San Diego, california
Attractions Guide

San Diego is a magnificent seaside city with many different neighborhoods and attractions, located just above the Mexican border. Because of its location, San Diego hosts excellent Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisine. The city is known for its many stunning beaches, the densely clustered skyscrapers of Downtown San Diego, and the famous San Diego Zoo.

There are two branches of the San Diego Zoo, including the smaller original zoo within Balboa Park near Downtown San Diego, and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park in the suburb of Escondido, which hosts massive naturalistic animal exhibits among an expansive property.

Balboa Park is located in the hills just above Downtown San Diego and hosts countless museums, beautiful gardens, and impressive Spanish colonial-style buildings such as the San Diego Museum of Man. The park also hosts elegant gardens and pools, such as at the Alcazar Garden and Botanical Building.

From Balboa Park you can also take the Skyfari Aerial Tram over the San Diego Zoo, giving you an amazing perspective over the animal exhibits.

Gaslamp Quarter

In Downtown San Diego be sure to walk along the historic Gaslamp Quarter, where you'll find many great restaurants, bars, and clubs. The Gaslamp District hosts an excellent nightlife scene.

USS Midway & Seaport Village

Downtown you'll also find the popular Seaport Village hosting great tourist shops and restaurants along the scenic marina. Nearby Seaport Village is the USS Midway Museum, a gigantic 1940s US aircraft carrier hosting many exhibits and aircraft. Nearby the aircraft carrier is the Unconditional Surrender Statue, a monumental statue of iconic scene where the Navy veteran who has just returned home from WWII kissing a woman dressed in white.

Old Town Historic Park

Be sure to also visit the Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, which features many well-preserved 1800s Mexican adobe structures that you can explore, set amongst the historic city center near Downtown and the airport.

From Downtown you can cross the remarkable Coronado Bridge to Coronado Island, which is best known for the iconic and grandiose beachfront Hotel del Coronado.

On the northern side of Coronado Island is Centennial Park, which provides incredible views of Downtown San Diego from across the bay. These views are amazing in the daytime as well as at night when the city lights up.

Cabrillo National Monument

To the west of Downtown San Diego is the rugged Point Loma peninsula, at the end of which you'll find the Cabrillo National Monument. From the monument's Visitor Center and the Old Point Loma Lighthouse you can enjoy breathtaking hilltop views overlooking the San Diego Bay. This historic lighthouse is also quite charming and contains a small museum.

The national monument also contains several old military batteries that you can explore, as well as the Point Loma Tide Pools, and even a secret sea cave located to the north of the tide pools. The sea cave is located along Cabrillo Road just before reaching the water treatment plant.

Sunset Cliffs

Along the coast of Point Loma just north of Cabrillo National Monument is the incredibly beautiful Sunset Cliffs Natural Park, which features stunning complex cliffs along a scenic part of the coastline. You can walk around and explore these cliffs near the parking lot, or walk the 1.9 miles (3.1 km) of trail to see the entirety of the Sunset Cliffs.

Belmont Park

To the north of Point Loma is the popular Belmont Park, which hosts carnival games, rides, and a rollercoaster, located on the beachfront boardwalk of Mission Beach.

Pacific Beach

Further up the coast is the Pacific Beach neighborhood where you'll find many great restaurants, bars, and stores centered around Garnet Avenue and the Pacific Beach Pier. Pacific Beach also hosts a great nightlife scene.

North of Pacific Beach in the La Jolla neighborhood is a must-see attraction, La Jolla Cove. This gorgeous beach features bright blue waters and is surrounded by a scenic rocky coastline.

The La Jolla Cove is best known for its large population of seals and sea lions, which inhabit the rocks and cliffs around the cove year-round. You can walk along the rocks along the coast and get quite close to these animals, observing them in their natural habitat.

Nearby La Jolla Cove you can also walk along the La Jolla Tide Pools, which host many forms of sea life. A bit further north is a much larger beach with stunning ocean views, the La Jolla Shores Park.

Just north of San Diego is the Torrey Pines State Reserve, which is centered around a complex network of coastal cliffs and features excellent hiking opportunities.

Hiking Routes

Another extremely popular attraction to consider near San Diego is the Legoland California theme park in Carlsbad, which also hosts a water park. Carlsbad is also known for its long, beautiful sandy beach, as well as vast The Flower Fields, which bloom seasonally and display a striking array of vibrant colors. Carlsbad is located about 35 miles (56 km) north of Downtown San Diego.