What can I say that hasn't already been said about this beach? 5 stars and beyond…read more.. After the SD Writers Festival and then grabbing a slice and a beer on the main strip, I strolled over here to enjoy the last rays of the day. It is just gorgeous and breathtaking. I sat far back today, sitting on some rocks, ear buds in listening to my favorite playlist and just meditating while Mother Nature put on her beautiful sunset show for us. Come out here and enjoy the fun shops and restaurants nearby and spend some time with nature. Your heart and mind will thank you later.

Coronado is a nice place, and with spots like the beaches and the Hotel Del Coronado, it is…read morefantastic for a visit. Especially at sunrise or sunset. Enjoy my photos. There are spots all along the strand with paid parking, but you can find some free parking too, and it is not that far of a walk. The beaches are pristine and the views are second to none. Great spot to take visiting family and friends who want to get a taste of San Diego. They also get to experience the Coronado Bridge if you are driving over there. Highly recommend visiting if you get a chance.

I stumbled upon this little park while visiting Coronado Island for the first time and I am so glad…read moreI did. It was so serene and peaceful- the perfect spot to rest if you need some peace and quiet. We went on a weekday afternoon and there was only one other person there. The views are absolutely stunning. They have a few benches to sit down, but I would say bring a small blanket to lie down on the grass next to the water. We parked right across the street in the residential area. I would assume this place gets really busy on the weekends and parking might be tough. It's super worth a visit, even if you can only stop by for a minute to take in the views!

Such a great little park. Perfectly quiet in the morning and a superb place to pray and do…read moredevotions. Lovely benches and unobstructed views of the city. All types of waterfowl to enjoy. Easy parking and a joy to bike to. Bike paths all across Coronado make this a must see spot.

Great beach, it's clean and mostly uncrowded. There is a Navy lodge close by and beach bungalows…read more It's been a little windy when we have gone but not too bad. The water is really cold but still fun. We had a great time.

Best beach! Clean bathrooms and huge beach! Lots of parking. Volleyball nets an fire pits available.read more

Sunset Cliffs is a San Diego institution! I frequently go for walks in this area. A lot of of it…read moreis parallel to the street but at the end there is a nice open park with a few trails that butt up to Point Loma Nazarene university. It is especially beautiful right now in the spring... All the flowers are starting to come out and everything is green. This is also a great area to come out with a picnic and watch the sunset. And if you don't bring a picnic, there are lots of great taco and brunch spots in Ocean Beach for after your walk!

I love Sunset Cliffs! It's one of my favorite spots for photoshoots. Parking has never really been…read morean issue for me, and the area is so big that you can walk around, explore, and take photos without feeling crowded. The views are absolutely gorgeous--especially around sunset--and there are so many beautiful backdrops. I've had so much fun running around with friends here capturing photos. Overall, it's such a peaceful, scenic spot and definitely one of my go-to locations!

Van camped on Silver Strand State Beach during a hurricane.. and boy was it a wild ride…read more This small beach sits on a peninsula in San Diego. It's so far down the coast you can actually spot the lights of Tijuana on your way in. While the trip didn't last long (the weather wasn't very kind) this campsite was impressive. They have access to clean water, bathrooms, and a direct view of the ocean. I really couldn't ask for more. Important to note: The road to the campsite is shut down around 8pm for security reasons. Once the entry to the road is locked, it's around a mile walk to the site itself. This was walk pretty miserable in pouring rain, so I wouldn't suggest Ubering to bars at night. Otherwise, I'd highly recommend this white sandy beach and site for anyone looking for a quick/easy getaway.

Well I'll start by saying I was unaware of the sewage issue before coming and I'm a little in shock…read morethere are signs posted to warn people when making reservations. Thankfully , we don't swim in the ocean so we are marked safe from the doo-doo . Pricing for beach front was $85 water and electric , no sewage (go figure). You're literally on the beach so we loved that with the view . Staff here needs work.. we were surprised by how rude and dismissive she was. When we arrived she said were too early ( we were THREE minutes early ). I said isn't it almost time ? She snapped at me with "ya well there nobody here to check you in so either wait in line or go park over there" and then walked away . So if you're coming here , just know you'll have to wait in line until the EXACT time. I've been camping since I was a baby and I've never experienced such strict regulations . Other than that , spaces are small so I wouldn't recommend a large trailer . But it was great for three days !

