Los Cabos is the area located on the southernmost tip of the Baja California peninsula and is made up of two towns: Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo.
Today it is home to sprawling all-inclusive resorts, world-class restaurants, and private VIP getaways. It’s come a long way from its humble and often violent past.
The history of Los Cabos is incredibly fascinating when you consider its place on the world stage.
The History of Pebble Beach Golf Links
Hernan Cortes heard stories of the fabled island of California. The island was thought to be a paradise… believed to be filled with only women who used weapons made of solid gold.
And why wouldn’t he believe these stories? The Spanish conquistador had just conquered the fabled city of Technochtilan and claimed its riches for Spain.
After spending a number of years as New Spain’s first governor, he began to personally finance multiple explorations, desperate for new found glory.
When these trips proved themselves to be failures, Cortes himself boarded a ship for the golden island. But He did not find cities of gold. Instead he found a sweltering desert landscape and hostile peoples who were in no way happy to see Spanish explorers.
For 10,000 years the Pericues (Per-a-koo) made homes along the same pristine shores that Cortes would gaze upon, undisturbed by the outside world.
For the next two hundred years, the tribes of Pericues clashed the Europeans, including Jesuit priests who were sent to convert them to Christianity.
The Jesuits arrival would prove to be a turning point on the peninsula. After founding several unsuccessful missions and settlements, they founded a mission in 1730 that would more or less make Europe’s presence in the area permanent.
That mission’s name was San Jose del Cabo Anuiti … the city of San Jose del Cabo has remained ever since.
By 1768, due to war with the European Jesuits and Old World diseases like smallpox, the Pericues were extinct.
Los Cabos remained a strategic location for both Spanish trade ships returning from Asia with silks, spices and gold, and the pirates that hounded them… including Sir Francis Drake.
The exact details are unknown but most credit Cipriano Ceseña as Cabo San Lucas founder in the 1820s. He, along with his wife and his… 13… children would be its first citizens.
A side note: one of Cipriano’s sons, Vincente, father 27 children with multiple wives. Truly a tribe within itself.
Thomas Ritchie, a European whaler who deserted his ship, was one of many European ship deserters who made a life on the coast. His two story house became the town center for many decades.
After Mexico gained independence in 1821 the area settled down a bit but continued on as an important trade destination with a few notable moments.
On February 17, 1822, Lord Admiral Thomas Cochrane, dubbed “The Wolf of the Seas” and the Chilean Navy sacked the town of San Juan del Cabo because the locals were still raising the flag of Spain over their town. The men pillaged the town and looted the mission.
The local military leader was made to make a public pledge of allegiance to Mexico.
In 1842 nine Japanese seamen were rescued from a sinking vessel and spent 7 months living in Los Cabos. The men were even offered to marry some of the local’s daughters. The men politely declined these generous offers and would eventually return to Japan in 1844.
In 1915, forces loyal to Venustiano Carranza, 37th President of Mexico, drove out Pancho Villa and his troops from the peninsula.
Los Cabos went on, largely unchanged until Hollywood came calling in the mid-20th century.
In 1948, Bing Crosby, Phil Harris, Desi Arnaz, and John Wayne pooled their money and built hotel Las Cruces on the East Cape.
From then on, Cabo San Lucas became a paradise hideaway for the rich and famous and a popular tourist destination for people all over the globe.
Cabo’s population in 1955 was around 300 residents. Today it’s a bustling city of nearly 90,000 and growing at a frantic pace.
The area boasts incredibly diverse offerings, such as championship-level golf courses, a stunning marina, and food selections from around the globe.
From modest beginnings and bloodshed to a luxury playground for the elite;… Los Cabos remains a land full of remarkable history and amazing contrasts.
