Many efforts have been made to conquer this beautiful, multicolored territory.  History recounts that on May 3, 1535, Hernán Cortés christened this land with the name Santa Cruz Bay.  Afterwards, in 1596, Sabastián Vizcaíno assigned the bay its current name.  Later, in 1683, Isidro Atondo y Antillón landed on the shore, and some decades later, in 1720, the Jesuits arrived with their evangelical and missionary efforts.  In 1811, a definitive foundation was achieved by José Espinoza when he created a permanent settlement.