Bahia de Navidad, with its lush vegetation and plentiful sea life, made an ideal home for the indigenous groups that have inhabited the area since prehistoric times. In the early 1500s Spanish conquistadores used the bay as a jumping off point for conquest in the Philippines and the Californias.
As a seaport, the bay had inhabitants ranging from the indigenous groups and Spanish conquistadores to slaves from Africa, and Philippine refugees. Over time, these groups mingled with French conquerors, Irish miners, and American visitors to become the notably beautiful current inhabitants. The local capital is called Cihuatlan, which translates to Place of Beautiful Women.
In the 1560's, Father Navidad, a Spanish missionary, settled a great dispute between neighboring tribes on this beautiful coast. With careful diplomacy, he arranged a peace along the bay. The name of the bay, and the town, Barra de Navidad, bear witness to his work 600 years ago.
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