Are you looking for a perfect vacation spot to spend your vacation? Are you searching for a place that abounds with history and natural beauty? Then, San Diego is the place you should be exploring!
San Diego is a vibrant city that was established in California. The San Diego area was named after a Spanish saint in 1542 and officially included in the Mexican kingdom in 1821. The resultant Hispanic culture now coexists wonderfully with American culture and those of recent influxes, providing a multitude of historical sights along the city’s natural beauty. San Diego is the best destination to spend quality time with family.
San Diego is a perfect weekend getaway spot with its beautiful beaches and diverse activities. Beautiful Balboa Park, Maritime Museum old Point Loma lighthouse, Natural History Museum, Loma peninsula, and Ellen Browning Scripps Park are the major attractions in San Diego Bay.
1. Where is San Diego Located?
San Diego is located near the US-Mexico border on the west coast of Southern California on the Pacific Ocean. It is known as the birthplace of California, and the European settlement flourished in San Diego.
It is surrounded by the California coast in the west. San Diego River runs across the city, dividing it into two. San Diego city center is only a two-hour drive from Los Angeles.
Considered to be America’s finest city, San Diego is a popular location on the Pacific Ocean and offers a relaxing getaway. The San Diego beach is a perfect place to enjoy a relaxing vacation for explorers and sun seekers who seek a laid-out escape. Whatever your hiking trip is on the Sandstone Cliffs of Torrey Pines state nature reserve, wandering in the suds of Coronado Beach, or viewing postcard-worthy scenes at La Palma.
The state of California borders Baja California of Mexico, known for its mountains and beaches on the Pacific Ocean.
2. What to do in San Diego Bay
The long, beautiful coastline of San Diego combines with the perfect weather. You can visit San Diego any time of the year.
The beaches of San Diego are perfect for a brief visit as they are convenient to access. The magic of visiting untouched and secluded cove beaches gives an altogether different experience. These beaches are accessible only on foot while moving down the cliffs. You have beaches to the north and south of the downtown area.
2.1 Del Mar City Beach
The two-mile-long beach is wide and clean and has multiple lifeguard towers. Powerhouse Park and Seagrove Park across the beach are good places to picnic with your loved ones.
North Beach, adjacent to Del Mar Beach, is dog-friendly. So, if your fur family is joining you, you can off-leash them in North Beach.
2.2 Pacific Beach
Pacific Beach attracts a large number of tourists as it is one of the best beaches in San Diego.
The boardwalk is popular with surfers, beach lovers, and shoppers. Kate Session Park offers a beautiful view of the city center and San Diego Bay. Several hotels, bars, and restaurants line the boardwalk.
2.3 Mission Beach
Mission Beach is one of the most visited beaches in San Diego. It is a popular destination for sunbathers and surfers. There are a lot of volleyball courts around the beach, so make sure you play a game or two. It is just a few minutes from San Diego’s city center.
Another major attraction in Mission Beach is Belmont Park. It is a historic amusement park that will amuse you. The Giant Dipper roller coaster of Belmont Park is considered a local landmark.
You can engage yourself in a memorable family time as there are a lot of rides in Belmont Park. Apart from the amusement rides of Belmont Park, you can also enjoy mini golf, zip linings, or the arcade.
2.4 La Jolla Cove
Considered to be one of the most picturesque beaches of San Diego, the gentle curves of the beach protect it from large waves, and it is known for its gentle surfs. The seclusion makes it a favorite place for surfers. La Jolla Cove is kid-friendly and perfect for family outings.
Explore The San Diego LA Jolla Underwater Park Ecological Reserve, which is the place for you if you love diving and snorkeling. The underwater park is next to La Jolla shores. The entire park is located underneath the water and is enormous. La Jolla Cove is an iconic marine reserve located in one of the booming Lake Jolla waterfront communities.
