Chula Vista City Map Poster

About Chula Vista

The original inhabitants of the peninsula were the Kumeyaay, a Native American people. The first European known to have visited the area was Portuguese-born explorer Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo in 1542; he claimed all of California for Spain. Sixty years later another Spanish explorer, Sebastián Vizcaíno surveyed and mapped the coast of San Diego Bay and gave modern names to its natural features; he named Chula Vista as Punta de la Limpia Concepción (English: "Point of Clean Conception"). On November 1, 1602, Gaspar de Portolà established New Spain's second north-south mission at present day Carmel Valley (in what is now part of Monterey County), officially establishing California as a province within New Spain.