Legend has it that in the early 1500's when Spanish explorer Cabrillo was nearly shipwrecked and he first set foot on a deserted island that is now called Cabrillo Bay. After spending several days scouting the tiny island and noting that it was uninhabited he fell in love with it and marked it as his by pulling out his sword and cutting into one of the trees. Just before Christmas, Cabrillo fell sick with a fever. None of the explorers could tell what caused the fever. Cabrillo knew hew was dying so he sent the other explorers off to continue the expedition. He absolutely refused to leave the island and died there three days after Christmas.

Still it would be another 400 years before anyone would make their outpost on this island. An environmental scientist came to Cabrillo Bay to study the flora and fauna. He fell in love with it just as much as Cabrillo himself. The scientist set up a base camp there, moving his family out and that small camp was the first community to inhabit Cabrillo bay. Since the early 1900's, the population of Cabrillo Bay has grown significantly. It became a holiday escape for many Californians looking for a taste of the quiet life. The rich soil of the island coupled with the tropical climate made it a perfect place for crops of Mangos, bananas, and in recent years Pineapples.

Some scientists today says Cabrillo was buried on the island but to this day no one has ever found the Capitan's gravesite. In fact, no one is sure on which of the offshore islands he is buried. Local legend holds that he is buried on San Miguel Island. Some think that he was buried on neighboring Santa Rosa Island. Still others assert Cabrillo's final resting place is on Cabrillo Bay.

Today's adventurer can experience the unspoiled hammock forest along nature trails and view the quiet beauty of herons, egrets and roseate spoonbills along the shore. Relaxing is part of Cabrillo Bay’s lifestyle. Just kick back and enjoy a quiet afternoon under the tropical sun, sipping a tall cool glass of lemonade, just a few steps from a cool splash in the bay!

There is much more to Cabrillo Bay than the legends of the past -- the splendors of this tropical paradise provide a life style unchallenged anywhere in the world. Come and create your own legends, stay and let us share our unique heritage with you again and again. We welcome you to this island of history and enchantment...Legendary Cabrillo Bay, the Island of Endless Summer!