Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo Tells His Story Seeking Adventure as a Sailor and Spanish Conquistador

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My name is Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo, and I was an explorer sailing for Spain in the 1500s. I was born in Spain or perhaps Portugal around 1499, and like many young men of my time, I set out to sea to seek fortune and adventure. I fought in battles in Central America and helped establish Spanish settlements, gaining both wealth and experience. But the greatest chapter of my life came when I was chosen to lead an expedition north from Mexico in 1542, to search for new lands and a possible route to Asia.

We set sail with three ships, braving storms and uncharted waters. In September, I became the first European to step onto the coast of what you now call California, landing in what is today San Diego Bay. From there, I sailed further north, exploring bays, islands, and headlands, recording everything I could. I saw lands full of beauty and people living in ways new to me, though our encounters were not always easy. Sadly, I never returned from that voyage—I was injured on one of the Channel Islands and died in 1543. Yet my journey marked the beginning of Spain’s long presence in California, and my name is remembered as the first to chart its coast.

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