History

The history of San Jose Del Cabo is very closely tied to that of the entire East Cape area; however, one will quickly discover that is it an altogether different town. It is the doorway to the Los Cabos Corridor, and lies between the Los Cabos International Airport to Cabo San Lucas.

The Spanish first visited the Estero San Jose at the mouth of the Rio San Jose in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. As the pirate raids along the coast between Cabo San Lucas and La Paz increased, the Spanish attempted to establish a settlement in the area. However, there was a growing resistance from the local Indians, which also threatened the mission communities in the towns to the north.

In 1730, Jesuit Padre Tamaral travelled South from Mission La Purisima and founded Mission San Jose Del Cabo. The Mission survived for several years until a conflict with an Indian shaman regarding his numerous wives, after which, the Indians burned both the San Jose and Santiago missions in 1734.