Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo was the first European to explore California. He first spotted Point Loma from the south. He was the first explorer, sailing under the flag of Spain, to reach this far north along the coast. Cabrillo departed the port of Navidad on Mexico's west coast on 27, June 1542. Three months later he arrived in an enclosed port-- San Diego Bay. This was the mariner's first landfall north of Baja Peninsula and he is believed to have anchored and landed off Point Loma's east side. Cabrillo himself died later in the expedition and was buried in the Channel Islands. His crew went on and explored to a latitude as far north as Oregon before returning to Mexico. The Monument sits high atop Point Loma looking out over the bay. Cabrillo sailed in on 28 September, 1542. A heroic statue at a dramatic overlook commemorates this event. Each day a film, In Search of Cabrillo, is shown at the visitor center, and an exhibit hall explores the man's past.

Do I sound like a tour book yet?