Situated at the southern tip of the Point Loma Peninsula, you will find the Cabrillo National Monument, the only national park within the boundaries of San Diego. The monument commemorates the landing of explorer João Rodrigues Cabrilho, the first European to set foot on what would become the West Coast of the United States. Cabrilho’s nationality has been debated for centuries and two plaques sit at his statue at the park: one from Spain and one from Portugal.

Starting at the Visitor’s Center, you can walk up to the Old Point Loma Lighthouse, the highest point in the park and a city icon since 1855. The old lighthouse now serves as a museum fully restored to its 1880’s appearance and presents life as it was for the light keepers and their families in those days. From this vantage point, you can get a panoramic view of San Diego’s harbor and downtown skyline over North Island Naval Air Base and Coronado and the Silver Strand. You’ll see many ships enjoying the ocean in any kind of weather from this vantage point. On very clear day, you might even be able to see the wide expanse of the Pacific Ocean, Tijuana and even Mexico’s Coronado Islands.