Beach Cities
From Coronado to Pacific Beach: Welcome to Southern California’s most scenic oceanside neighborhoods.
Coronado
Coronado is an island of small-town quaintness amid San Diego’s big-city bustle. Well, it’s not really an island, though many locals call it that. Coronado is actually an isthmus, attached to the mainland at the southern end of Silver Strand State Beach.
Though driving there via the iconic Coronado Bridge is always a thrill, it’s also great fun to travel by sea. The Coronado/San Diego Ferry leaves on the hour from downtown’s Broadway Pier between 9 am and 9 pm (619.234.4111), while San Diego Water Taxi offers on-call transportation around the bay from 9 am to 10 pm (619.235.8294). Upon arrival, you can browse the shops and restaurants at Coronado Ferry Landing Marketplace (1201 First St.), then rent a cruiser at Bikes and Beyond to explore Coronado’s flat, tree-lined side streets.
Head south on the main drag of Orange Avenue to find an inviting entertainment district, with shops like Coronado Taste of Oils (954 Orange Ave.), where you can sample dozens of flavors of gourmet olive oils and vinegars, and Blue Jeans & Bikinis, which makes it easy to shop for those two items women notoriously hate having to try on (971 Orange Ave.). Just off Orange is Be Styled, with chic tops, dresses and accessories (1113 Adella Ave.), and its next-door twin, Be Polished, for an impromptu manicure.
You’ll find another cluster of shops selling designer clothing and eyewear, home décor and more coastal California merchandise inside the storybookHotel del Coronado (1500 Orange Ave.), opened in 1888 and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1977. For more on the town’s history, stop by the Coronado Museum of History and Art (1100 Orange Ave.).
Spreckels Park (Orange Ave. between Sixth and Seventh sts.) sits between these two retail zones and is an ideal place to take a break from all that strenuous shopping.
Shelter Island and Harbor Island
Shelter Island and Harbor Island aren’t really “islands” either; they’re connected to the mainland and were created more than 35 years ago with tons of sand dredged from the floor of the bay. Shelter Island, with its many bars, restaurants and nautically themed stores, is the departure point for various sportfishing charters. The area is also home to Humphrey’s Concerts by the Bay, a 1,400-seat outdoor theater that hosts jazz, blues and pop headliners in warmer months. Nearby Harbor Island has its own, smaller outdoor festival site, Spanish Landing Park, and several bayview restaurants. Both islands offer postcard vistas of the downtown skyline, plus flat paths for walks and bike rides.
Ocean Beach and Point Loma
“O.B.” for short, this neighborhood is truly one of San Diego’s most unique. It’s an endless summer of love in O.B., an aggregation of aging hippies, surfers, bikers, artists, musicians and other free spirits. OBceans possess a strong sense of community and territorial pride best summed up by a once-popular bumper sticker: “U.S. out of O.B.”
The main drag, Newport Avenue, smells of incense and has many shops catering to the O.B. lifestyle, but also plenty of antiques dealers at places likeNewport Avenue Antiques (4836 Newport Ave.). Music junkies will love the vintage vinyl at Cow Records (5029 Newport Ave.), while Galactic Comics (4981 Newport Ave.) is heaven for graphic-novel fans. Pine Tree Road (4885 Newport Ave.) specializes in soaps, scrubs and lotions, and nearby Azucar is a Cuban-style patisserie with fresh-baked scones, honey buns and more (4820 Newport Ave.).
Off Newport, don’t miss Noon (4993 Niagara Ave.), with handmade letterpress cards and jewelry.
Wind down the day with a leisurely stroll down the Ocean Beach Pier, which, at 1,971 feet, is one of the longest concrete piers in the country.
Nearby Point Loma is home to a small but charming array of restaurants and cafés, as well as the Cabrillo National Monument, Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery and military installations. The Cabrillo National Monument offers panoramic vistas stretching from San Diego to Mexico. There are also hiking trails, tidepools, a historic lighthouse, a bookstore and museum exhibits about conquistador Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo, the founder of San Diego.
Mission Beach and Pacific Beach
Two of San Diego’s most popular beaches, Mission Beach and Pacific Beach (“P.B.” to locals) form an unbroken band of sand that stretches for three miles, from the mouth of Mission Bay to the rocky points of La Jolla. Both are overflowing with restaurants, bars and boutiques.
South Mission Beach is home to serious beach volleyball and bayside basketball games. Farther north, check out the star attraction at the Belmont Parkamusement park: the Giant Dipper, a restored 1925 wooden roller coaster.
Another landmark dating back to 1925 is Crystal Pier, at the foot of Garnet Avenue in P.B. This 400-foot-long wooden pier is gated and lined with rental cottages. However, the pier is open to the public during the day and is always popular with fishermen.
The best way to experience this area is to walk along the boardwalk, where people-watching is not just encouraged, it’s a must. If the nonstop parade of skateboarders, in-liners, bikers, joggers and walkers gets to be too much, walk across Mission Boulevard to the bayside boardwalk, where there’s much less of a scene.
Garnet Avenue and Mission Boulevard form the backbone of this funky, retro retail district, which boasts dozens of small shops filled with surfing gear, swimsuits and casual wear. Begin the 10-block shopping stroll where the two main streets intersect, then head east. (Note: These are long blocks.)
First order of business: find that perfect bikini. SunSplash (979 Garnet Ave.) can help, with stylish swimwear and casual beachwear in a wide array of sizes. For the rest of the outfit, try Chillers Showroom (4667 Cass St.), a spacious shop just off the main drag
selling men’s and women’s clothing in a relaxed, lounge-like atmosphere.
Farther up Garnet Avenue is Rusty Spokes Vintage Bicycles (1344 Garnet Ave.), which specializes in antique and classic cycles.
Venturing north on Mission Boulevard from Garnet leads you to Urban Outfitters (4516 Mission Blvd.), various bike-rental shops and Surfindian (4658 Mission Blvd.), a gallery with art inspired by San Diego’s most sacred sport.
Heading south brings you to Mission Beach, home to bikini emporium Pilar’s (3745 Mission Blvd.) and The Basement (3790 Mission Blvd.), with clothing and jewelry by local designers.
Mission Bay Park
Mission Bay Park is a 4,000-acre gathering spot for locals and visitors to enjoy outdoor activities including running, biking, skating, kite-flying, sailing and boating.
The park is made up of various coves, points and islands with excellent picnicking spots and fire pits. Several sportfishing charters depart daily from Mission Bay, and a variety of watercraft can be rented from nearby shops. If you’re feeling adventurous, try your hand at stand-up paddleboarding.
The west side of the bay is also home to several resort hotels and SeaWorld, the internationally known park with some 12,000 aquatic animals. Don’t miss Shark Encounter, an underwater walkway offering a peek into the world of sand tiger, bonnethead and whitetip sharks, and the new Turtle Reef exhibition and ride.
