Cabo San Lucas History

Pre-Columbian Cabo San Lucas

At the time the first Europeans arrived in southern Baja, they found nomadic tribes of Pericu Indians living in the area. The Pericu were hunter gatherers, subsisting on a diet of fruit, seeds, roots and shellfish.

Life During Spanish Administration

From the conquest of the Aztecs in 1521 to 1697, Baja California was an afterthought for the administrators of New Spain. Before colonization was even considered, piracy was an issue in the area. The Cabo San Lucas area was on the trade route between Acapulco and the Far East, and Spanish galleons would often put up at the Rio San Jose to replenish their water supplies. Pirate ships used the waters off Cabo San Lucas to lie in wait for the heavily-laden Spanish ships.

The English pirate Thomas Cavendish captured the Spanish Galleon Santa Ana off Cabo San Lucas in 1587. So much gold was taken from the Santa Ana that all of it couldn't be carried onboard, so he had to scuttle some into the sea. And upon returning to England, the price of gold dropped due to the sheer quantity of gold for sale.

Early Spanish attempts at colonization of the Baja peninsula had not met with success, due to a number of factors. These included lack of support from the Spanish crown, an inability to establish a self-sustaining food supply, and native tribes that refused to be subjugated.

In 1697, the Spanish authorities decided to implement a new plan. They awarded a concession to the Jesuit Order to establish and maintain agricultural centers in the peninsula. Nicolas Tamaral, a Jesuit missionary, established the Mission San Jose del Cabo in 1730. The mission was ultimately unsuccessful, and the faithful withdrew back to their headquarters in Loreto in 1734.

Life in Republican Cabo San Lucas

The Englishman Thomas Ritchie was said to be the first foreign resident of the area, having settled in Cabo San Lucas in 1828. At the time, and for the next 90 years, Cabo San Lucas was a dusty little fishing village.

In 1917 an American company built a floating platform in the Sea of Cortez to catch tuna and a cannery. After the new Mexican constitution was enacted, the company reincorporated as the Compania de Productos Marinos, SA, sparking some growth of the village population. But it was still a fishing village.

It wasn't until after World War II, however, that Cabo San Lucas became a real tourist destination. Because it was so isolated--accessible only by yacht or private plane--southern Baja had a certain "get away from it all" appeal to the celebrity set. In 1948, Bing Crosby, Phil Harris, Desi Arnaz and John Wayne got together and developed the exclusive Las Cruces Hotel on the East Cape (actually, this hotel was closer to La Paz than Cabo San Lucas).

In 1958, another equally exclusive hotel was built. The La Palmilla Hotel, located near San Jose del Cabo, was also rumored to have Hollywood money behind its construction.

Although additional hotels would be built in the area to accommodate the fishing crowd that was attracted by the angling in the Sea of Cortez, the area essentially languished until 1974. The completion of the peninsular highway in that year opened up the area to tourists driving down from the United States.

Realizing an opportunity, FONATUR, Mexico's tourist resort development agency, raised money and made substantial investments in the infrastructure of Cabo San Lucas and parts of the Cabo Corridor. As an example, Cabo's marina was dredged out of a dry mudflat in 1974 and 1975; before that, it was used as an airstrip.

FONATUR

FONATUR, Mexico's National Fund for Tourist Development, was created in 1973 by the Mexican Congress to promote the development of new large tourist resorts throughout the country, and to raise the necessary capital for needed infrastructure spending through foreign and domestic investment.

FONATUR replaced two existing trusts that until then had held the responsibility of promoting tourist projects. Until its creation, Mexican resort development efforts were often impeded by local and national bureaucracies, retarding the growth potential of the Mexican tourist industry.

The first project to be tackled by FONATUR was Cancun, which proved to be a great success. It then focused on the development of Ixtapa and Cabo San Lucas.

Cabo San Lucas Becomes a Resort Destination

After making its investments in the area's infrastructure, FONATUR attracted significant investments by major Mexican and international hotel companies and condo and timeshare developers.

The Los Cabos International Airport was expanded in 1986, tying the resort area to the world with direct flights from the U.S. and Canada. The hotel and timeshare boom has continued ever since.

Today's Cabo San Lucas

Cabo San Lucas and the Cabo Corridor have become one of the major success stories in Mexican tourism. The area has become Mexico's second most important vacation and spa destination, after Cancun.

The warmth of the waters of the Sea of Cortez, the unspoiled beauty of the area's beaches, the abundance of sea life and a warm, arid climate continue to attract vacationers from around the world. Eco-tourism has become a big draw, with the annual migration of the whales and marlin fishing tournaments among the larger attractions. Almost one million cruise ship passengers disembark in the port each year.

In 1990, the musician Sammy Hagar of the band Van Halen opened the Cabo Wabo cantina in Cabo San Lucas. It is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the city; it even sells its own brand of tequila. Every year, Hagar returns to his cantina on his birthday, October 13, for a live performance at the club. Cabo continues to attract an A-list of Hollywood talent; they come for Cabo's ambiance and climate, and generally hole-up in private villas overlooking the Sea of Cortez or the Pacific.

Visitors often agree that Cabo has more of an "American" feel than all of the other Mexican ports. But that doesn't detract from its essential Mexican charm.