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The actual spot where Cabrillo stepped ashore is on a spit of land downhill at Ballast Point. However, this magnificent statue is a worthy tribute to the brave explorer and his men who ventured across uncharted seas to claim new territory for Spain.

This Cape Cod-style building was completed in 1855. Unfortunately, coastal fog so often obscured the beacon light that another lighthouse, the New Point Loma Lighthouse, had to be built below the cliff.

Park rangers are on hand to answer questions. Browse through the center’s outstanding books about the Spanish, Native Americans, and early California, or enjoy the daily film screenings.

A two-mile (3.2-km) round-trip hiking path winds along an old military defense road. Signs along the way help you identify indigenous plants such as sage scrub, lemonade berry, and Indian paintbrush.

After the 1941 Pearl Harbor attack, many felt that San Diego would be the next target. The exhibit explores how the military created a coastal defense system and the largest gun in the US.

Pacific gray whales migrate yearly to give birth in the warm, sheltered waters of Baja California before heading back to Alaska for a summer of good eating. January and February are the best times to spot whales.

A path runs along the edge of these spectacular 400-ft (122-m) high cliffs, but signs emphatically warn against their instability. Access the beach from Sunset Cliffs Park.

The southern end of Point Loma belongs to the military installations of Rosecrans Fort. Innumerable crosses mark the graves of 80,000 US veterans, some of whom died at the Battle of San Pasqual in the Mexican-American War.

Now protected by law, starfish, anemones, warty sea cucumbers and wooly sculpins thrive in their own little world.

Once a yoga commune, much of the original architecture of this Christian university is still intact.