The history of Los Cabos in short
The history of Los Cabos is mostly the history of San José del Cabo. The Pericú lived here first, at a place they called Añuití. Spanish galleons sailing back from Manila stopped at the freshwater estuary, and pirates were a danger to them. In 1730 a mission was founded to give the ships a permanent supply base. In the 1970s and 1980s, a federal tourism project, an international airport and a new municipality turned the cape into a resort region.
You can still trace this story on the ground: in the historic center of San José, on a day trip to Todos Santos with its own colonial past, or on one of the Los Cabos excursions that combine town walks with the desert and the coast.
The Pericú and Añuití
Long before any European ships arrived, the southern tip of the peninsula was home to the Pericú. Their name for the site of today's San José del Cabo was Añuití, and it is still part of the mission's full name: Misión San José del Cabo Añuití. The estuary, with its fresh water in a dry land, made the place valuable to everyone who came later.
Manila galleons and pirates
Spanish galleons sailing from Manila crossed the Pacific to the Americas. On this long voyage, the tip of Baja California was a place to take on fresh water. The ships took on water at what is now the Estero de San José. That made the cape a risky stop, since pirates were a danger to the galleons along this coast.
The need for a reliable supply point was the reason for a permanent settlement. The mission that followed was founded in 1730 as that lasting place of supply.
Our pick: Todos Santos
Todos Santos began as a mission outpost in 1723, and this day trip takes you there with transport included.
Hand-picked tours, booked through GetYourGuide. Prices are indicative starting prices in US dollars (as of October 2026). Tap a tour for live availability and the current price in your currency.
Los Cabos tours beyond the beach
Todos Santos culture trips, desert rides, whale watching and Cabo Pulmo, with live prices and availability.
Mission San José del Cabo
The Mission San José del Cabo was founded on 8 April 1730 by Nicolás Tamaral and José de Echeverría. It stood near the estuary, close to the water the galleons needed.
The church you see today
The church on the main square is not the original mission building. It dates from the 20th century and was restored after the hurricane of 1918. What is certain is that the mission was founded in 1730.
The 1918 hurricane
A hurricane hit San José in 1918. Plaza Mijares and the Palacio Municipal were restored afterwards. More about the town on the San José del Cabo page.
From mission town to resort region
Mid 1970s: FONATUR
The federal tourism development agency FONATUR started a project for the cape in the mid 1970s.
1977: the airport
The international airport opened in 1977. Today it carries the codes SJD and MMSD and lies near San José del Cabo.
Airport guide →1980: the municipality
The decision to create the municipality of Los Cabos dates from 8 April 1980, with San José del Cabo as its seat. Cabo San Lucas belongs to it; the two towns are not separate municipalities.
1986: Miraflores
Miraflores, inland, became an established delegación in 1986. It grew out of the farmland around the old Mission Santiago.
Protected nature and recent history
As tourism grew, parts of the landscape were placed under protection. The Estero de San José became a state ecological reserve in the early 1990s. Cabo Pulmo on the East Cape has been protected since 1995, and the marine zone around Espíritu Santo near La Paz became a national park by decree on 10 May 2007. To the north on the Pacific, Todos Santos was named a Pueblo Mágico in 2006. See Cabo Pulmo for the national park today.
In 2014, Hurricane Odile caused severe damage to the power supply, the airport and buildings, and San José lost communication and water for a time. The storm is now part of its history.
The story of the other town at the cape is told on the Cabo San Lucas history page.
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1730 | Founding of the Mission San José del Cabo (8 April) |
| 1918 | Hurricane; restorations in the center of San José |
| Mid 1970s | FONATUR tourism project |
| 1977 | International airport opens |
| 1980 | Decision to create the municipality of Los Cabos (8 April) |
| 1986 | Miraflores becomes a delegación |
| Early 1990s | Estero de San José protected |
| 1995 | Cabo Pulmo protected |
| 2006 | Todos Santos named Pueblo Mágico |
| 2014 | Hurricane Odile |
History of Los Cabos: questions
Who lived in Los Cabos before the Spanish?
The Pericú. Their name for the site of San José del Cabo was Añuití, which still appears in the mission's full name.
When was the Mission San José del Cabo founded?
On 8 April 1730, by Nicolás Tamaral and José de Echeverría.
Is the church in San José the original mission?
No. The present church dates from the 20th century and was restored after the hurricane of 1918.
Why did the Manila galleons stop here?
For fresh water at today's Estero de San José on the long voyage from Manila. The mission was founded in 1730 as a lasting place of supply.
When did tourism begin?
With a FONATUR project in the mid 1970s and the opening of the international airport in 1977. The municipality followed in 1980.