The 6000-acre park has a kelp forest, a rocky reef, and a canyon. You can explore the bottom of the ocean with a snorkel or scuba gear.
The town of La Jolla offers heaven to shoppers. The seaside town also has many dining options. The famous Comedy Store Comedy Club of Hollywood has a location in La Jolla. So, if you want to laugh, head out to the comedy club.
2.5 San Onofre Surf Beach
A fan of Beach Boys? Then, hardly would you like to miss this iconic beach featured in their song Surfin’ U.S.A?
The San Onofre Surf Beach is one of California’s top-visited state parks. The beach is the best place to surf, kayak, fish, explore the tide pools, or relax. The three-and-a-half-mile-long beach is one of the best surfing spots in the United States.
2.6 Torrey Pines State Beach
Torrey Pines States Beach is south of Del Mar and north of La Jolla. From down the beach, you can see the 300-foot cliff of white and gold stones. The Cliff and the surrounding Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve offer a picturesque landscape.
The beach is not crowded like other California coast beaches. The place offers you the perfect place to surf and sunbathe. Bioluminescence is also known to occur in Torrey Pines State Beach.
2.7 Coronado Beach
Coronado Beach is a wide beach on Coronado Island. Coronado Beach is nicely situated in San Diego Bay. Famous for the Victorian hotel, Hotel del Coronado attracts many Marilyn Monroe Fans today. Marilyn’s movie Some Like It Hot was shot at the beach.
The beach is best for skimboarding as it is very flat. Coronado Beach is the perfect place for swimming as the bay is protected from the sea and has small waves.
High mica content in the sand makes the beach very shiny. It will surely make your photographs beautiful. The place is heaven for those active on social media.
Coronado Bridge connects San Diego to Coronado Island and is famous for its unique design. The bend of the Coronado bridge is attractive and unique.
2.8 Breakwater Way Beach
If you want to enjoy the sun, this Breakwater Way Beach is perfect for sunbathing. The rock jetty of Breakwater Way Beach has the Oceanside Harbor. The beach is less crowded and quieter.
You will also find plenty of barbeque tables along the shore. If you love playing volleyball, you have plenty of volleyball courts along the beach.
The beach is next to the Strand, the famous bike path. The Strand is a sandy isthmus of San Diego County connecting Coronado Island with Imperial Beach. The Strand and the peninsula of Point Loma define San Diego Bay.
2.9 Balboa Park
It is one of the oldest parks in the United States and is dedicated to recreational use by the public. It is an urban cultural park and has become a tourist destination.
The park has open areas, green belts, walking spaces, and gardens to explore and relax. The 1200-acre park also has museums, cultural theatres, and the San Diego Zoo. Several gift shops and restaurant chains line up within the park. The area of the park belonged to the indigenous community of Kumeyaay. It got its name from the first Europeans who reached Central America, Vasco Nez de Balbo.
Balboa Park holds many special events throughout the venues. If you plan to visit San Diego in December, the festival “December Nights” is held on the first weekend of December every year.
2.10 San Diego Zoo
San Diego zoo is inside Balboa park. The 100-acre zoo houses more than 4000 animals that belong to more than 650 species. The zoo has pioneered its no-cage, open-air animal habitat center.
One of the major attractions in San Diego, the San Diego Zoo, rests on the premises leased out from Balboa Park. The zoo had bred giant Pandas before they had to be rehabilitated in China.
If you plan on visiting San Diego, you cannot miss the zoo. The zoo operates a bus tour that covers almost 75% of the zoo. This bus tour is a guided tour of the zoo.
The zoo also has Skyfari, which provides an aerial view of the zoo. Skyfari is the name given to the overhead gondola lift.
Apart from having one of the largest animal collections, the zoo is famous for its botanical gardens. The botanical garden has 700000 exotic plants, which also includes many rare plants.
2.11 San Diego Zoo Safari Park
San Diego Zoo Safari Park was originally named San Diego Wild Animal Park. It is located in the San Pascal Valley in California. It is one of the largest attractions of San Diego County.
