In August 1775, Lt. Juan Manuel de Ayala brought his sailing ship, the San Carlos, into San Francisco Bay, and anchored in what is now Ayala Cove. His mission was to develop a map of the bay that future Spanish ship captains could rely on. Ayala has the immortal distinction of being the first navigator to enter our port.

According to city lore, San Carlos got it's name from one of the three sources:

• The San Carlos, the first ship to sail into the San Francisco Bay, or
• King Charles III of Spain, or
• the Portola Expedition that discovered the bay on the Feast of St. Charles, Nov 4, 1769.