Yes, you should absolutely visit the Point Loma Tide Pools but know before you go:…read more 1. Only come during low tide. There are two low tides and two high tides a day. The information is available online. I believe the tide pools are closed during high tide and for very good reason. 2. The tide pools are located within the Cabrillo National Monument park which means you will have to pay to visit them. This isn't like going to the beach for free. We paid $20 and you can visit both the tide pools and the monument/lighthouse, if you like. 3. Yes, parking is tough but the lot is fairly large and the spots turn over regularly. Apparently, there are two lots. I completely ignored the "LOT FULL" sign and found an open spot in seconds. 4. Wear shoes appropriate for climbing on and over rocks. This isn't like going to the beach and dipping your tootsies in the water. If you have decent balance, even better. You don't want to fall on these rocks. This ain't "a day at the beach." This is straggling over rocks to find sea life in tide pools. This is a spectacular location for tide pooling. You will probably see crabs, including lots of hermit crabs, anemones, small fish, and maybe even medium-sized fish. We even saw an absolutely enormous sea hare (or sea slug). It was black as night and easily half the size of a small cat. We also saw a brittle star, which is a type of small, squiggly star fish. You could spend an hour to two hours here and this is a must-do attraction if you live in San Diego or are visiting. You cannot find this kind of tide pooling just anywhere.

TIPS/NOTES Entry: Pay/show ID and pass through Cabrillo…read moreNational Monument Fee Entry Booth to get to the Tide Pools. Parking: two lots adjacent to trails lead to the Tide Pool. Restroom: available on site. Hours: 9am-4:30pm - a shame this spot isn't open til sunset.

We decided to check out this tiny little beach spot on Wednesday afternoon. Looked super family…read morefriendly with picnic tables, playground and skate park. We plopped down a blanket by the path under a palm tree, about 10 feet from the water. The weather was perfect. There was a steady flow of people on bikes, kayaks and paddle boards. We enjoyed it not being crowded at all. It was almost perfect. The only con was there were lots of prickly spiky seed pods and fire red ants in the sand. We moved the blanket but we wanted to be in the shade. We will come back when it's cooler and settle down closer to the water.

Absolutely stunning park!…read more *Parking: free parking lot. *Amenities: so many!! Two play structures, art installations, path for biking, walking, running, small beach, bathrooms, huge grassy field and picnic tables. The view of Coronado bridge and downtown San Diego was my favorite part.

Wow what a great park. We stopped by to check out the out the play ground, and there was also a…read morehuge panda event. Which resulted in the playground being loaded with children and families having fun and relaxing in the cool breeze. There are ton of play activities for the kids: blue climbing mountain with slides, cool spaceship looking merry go rounds, swings, climbing, obstacle courses, etc. There are tons of tables, benches, and lots of shady areas for picnics or relaxing while the kids play. It was awesome to find this playground ride down the road from where we were staying. Too bad this is our last full day in San Diego.

This is a big park with a lot of grass area, a fountain, basketball and pickle ball courts, plus an…read moreoff leash dog park. What more can you ask for? What about great views of the harbor and city skyline on the other side? Yup it has that too. I come here many times with my dogs, as the dog park is a decent size for medium dogs to run around in. The dog area may not have grass, but it has dirt, and is usually kept clean. I actually prefer the dirt compared to artificial turf. Something to note is that there is only one park, so big dogs are combined with small ones. Theres a small obstacle course for dogs to jump and run through. And for the humans, there's also a few benches on the side to sit at.

I spotted this tree that spoke to me while riding on the way to breakfast at Hash House. After…read moreleaving breakfast, we came back to Balboa Park it was a peaceful and grounding experience before heading to the airport to return home. That moment honestly made me decide the park was a must-visit. I ended up stopping by afterward just to walk around, release some stress, and enjoy the calm energy. I even found myself just sitting in a tree, hugging two or a few, and taking in the quiet; especially in the Trees for Health Garden, which felt fitting for the whole experience. It was a simple but meaningful stop that added a peaceful pause to the end of the trip before heading back to the airport. I even met a squirrel that I chat with; I named him James. While I was chatting with him, he even place his paw on his chest as if he was asking me "are you speaking to me?" It felt great speaking to my own little grandma Willow tree moment.

Yes - park and museums are lovely, but for me, I just didn't love Balboa Park…read more Didn't hate it but if you are someone with just a weekend in town, I think there are better options for afternoon activities in the zillions of things there are to do in SD. All I'm saying is don't get fooled making this a top of your list, must do-thing. Go if you REALLY want to, but don't feel like you missed out if you made a different selection.

Anytime any family and friends are in town, I take them down to see the La Jolla coves. Beautiful…read morescenery on a sunny day! There are plenty of public street parking and also parking garages. Once you get past the stench of the sea lions, you can enjoy yourself more. It does take some getting used to! There are typically some street vendors there selling apparel. Some really cool hand crafted items. Just go where the wind takes you and enjoy yourself! Do NOT bother the sea lions, they can and will be aggressive if you get too close.

3/30/26 update:…read more Free parking is very difficult to find if you come during peak times. You might have to drive around in circles to see if anyone is leaving. We decided to park in the garage that is close to the Cave Store. It's about $15 and you have to pay by scanning a QR code. I didn't feel like waiting for people to leave since we were in a time crunch. There is a path by the Cave Store that you can walk down and get some great views. The cove where you can see the sea lions is a short walk. You can go to the beach which is shared with the sea lions. There's a park ranger that makes sure people don't get too close to the animals.