The park is home to many endangered animals from different continents. Located in the 1800-acre zoo, the safari park will take at least four hours to explore.
The safari has a tiger trail and a lion camp for visitors to see. There is a hidden jungle inside Nairobi Village and the gorilla forest. The hidden forest is a climate-controlled indoor jungle. It mimics the African Tropical forest and has African birds and insects.
The African Tram takes visitors through the various African wildlife enclosures. The safari park also offers a tethered balloon ride. This balloon ride offers you an aerial view of the plains from a height of 400 feet.
2.12 Spanish Village Art Center
Located inside Balboa Park, it is a community of artists working right before your eyes creating art. Entry to the Spanish Village Art Center is free, and you will be awed by the artist’s creativity. The live demonstrations will help you explore contemporary art more closely. You can even join their classes and even ask your doubts.
Do not judge them by their outside looks; they cover both traditional and contemporary art. You can create a memory of your creativity and purchase their art pieces.
If you are an artist residing in San Diego County, you can become a member of this art center.
2.13 Old Town San Diego State Historic Park
Old Town San Diego is the oldest town in California. It showcases the historic days of the old town of San Diego, hence, it is a state-protected historic park.
The Old Town San Diego Park was established in the year 1968 and has many historic buildings dating to the 1820-1870 period. These buildings are part of the Natural History Museum.
The complex houses various shops and restaurants that proudly celebrate Mexican Culture. The shops and museums celebrate the distinctive culture of San Diego Bay. There is no entry fee to enter the park.
2.14 USS Midway Museum
USS Midway Museum is located in downtown San Diego. USS Midway was the US Navy’s longest surviving aircraft carrier, serving between 1946 and 1992 with a fleet of more than 200,000 sailors on board. You will appreciate your trip to the maritime museum.
It was opened as a San Diego museum in 2004. It has an extensive collection of aircraft being showcased. The museum has a self-guided tour through audio for the visitors. The ship also organizes overnight programs for children. It attracts a lot of visitors and is the largest museum devoted to naval aviation.
2.15 Children’s Pool Beach
In 1931, locally philanthropic Ellen Browning Scrimps had a concrete seawall constructed on the small coastal area of San Diego so that kids would be allowed to play and enjoy water sports. Ellen Browning then gifted it to the residents of La Jolla.
It is a small children’s pool beach in La Jolla that harbors many seals that use the beach regularly. This has drawn many visitors to the Children’s pool beach in La Jolla. You will also find Sea Lions on the beach.
2.16 Petco Park
If you are a fan of baseball, you can hardly miss the home field of Major League Baseball’s San Diego Padres. This historic park is located in downtown San Diego.
Their guided tour lets you learn more about the historic park and San Diego Padres. This will allow you to explore the ballpark the way players do and have a lifetime experience of the ballpark.
2.17 Sunset Cliffs Natural Park
If you want to experience the best sunset experience, drive down to Sunset Cliffs Natural Park. The 3-mile cliff epitomizes the beach and the sunset view. The peninsula cradles the San Diego Harbor.
The waves crashing the rocks have formed many small creeks and waterfalls. There is also an open ceiling cave that can be accessed from the sunset cliffs if you get there at the time of low tide.
You can cruise through the streets of San Diego by hiring a sunset cruise. The open-air van will take you through San Diego Bay and the beautiful Sunset Cliffs Natural Park. You can enjoy your ride by having beverages and listening to music the entire route.
2.18 Little Italy
Want to experience Italy in the U.S.A? Do visit Little Italy, when visiting San Diego.
Little Italy is a popular neighborhood in Downtown San Diego. Originally inhabited by Italian and Portuguese fishing communities, it has now become a popular destination with cocktail bars and brewpubs. In short, it will remind you of European settlement.
