From Lonely Planet
San Diego calls itself America’s Finest City, and who are we to argue? Its sunny, breezy countenance animates the pandas and koalas at its world-famous zoo, skaters and surfers on its iconic beaches, tousled-haired valet parkers and vested bartenders slinging drinks in hipster hangouts of the Gaslamp Quarter. It’s the nation’s eighth-largest city, yet we’re hard-pressed to think of a more laid-back burg of any size.
Boats harbored in San Diego Marina. Image by B Garrett / CC BY 2.0
First-timers looking for quintessential San Diego experiences should head to the zoo, venture off on a quest to find the perfect fish taco, spend the day unwinding on their own favorite beach, and spend an evening joining the party in the Gaslamp Quarter. All that, plus America’s most perfect weather to enjoy it in.
Stats
Population: about 1.4 million
Visitors per year: about 32 million
Language: English, with less Spanish than you’d think for a border town
Daily budget: $200 for mid-range hotel and restaurant meals
Distance to/from Los Angeles: 120 miles
Driving time to/from Los Angeles: two hours to who knows?
Best time of year to go: all year, but peak season is June-August
Miles of beaches: 70+ (Personal favorite? Any in La Jolla)
Neighborhoods & sights
San Diego Zoo & Balboa Park
Even if you’re the kind of the person who normally gives zoos a miss, San Diego Zoo is worth a look. A highlight of a visit not just to the city but to the whole state, this place has more than 3000 animals representing over 800 species, all housed in beautifully landscaped enclosures that replicate their natural habitats.
The zoo is in Balboa Park, itself packed with dozens of museums, gardens and performance venues including the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center, San Diego Natural History Museum, Japanese Friendship Garden and the Old Globe Theatre, modeled after the English venue where Shakespeare’s works were first performed.
Posh Prado restaurant claims pride of place when it comes to eating options, with sweeping park views from its veranda and eclectic Californian cuisine.
Downtown
In the 1860s, San Diego’s Downtown was a motley mash-up of saloons, gambling joints, bordellos and opium dens. Then it got worse. By the 1960s the area was a skid row of flophouses and dive bars – which makes its turnaround since then all the more impressive. Now called the Gaslamp Quarter, it’s awash in fancy restaurants, buzzy bars and slick shops behind renovated 19th-century facades. On Downtown’s western edge, you can delve into fascinating seafaring history at the former aircraft carrier USS Midway Museum and Maritime Museum, where historic ships anchor majestically in San Diego Bay.
Start your Downtown day with peanut butter and banana French toast at Café 222 in the Gaslamp. Headquarters at the Embarcadero is the former police HQ, newly converted into restaurants like Puesto, offering fresh takes on Mexican street food (here’s a good stop on that fish taco quest). At night, Bang Bang is the DJ bar du jour – check out the Ryan Gosling and Hello Kitty themed loos. Stumbling distance from the Gaslamp’s nightlife, it’s cheap sleeps for party peeps at HI Youth Hostel San Diego and USA Hostels San Diego. For luxe digs, the circa 1910 U.S. Grant Hotel has hosted movie stars, presidents and a Prohibition-era speakeasy.
La Jolla
Immaculately landscaped parks, white-sand coves, upscale boutiques, top restaurants, and cliffs above deep, clear blue waters make it easy to understand why La Jolla (pronounced la-hoy-ah) translates from Spanish as ‘the jewel’. Point La Jolla is the center of an idyllic stroll along the mighty Pacific, seals languishing on the sand below. Splash in the waves at Torrey Pines City Park, rent snorkeling equipment at the Cave Store to explore the massive San Diego-La Jolla Underwater Park, or keep your feet dry at Birch Aquarium at Scripps.
Old Hollywood romance permeates the 1926 La Valencia Hotel, from publicity stills of silent-film stars in the lobby to the Spanish Revival La Sala bar. Enjoy a sunset table at the clubby Marine Room, where giant waves splash against equally giant windows at high tide (Apr–Aug) as you feast on stylized fusion cuisine.
Legoland
Some 34 miles north of Downtown, Legoland is a fantasy environment of wacky coasters, thrill rides and play pods, all inspired by those little colored plastic blocks from Denmark. Miniland blows minds with recreations of world landmarks, beside equally amazing Star Wars models. Adjacent are Sea Life Aquarium (real sea creatures swim among Lego creations), Legoland Water Park and the new Chima Water Park. And boy is the Legoland Hotel fun: 3500 Lego models (dragons to surfers) populate the property, buffet meals are surprisingly good, and mum and dad can kick back in the bar while their little dears dream of their next adventure.
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