The coast of California as the long projected hub for the Spanish Empire in the Pacific, 1523–1815

This article defends the theory that Spain attempted to establish a port on the coasts of the current state of California two centuries before the expedition led by Gaspar de Portolá and Junípero Serra in 1769. This is evident in various maritime expeditions set forth to find the mythical Straight of Anyan and establish a secure port for the Manila Galleon in its ‘tornaviaje’. The Portolá/Serra expedition was therefore the conclusion, rather than the start, of settlement in the Bay of Monterrey