Cabrillo National Monument
- Address:1800 Cabrillo Memorial Drive, San Diego
- Hours:Open daily 9am - 5pm
- Admission:US$5 per vehicle
10:53 AM Sunday, May 27
Passing clouds. Refreshingly cool.
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On the southern tip of Point Loma, at the top of hill, you'll find Cabrillo National Monument. The spot is San Diego’s finest locale for history and fine views across the bay to San Diego's downtown. It's also the best place in San Diego to see the gray whale migration (January to March) from land. After a few minutes here, you may forget you’re in a major metropolitan area.
The visitors center at Cabrillo National Monument has an excellent presentation on Portuguese explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo’s 1542 voyage up the California coast, plus good exhibits on the native inhabitants and the area’s natural history. Also here is the Old Point Loma Lighthouse, which is appointed with late-19th century pieces, including lamps and picture frames hand-covered with hundreds of shells. On the ocean side, you can drive or walk down to the tide pools (at low tide) to look for anemones, starfish, crabs, and limpets.
Latest Reviews All Cabrillo National Monument Reviews »
Totally worth the money. Friendly crew and excellent narration. Had a lot of fun. Continue Reading »
Loved the cruise. Would like to make one comment. We made our reversation on a Monday and went to San Diego on Tuesday and were not able to print out our tickets. Had a very hard time trying to get them from my e-mail to another one and print out. Surely there is an easier way to get them to print out if you make a last minute trip. Continue Reading »
Practical Info
Cabrillo National Monument is located southwest of downtown, on Point Loma, which juts out into the Pacific Ocean directly west of San Diego Bay. You can get here by car or take a bus from Old Town Transit Station. Plan to spend about 90 minutes here. Keep in mind that even on sunny days temperatures can be cool, so bring a jacket. The site has some great spots to have a picnic, so pack a basket, as there are no food options here.
