Point Loma San Diego Beach Vacations

 

One of the most spectacular vistas to view San Diego is on top of the hill at Point Loma. A monument to Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo who led the first European expedition to the west coast of the United States in 1542 can be seen at Cabrillo National Monument. Views span the San Diego Bay all the way to Tijuana, Mexico, but one of our favorite sites is seen looking down at the beaches at Hotel del Coronado on Coronado Island. 

Getting to Point Loma: From Interstate Highways I-5 South or I-8 West, take the Rosecrans exit (also known as State Highway 209). Stay on Rosecrans into Point Loma to Canon Street; turn right onto Canon. Take a left onto Catalina and follow it to the end. From Interstate Highway I-5 North, take the Airport Exit (also known as Hawthorne Street). Follow Hawthorne towards San Diego Bay. Take a right onto Harbor Drive. Stay on Harbor Drive past the Airport to Rosecrans; take a left onto Rosecrans. Stay on Rosecrans to Canon Street; turn right onto Canon. Take a left onto Catalina and follow it to the end. Cost: A small fee is charged for a pass, with a reduced rate for entering the park on foot. nps.gov/

When the Spanish conquistador sailed from Navidad, Mexico, it took three months to travel the Pacific to Point Loma's eastern shore near the base of the hill where the Cabrillo Monument  keeps a watchful eye over the bay. Cabrillo National Monument was established in 1913 and is part of the National State Parks system. The statue was created by sculptor Alvaro de Bree for the Portuguese Government in 1939, who donated it to the United States. Made of sandstone, the monument is 14 feet tall and weighs 7 tons. Shown in the photo above, the people look rather small compared to this oversized statue that seems to guard the bay. There's a lighthouse and museum near the statue. In the museum you can watch a film about Cabrillo's voyage and view exhibits about the expedition. With provisions for two years, the Cabrillo expedition was sort of a Noah's ark of animals and foods with an armada of three ships built by Cabrillo and serving his command. The flagship, the San Salvador, is on display inside the Visitor Center of Cabrillo National Monument.

A beacon of light once shown on Point Loma at the Point Loma Light Station starting in 1854. Today mostly gps is used and few light stations or lighthouses actually operate. The Point Loma Lighthouse is open for tours during your visit to the National Park. 

Held usually in the last weekend of September and first weekend of October is a festival at Cabrillo National Monument with dancing, recreations of 16th-century soldiers’ quarters, weapons demonstrations, vendor booths and a re-enactment of the discovery. At the lowest point beneath this stone monument is the Cabrillo Intertidal Area featuring a self-guided two-mile walk through a coastal sage scrub forest that begins near the Lighthouse.

The trail features birds, lizards, small rodents and in the spring you can see wildflowers in bloom. Accessible by car on the west side of the park is an intertidal zone. During extreme low tides visitors enjoy exploring the shoreline. The best low tides typically occur during the winter months, in the afternoon and during the new and full moon.