San Diego’s San Salvador – Mayflower Of The West – Set To Sail Maiden Voyage In September

On Sept. 28, 1542, Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo, a Portuguese explorer sailing for Spain, discovered San Diego, anchoring his San Salvador flagship on Point Loma near the entrance to San Diego Bay. On this historic day, Cabrillo became the first European to set foot on the West Coast of the United States.

San Diego makes history again Labor Day weekend, Sept. 3-5, 2016, during the Maritime Museum of San Diego’s maiden voyage celebration of the first full-scale, historically-accurate working replica of the San Salvador, the “Mayflower of the West.” The impressive $6.2 million vessel stands 60 feet tall, weighs 230 tons and took the Maritime Museum five years to construct.

Coinciding with the museum’s annual Festival of Sail, the largest tall ship festival on the West Coast, visitors can for the first time board the San Salvador and enjoy a variety of onshore exhibits spotlighting this seaworthy recreation of Cabrillo’s 16th century galleon.

The adventure continues through October as the San Salvador embarks on a Pacific Heritage Tour of California’s coast, serving as a seafaring symbol of California’s origin story and the history of America from a West Coast perspective, and it will anchor in the following cities:

Sept. 15-18: Oxnard, Channel Islands Maritime Museum
Sept. 23-25: Monterey, Monterey State Historic Park
Sept. 30–Oct. 9: Morro Bay, Central Coastal Maritime Museum Association

At each port, visitors will be able to board the ship and discover immersive dockside exhibits and events.

A few lucky visitors will have a chance to join the San Salvador’s return voyage to San Diego and see California through explorers’ eyes, joining the crew for sailing lessons and shipboard activities including hands-on demonstrations of celestial navigation, cartography and sail handling. No sailing experience is needed. Cost is $995 per person per leg, which includes all onboard meals:

Leg I: Morro Bay to Channel Island to Ventura, Oct. 10-14
Leg II: Circumnavigate Catalina Island, Avalon to Avalon, Oct. 17-21
Leg III: Avalon to San Diego, Oct. 23-26

For those looking to expand their coastal discovery excursion, the following are a few popular attractions where visitors can trace Cabrillo’s momentous discovery, step back into San Diego’s rich history and explore the birthplace of California.

Cabrillo National Monument on Point Loma commemorates Cabrillo’s landing at San Diego Bay. San Diego’s only national park, the century-old monument features a commanding 14-foot-tall statue of Cabrillo; scenic overlooks to enjoy bird’s-eye views of the bustling harbor, downtown skyline, the Pacific Ocean and annual gray whale migration; the Old Point Loma Lighthouse, one of eight original lighthouses on the West Coast, and pristine tidepools to explore. A multilingual recorded message provides information about Cabrillo’s voyage at a lookout spot above Ballast Point, as well as in displays and a video dramatization in the monument's museum. During Sept. 30–Oct. 1, visitors can view a re-enactment of Cabrillo’s historic landing during the 53rd annual Cabrillo Festival at Ballast Point, Naval Base Point Loma. The free, family-friendly event features cultural demonstrations, folkloric performances, art vendors and food booths, bringing to life the traditions of Native American, Mexican, Portuguese and Spanish cultures.
In 1769, Spanish Franciscan missionary Father Junípero Serra and a group of soldiers led by Gaspar de Portolá established Alta California’s first mission and presidio (fort) atop Presidio Hill. One of San Diego’s most familiar landmarks, the Junipero Serra Museum stands at this site overlooking Old Town San Diego, considered the birthplace of California. The Spanish Revival, mission-style museum showcases the collection of the San Diego History Center. San Diego’s first “downtown” sprang up around Presidio Hill. Today, five original preserved adobe buildings and a historic plaza along with reconstructed sites and early 20th century buildings make up the six-block Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, representing San Diego’s Hispanic heritage from 1821 to 1872. Sites include the grand Casa de Estudillo, Old Town’s most famous adobe building; the one-room Mason Street School, San Diego’s first public school; Casa de Bandini/Cosmopolitan Hotel; the Machado-Stewart adobe House Museum, Seeley Stables and more.
Visitors can also step back in time at Mission San Diego de Alcala, the first of the 21 California missions and birthplace of Christianity on the West Coast. The mission was relocated from Old Town’s Presidio Hill to Mission Valley along the San Diego River in 1774. The historic site features beautiful gardens, a church, chapel, an excavation site believed to be part of the monastery and a museum. The annual Festival of the Bells in July celebrates the anniversary of the founding of Mission San Diego.
Visitors can explore the cultural, historical and recreational side of San Diego at Mission Trails Regional Park. One of the largest urban parks in the United States, encompassing 6,800 acres, Mission Trails provides a natural escape just a few miles from the city at no cost to visitors; admission is free. Park highlights include the Old Mission Dam, which provided water to Mission San Diego de Alcala via an aqueduct, 60 miles of hiking trails including a popular trek to the top of Cowles Mountain — the highest peak within San Diego city limits — boating on Lake Murray, camping at Kumeyaay Lake, a state-of-the-art Visitor and Interpretive Center and rock climbing in Mission Gorge. The park also features exhibits dedicated to the history of San Diego’s native inhabitants, the Kumeyaay Indians, who lived within the park as long as 1,000 years ago.

