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Sport & OutdoorHistory BuffOutdoor Adventure

Cabrillo National Monument

1800 Cabrillo Memorial Dr · San Diego, CA

Why you should go…

The monument marks the 1542 landing of Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo and sits at the tip of the Point Loma peninsula with sweeping views of San Diego Bay and the Pacific. Tide pools below the bluffs and a restored 1855 lighthouse round out the grounds, and gray whales are visible from the overlook in winter.

  • #national monument
  • #point loma
  • #tide pools
  • #views
  • #lighthouse

Good to know

General sport & outdoor guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • Weather calls the shots

    Check the forecast the morning of and keep an indoor backup in your pocket for the day it turns.

  • Shoes, water, sun cover

    The three things that decide whether you last the whole outing or cut it short after an hour.

  • Parking and launches fill early

    On a nice weekend, lots and trailheads are often full by mid-morning.

  • Daylight shrinks in shoulder season

    Spring and fall visits need an earlier start than the same trip in July.

What's around here?

The closest stops to Cabrillo National Monument, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Sightseeing
    Iconic

    Hotel del Coronado

    Free

    A red-turreted Victorian beach resort from 1888, one of the last of America's great wooden seaside hotels.

    3.4 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

  • Tours
    Outdoor Adventure

    Wild Pacific Whale Watch

    $50+

    Whale and dolphin watching cruises off San Diego aboard a stabilized 82-foot vessel.

    3.6 mi awaySwitch it up: Tours

  • Eat & Drink
    Foodie Favorite

    Liberty Public Market

    Under $25

    A restored 1940s naval commissary turned indoor food hall at Liberty Station in Point Loma.

    4.8 mi awaySwitch it up: Eat & Drink

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Local Gem

    Balboa Park

    Free

    A 1,200-acre urban park packed with Spanish Colonial architecture, gardens, and more than a dozen museums.

    7.1 mi awayMore like this

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Outdoor Adventure

    La Jolla Cove

    Free

    A small, cliff-ringed beach cove where sea lions haul out on the rocks just feet from swimmers.

    12 mi awayMore like this

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Local Gem

    Surf Diva

    $50+

    La Jolla surf school offering group, private and camp lessons for all ages at beginner-friendly La Jolla Shores.

    13 mi awayMore like this