The Cabrillo National Monument

In 1542, Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo and his sailing expedition became the first Europeans to set foot on the west coast. They stayed there for a little while to relax before continuing northward. Cabrillo called it San Miguel. The area is now known as Point Loma. The peninsula of Point Loma is one of the westernmost points of San Diego and gives you a great view of the Catalina Islands, Downtown, Mexico, and Sea World. The highest area of the park has the Old Point Loma Lighthouse. This was built in 1854 and first lit up in 1855. 400 feet below the first, a second lighthouse was built in 1891 due to the fact the first one was just too high up and wasn't reliable to sailors due to the amount of fog in the area. The newer lighthouse is still in use by the U.S. Coast Guard. Standing watch over the sea is a statue of Cabrillo that was donated by the Portuguese Navy in 1957.

HIGHLIGHTS

At 144 acres, The Cabrillo National Monument is a beautiful park that has a visitor center complete with books, postcards, information, and shells available to buy. There are films and lectures about Cabrillo, grey whales, and the local animal life in the Pacific Ocean and surrounding areas. There is a nice hiking path that has stations along the way with recordings of information and signs that describe the various boats and planes that frequently pass the peninsula. The best time to go if you want to see the whales is from mid-January to mid-March. This is the time of year the grey whales are migrating from Alaska to Baja California and then make their return journey. There are park rangers there at all times to help you see the whales as well as telescopes and covered shelters with even more information. Tidepools are very close by and are always fun to poke around in as they are full of anemones, fish, crabs, and other shallow sea life.

I grew up in Point Loma and really disliked when my parents took me to the Cabrillo Monument. Children bore easily by things of this nature and this monument is no exception. I realized how interesting it was when I was about 20 years old and took girlfriends there for picnics and the whale watching. I even went to Cabrillo elementary school as a kid. Overall, if you are going to San Diego and have a free afternoon, this is a nice and cheap way to spend it.

Go there for the history but stay as the sun dips into the Pacific.

1800 Cabrillo Memorial Dr., San Diego, CA, USA
(619)557-5450

Fees are:
$5 per car or $3 for people on foot or bicycle.