History
Playas de Rosarito is a Mexican city in Baja, California. As its name implies (translated in English as “Beaches of Rosarito”), Playas de Rosarito boasts of a beautiful landscapes, wonderful beaches, and of course, lots of bars and dance clubs that caters to the needs of the hoards of students who go here for vacations.
But Playas de Rosarito is more than just a fun city. It is also a city that’s rich in history, as attested by the museums that can be found all around. Before all the buildings, and clubs and restaurants came, the fertile land was once home to the native Indians. Not just Rosarito, but the whole of Baja California was once occupied by the many different Indian tribes of that period. These were the Cucupa, Kiliwa, Pai Pai, Cochimi, and the Kumiai. The Kumiai were the first settlers in the Playas de Rosarito area, naming it “Uacatucay” which means “the big house”. Historians look at Rosarito Beach’s history in stages, identifying the end of one and the beginning of the next by determining the important events that changed the lives or direction of the people in it. Thus, this settlement of the Kumiai tribe is deemed as the ‘first’ stage in the history of Rosarito, Mexico; one that is significant as it symbolized the beginning of life in the city.
1553 marked the arrival of the Spaniards (stage two) in the Baja California Peninsula. The Spaniards came on ‘mission’ trips and were quick to establish their churches throughout Baja, including Uacatucay (Rosarito), while converting the native Kumiai to Christianity. This stage in the history of Rosarito lasted more than two centuries and was marked with power struggles between the Jesuits, Dominicans and the Franciscan monks.
Another important development regarding life in Rosarito was the establishment of big ranches. Considered as stage three, its most memorable occasion took place on May 14, 1885, when Don Joaquin Machado received his title to a big portion of land and registered it to the capital city of Baja California. This is celebrated today as the Foundation Day of Rosarito, as recognized by the Historical Society of Rosarito.
As the city blossomed, the opening for ’stage four’ also came to play. The Barbachano family, a powerful and prominent political family since the early days of Rosarito, built the first highway that allowed visitors from San Diego access to the city. In addition, they also established the Rosarito Beach Hotel and Rene’s Bar in 1925. Stage four was obviously all about tourism; an important stage that can be felt until today.
Other stages, in chronological order, include farming, urbanization, and construction, respectively. The last stage is incorporation (stage eight). On December 1, 1995, Rosarito was recognised as an independent city. Before that, it was just considered as one of Tijuana’s suburbs. But the Indians’ settlement in ‘Uacatucay ‘ up to the period of Construction had been stages that eventually led to Rosarito’s independence as a city.
Today Rosarito is a favorite tourist destination among teenagers during spring break and other holidays. Rosarito is not only rich in tourist attractions, but rich in history as well.