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HISTORIC PLACES WITH ELSA SEVILLA: CALIFORNIA'S HISTORY: Exploring Presidio Hill

Find out why some call Presidio Hill near Old Town, “San Diego’s Lost City” or the “Machu Picchu of San Diego.”

Stream now with KPBS+ / Watch Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026 at 9 p.m. on KPBS TV + Encore Saturday, Aug. 29 at 4 p.m. on KPBS TV.

Some call the Royal Presidio "San Diego's Lost City" or the "Machu Picchu of San Diego" because of its remarkable history. Few know Presidio Hill, near Old Town, is where the First People of the Kumeyaay Nation encounter the Spanish in 1769, it's also where the first California mission and the Royal Presidio were built.

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