Little Italy is famous for its weekly farmer market, known as Mercato. You can walk through the market for hours eating. You can browse through the beautiful flowers and buy some jewelry and perfumes.
You will have a little food tour of Italy in Little Italy. Little Italy allows one to taste some of the most authentic Italian dishes. You will develop a passion for the food and cultural history after you visit Little Italy.
2.19 Cabrillo National Monument
Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo was the explorer and the first European explorer to navigate the California coast. In memory of Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, the Cabrillo national monument was built. It is located at the tip of Point Loma Peninsula. It is a celebration to commemorate Cabrillo’s landing at San Diego Bay.
The highest point and a San Diego icon, since 1895, has been the Old Point Loma lighthouse. This lighthouse is a museum and you can view some portions of it. A new point Loma lighthouse has been constructed at a lower elevation.
San Diego Bay also hosts the annual Cabrillo Festival Open House that reenacts Cabrillo’s entry to San Diego.
2.20 Fleet Science Center
If you are a science lover, you surely would not like to miss the Fleet Science Center. Previously known as the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center, Fleet Science Center is a planetarium and science museum. It is located inside Balboa Park.
It was the first museum to combine interactive science and movie settings in its planetarium. The Planetarium’s show called “The Sky Tonight” is held on the first Wednesday of every month. You can also have a free telescope viewing.
The Fleet Science Center hosts science-related movies, music, and light shows.
2.21 Food Truck Festivals
A favorite among the locals, the Food Truck Festival is one of the most awaited events in San Diego. Another thing that makes San Diego America’s finest city is the season of culinary festivals. Summer is the season for the Food Truck Festival.
2.22 Seaport Village
While in San Diego, you can visit the seaport village, a waterfront complex in downtown San Diego adjacent to San Diego Bay. It also has some of the best dining options in downtown San Diego.
The waterfront seaport village has many freestanding buildings rich in architectural designs right in the city center. You can explore the seaport village, which has various styles from Victorian to Mexican.
2.23 Presidio Park
Presidio Park is a historic park that witnessed the first European settlements, namely the San Diego Presidio Park and San Diego Mission. The park offers beautiful views of the San Diego River Valley and the Pacific Ocean.
The historic park has the Junipero Serra Museum, which displays the city’s documented journey through numerous historic finds and archaeological materials related to the early colonization of the Old Town San Diego.
2.24 San Diego Air and Space Museum
Formerly known as the Aerospace Museum, it is located in Balboa Park. You will have a good time exploring the museum exhibits with originals and reproductions of various aircraft and spacecraft. There are galleries dedicated to World War I and World War II.
2.25 Waterfront Park
Located in San Diego County, Waterfront Park is a perfect place to keep your kids engaged. The newly constructed park attracts tourists for its picnic spaces, interactive water sprouts, and fountains. The waterfront Park also has a children’s playground.
2.26 Gaslamp Quarter
Do not miss the Gaslamp Quarter when you visit San Diego, as it is known for its nightlife. Rightly called the life of San Diego, you will be attracted by the clubs and bar lounges. If you want to entertain yourself with music or comedy, visit Spreckels and Balboa theatres.
2.27 Marine Life Refuge
If you are an animal lover, visit the Pacific Marine Mammal Center. It is open on all days. You can interact with the rescued animals in the Marine Mammal Centre. You can also volunteer to cater to the needs of Sea lions, elephant seals, or Pacific Harbor seals.
2.28 Sea World San Diego
You would surely love to watch green turtles and sea lions and have close encounters with dolphins and penguins; Sea World would be a place to visit. They have various live shows of marine animals and a few rides and aquariums.
3. Conclusion
We have made this detailed guide on what to do in San Diego. So, plan your visit to San Diego to enjoy the best beaches in the country. You would love spending time with your family and friends in San Diego. You will feel in heaven, enjoying everything that San Diego offers.
Last Updated on by Sathi Chakraborty, MSc Biology
