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 this September with the launch of a historically accurate, working replica of Cabrillo’s ship that sailed into San Diego Bay more than four centuries ago.

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.

• On Sept. 4 during the Festival of Sail, the largest tall ship festival on the West Coast, visitors can view the grand debut of a full-size, functioning replica of the San Salvador, which will lead a parade of ships on San Diego Bay. The impressive $6.2 million vessel standing 60 feet tall and weighing 230 tons took the Maritime Museum of San Diego five years to construct and is made entirely of wood similar to the original San Salvador. Click here to view a time-lapse video of the ship’s construction.
  
  After her maiden voyage, the San Salvador will dock alongside the Maritime Museum’s other ships, serving as a seafaring symbol of California’s origin story and the history of the Americas from a West Coast perspective – much as the Mayflower symbolizes American history on the East Coast. The San Salvador will also sail the California coast as a San Diego ambassador.
• The San Salvador perfectly complements Cabrillo National Monument on Point Loma, commemorating 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 and Pacific Ocean, as well as the 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. 
  
  On Sept. 27, visitors can view a re-enactment of Cabrillo’s historic landing during the 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, considered the third jewel in San Diego’s park system along with Balboa Park and Mission Bay 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.