Town State Historic Park, to Serra's mission, which was relocated away from the military installment in 1774.
Cabrillo National Monument, established in 1913, covers a range of San Diego's history, both natural and man-made. Point Loma, guarding the entrance to San Diego Bay, has long been a military outpost. Remains of coastal defense installations may be seen on hikes through the area, along with tide pools and coastal scrub preserved throughout the park.
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