History of Morro Bay
Overview
Morro Bay is located between Santa Barbara and Monterey, almost in the middle: 123 miles south of Monterey on Highway 1, California, or 108 miles north of Santa Barbara.
The city's main natural attraction is the 177-meter high volcanic rock Morro Rock, which is one of the Nine Sisters of San Luis Obispo.
The date of the foundation of Morro Bay is considered 1870, although thousands of years ago, there were settlements of the Chumash Indian tribes in these places.
It has not yet been established for sure, but some evidence suggests that the Indian settlements in these parts date back to 6500-1500 BC. Among Europeans, the first to visit these places in October 1542 was the Portuguese navigator Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, who explored the lands - the current California coast of the United States - on behalf of New Spain (now Mexico).
Moving along the coast, he saw a mountain similar to the head of a Moor and named it El Morro. The mountain is now called Morro Rock, and the city in the bay is Morro Bay.