Our City Expert's Tips

Inner-Einstein
San Jose's Guadulupe River flows into the soggy marshes of Alviso, creating a water habitat for ducks, geese, egrets, and other birdlife.

History Buff
In the mission days, Alviso was the location where the Spanish padres from the Santa Clara Mission received supplies and shipped out beaver skins and cow hides. In 1838, a Mexican settler named Ignacio Alviso purchased the land and named it Rancho Rincon de los Esteros. About a decade later, four Americans bought the land with hopes of building a major American port city here. They named it Alviso after Ignacio. In 1849, the little village became the first incorporated city in California. The town stayed active as a shipping point for the various farms and ranches until 1864 when the San Francisco-to-San Jose Railroad was built. Over time, the farmers and steamboat passengers found that rail transport was much faster and cheaper, and Alviso quickly declined as a shipping port.

Family Time
If you have youngsters interested in the wonders of nature, this is an enchanting place to take them and stroll through the marshlands of San Francisco Bay. You can hike or bike along the levees that meander through this 17-acre park.

Tips From Other Travelers