Ensenada Los Aripes

Jesuit father Miguel del Barco, 1706-1790 wrote extensively about the California of those times, almost a couple of centuries after the Cortez invasión of the Aztec empire. (1521). His exploration and eventually settling -for 30 years- in the Baja península gave him a rich insight and knowledge of lifestyle and culture of those inhabiting the área. Per his account, the natives divided the península -as known then- in three parts. The south, from San Jose del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas, known now as "Los Cabos" (literally The Capes) to La Paz Bay which was inhabited by the Pericu tribe (Pericues, pl. in Spanish).  The Monqui (Monquies) took the mid península all the way to what is now known as Loreto and from there on, towards the northern part of the peninsula, there were the Cochimi (Cochimies, Pl.) All these areas were  scarcely populated by these tribes. There were other smaller groups here and there, pretty much on their own, speaking their own dialects but they had similar words referring to the same things which facilitated their ability to trade, socialize and communicate

The Pericu nation was in fact made up of three different sub-groups who spoke the same basic language with small variations. These were the Uchities which settled in what is now known as the city of La Paz, spreading just a few miles towards the southwest. Further west were the Coras, (not to be confused with the Coras in the state of Nayarit in mainland) and finally, the Aripes, along the shores of what is officially named "Ensenada de Aripes" inside the Bay of La Paz. The Aripes lived off the bay, which was generous, offering shell fish, fish, mollusks, crabs and clams which were abundant. More tan 2 centuries later and somewhat uncertain as to where exactly Los Aripes settlement is, many Baja Sur natives still refer to Los Aripes as the bay beaches SW of La Paz, where the Los Aripes Apts are now, hence the name of              Los Aripes.