Cabrillo National Monument marks the spot where, in 1542, Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo became the first European to set foot on what would become the United States' West Coast. He sailed in aboard his flagship, the San Salvador, named the harbour San Miguel Bay, and explored for six days before raising the flag of Spain. The site was recognised as California Historical Landmark #56 in 1932.

Today the monument sits at the tip of the Point Loma peninsula, 422 feet above sea level. The Old Point Loma Lighthouse, restored to its 1880s appearance, offers a glimpse of life for the eleven keepers who tended it across 36 years. Fog rolled in so often that a replacement was eventually built closer to the water.

VoiceMap's self-guided audio tours trace Cabrillo's landfall in the context of San Diego's broader maritime history. It connects Point Loma to La Playa Trail, California's oldest European trail. It follows the story from 1542 through to the modern naval base that now occupies the peninsula.