Why Earlier Spanish Explorers Missed the Bay
- When
- 1602–1769
- Where
- California coastline and Pacific trade routes
Despite Cabrillo, Vizcaíno, and two centuries of Pacific crossings, fog at the bay's entrance had kept it hidden from Spanish navigators.
Vizcaíno had mapped the California coastline as far north as Monterey in 1602, and Monterey Bay had been sighted by both Cabrillo and Vizcaíno, but no significant Spanish settlement followed because no good harbor was found. Despite these earlier explorations and two centuries of Spanish sailing the Pacific for trade between Asia and Mexico, San Francisco Bay had been missed because fog frequently shrouded its entrance.
Sources
- Gaspar de Portolá Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-26
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