Find a place to stay

Book online or call 1-800-350-6205 to speak with a local expert Book Now

Great Gift-Giving Picks — San Diego-Style

Where to find the perfect presents for everyone on your list

Whether you're shopping for yourself or hoping to bring home a special gift for a loved one, San Diego has you covered. The key is to find those unique items that create lasting memories. Check out these 12 hidden gems to achieve exactly that!

Discover Restaurants

7 Baseball Season Pre-Game Spots

in Downtown

With so many exceptional bars and eateries within—yes—pitching distance, it's no wonder Petco Park allows baseball fans to exit and re-enter the stadium at any time, and to bring food inside. That means you can enjoy the spoils of the neighborhood before, after, and even during a game. And there are many places to do just that. Here are seven options, from divey to classy and a few in between.

Discover History & Heritage

The Top Nighttime Museum Experiences in San Diego

Where to explore arts, culture and more after dark

San Diego’s museums and arts and culture hotspots offer an inviting array of nighttime programs, concerts, events, films, exhibitions and more, from Liberty Station to Balboa Park, La Jolla, Old Town and Carlsbad. Here’s a look at how to enjoy San Diego’s cultural scene after dark.

Discover Shopping

Shopping Experiences for the Fashionistas...

VIP Shopping Services and Shopping Tours

San Diego has upped its game in the unique shopping experiences for the fashion-minded individuals.

Discover

Deals just for you

Venues

Show us your badge and receive a free shareable!

Punch Bowl Social San Diego Valid: Aug 22, 2024 - ongoing

Terms and Conditions: Offer is valid 8/20/2024 – 8/17/2025. Receive a fixed discount value of $15 USD off full-priced Shareables in one single transaction. To redeem, show your conference...

View this Deal Bars

Good Vibrations Happy Hour

207 - Hard Rock Hotel San Diego Valid: Sep 16, 2024 - ongoing

Why wait for the weekend when you can catch Good Vibrations any day of the week? Drop by 207 Bar from Sunday to Thursday, 3:00-5:00 pm, and let the good times roll. Raise a glass with local brews, sip...

View this Deal Accommodation

Stay Longer and Save

Hotel Z Valid: Feb 28 - ongoing

Save up to 15% when booking 3 nights or more Stay longer, sleep in later, and enjoy more time away. You deserve it! Book 3 nights or more and save up to 15%

View this Deal View More Deals

Events to check out

Event

Comic-Con International: San Diego

Jul 24 - Jul 27, 2025

Comic-Con International is the largest comics and pop culture event in the United States, attracting thousands of artists, celebrities and fans of comic books, movie memorabilia and all things related...

View this Event Event

Bike the Bay

Aug 24, 2025

San Diego's finest annual cycling event across the Coronado Bridge and around the bay! Ride the bridge, Bike the Bay for the annual ride on Sunday, August 24, 2025! Cruise around San Diego Bay and...

View this Event Event

Nighttime Zoo at the San Diego Zoo

San Diego Zoo May 23 - Aug 10, 2025

As the sun goes down, the fun heats up this summer at the San Diego Zoo. From global rhythms and spectacular entertainment to one-of-a-kind moments with your favorite wildlife after dark, join us...

View this Event View More Events

Explore

Plan

Stay

Language:

English | Change Language

Copyright ©2025 San Diego Tourism Authority. | 750 B Street, Suite 1500, San Diego, CA 92101 TEL. 619.232.3101 The San Diego Tourism Authority is funded in part by the San Diego Tourism Marketing District Corporation with City of San Diego Tourism Marketing District assessment funds.

Select your country or region

China Germany Great Britain Japan Mexico Korea Switzerland Brazil France Australia Canada USA

Or use Google Translate

Afrikaans Albanian Arabic Belarusian Bulgarian Croatian Danish Deutsch Español Estonian Filipino Finnish Francais Georgian Greek Haitian-Creole Hebrew Hindi Hungarian Icelandic Indonesian Irish Italian Japanese Korean Latvian Lithuanian Macedonian Malay Maltese Nederlands Norwegian Persian Polish Portuguese Romanian Russian Serbian Slovak Slovenian Swahili Swedish Telugu Thai Turkish Ukranian Vietnamese Yiddish , Photo By */ ]]> Shopping