During Sir Francis Drake's circumnavigation of the globe between the years of 1577 and 1580, he landed on the west coats of North America, claiming California, which he called New Albion, for Queen Elizabeth I.
The exact location where Drake, England's most mysterious and infamous explorer, landed his ship, the Golden Hind, has been debated for years. Pieces of 16th century porcelain, the only confirmed archaeological evidence, was discovered at Drake's Bay. The non-profit Drakes Navigators Guild is a group of historians and scholars who study early exploration along the West Coast. Over six decades, the guild accumulated numerous artifacts, historical accounts and maps led the guild, along with several historians and scholars, to the conclusion Drake's landing site was indeed Drake's Cove.
Because of this, Drake's Cove near Point Reyes in Marin County is recognized by the U.S. Department of the Interior as the official site of Drake's landing in 1579. It was among the cove’s 250-foot-tall bluffs with it's fair harbor conditions that he met with the first local inhabitants, the Coast Miwaks, repaired and resupplied his galleon and set sail once again, completing the first successful trip around the world.
In late 2012, Drake's Bay was named a National Historic Landmark, a distinction given to only 2,500 other historic sites in the United States. Visitors can hike to historic Drake's Cove, the site of Sir Francis Drake's landing, in about an hour.
There is so much interesting and intriguing history in both San Francisco and Marin, adding to the long list of wonderful reasons we love to live, work and play here.
