Although the Sea of Cortez is named for him, it was Cortes’ navigator Francisco de Ulloa rather than Herndo Cortes himself who first discovered Cabo San Lucas in 1537. Cabo San Lucas, located on the tip of the Baja Peninusla with the Sea of Cortes and the Pacific Ocean on either side, soon came to be a popular port for Spanish treasure trips. This led to Cabo San Lucas also being a popular spot for the pirate ships of rival European countries, such as Britain and the Netherlands, who came to Cabo with hopes of pirating the goods the Spanish ships had acquired. This practice became so common that King Phillip II of Spain built a small fortress at Cabo San Lucas in an attempt to ward off the pirates.

The construction of the fort prompted more explorers to venture into the area surrounding Cabo San Lucas and there was a small influx of settlers when pearls were discovered in the Sea of Cortez. In the 18th century, a Jesuit mission named for Jose del Cabo was founded north of Cabo San Lucas and the settlements came to be known as Los Cabos. During this period of exploration and settlements, Cabo San Lucas itself remained largely uninhabited as a lack of consistent water supply prevented explorers from settling there. It was not until the 20th century that Cabo San Lucas began to grow into the town it is today. In the 1930s, word began to spread about the unparalleled fishing that could be found off the coast of Cabo San Lucas. Determined fishermen braved trips either in small planes or down 1000 miles of dirt roads to get to Cabo San Lucas in order to enjoy the incredible sport-fishing.

Following World War II, Cabo San Lucas became a popular spot not just for those hoping to land big fish, but for the Big Fish themselves. Hollywood stars such as Desi Arnaz, John Wayne, and Bing Crosby began to vacation in Cabo San Lucas and a group of Hollywood stars joined to build the private Las Cruces Hotel. This was quickly followed by the construction of La Palmilla and Hotel Cabo San Lucas as Cabo San Lucas became recognized as a luxurious travel destination.

However, it was not until 1974 and the construction of  the peninsular highway that Cabo really started to boom. International fishing tournaments began to attract sportsmen from all over the world and developers began snatching up tracts of land on which to construct condominiums and houses. The completion of the international airport in San Jose Del Cabo further ignited the Cabo tourist boom and Cabo San Lucas is now one of the biggest tourist destinations in all of Mexico.