Area Guide

Tubac, Arizona, one of ‘America’s Coolest Small Town,’ is rapidly becoming a world-class destination. This ‘Small-Town Oasis in the High Desert’ boasts blue skies, open spaces, great weather, world-class golf, shopping, dining, culture and history. Tubac is a place where artists find it easy to paint, sculptors find it easy to sculpt and authors find is easy to write. A mere forty-five minutes south of Tucson, home to an international airport, Tubac is close-by and yet worlds apart. It’s rich history is what defines Tubac even today, centuries later.

After the Pima Indian revolt of 1751, the Spanish began to establish presidios (garrisoned forts) to protect their missions, people and assets in what was then known as the Pimeria Alta. Tomas Beldarrain was the first commandante of the Tubac presidio and he was succeeded by Juan Bautista de Anza, who is famous for leading a group of colonists across the Arizona deserts that eventually founded San Francisco.  Then in 1787 the King of Spain granted a site for a house and four farming lots on the presidio to Don Toribio de Otero.  To protect the presidio and show his appreciation Otero planted fruit trees, provided soldiers with supplies and arms, and took care of their horses.  This 500-acre land grant formed the core of what later became the largest cattle empire in Arizona.  Today it is the home of Tubac Golf Resort & Spa.