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- San Diego is known for its mild year-round Mediterranean climate, extensive beaches and parks, its long association with the United States Navy, and its recent emergence as a healthcare and biotechnology development center.
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Jul 16, 2017 · San Diego, California’s second largest city, is accessible via plane, train, and automobile. With the Pacific Ocean to the West and Mexico to the South, it’s a diverse mixture of culture and cuisine, with gorgeous weather year-round. Here are 11 reasons to check out San Diego on your next vacation.
- Neighborhoods
Once a fishing village, Little Italy is now a downtown San...
- Must-Visit Attractions in San Diego
The San Diego Botanic Garden is a sprawling and serene...
- Neighborhoods
- Overview
- Why you should visit San Diego
- Best time to visit San Diego
- Lay of the land
- Getting around San Diego
- Know before you go
- How to visit San Diego sustainably
- What to read and watch
Here’s all the info you need to explore the southern California city’s sunny beaches, eclectic museums, and charming historic neighborhoods.
Visitors walk and pedal in El Prado, an early 20th-century neighborhood in San Diego built in the Spanish colonial style. The zone is open only to pedestrians and bikes.
Fast facts
Founded: July 16, 1769
Time zone: Pacific Standard Time Pacific Standard Time (UTC-8)
Main airports: The city’s largest airport, San Diego International Airport (SAN), is serviced by all major airlines. Other airports include Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport (MYF), six miles north of downtown, operating charter flights for smaller aircraft.
Seventy miles of sun-kissed coastline. The San Diego Museum of Art and the San Diego Zoo in Balboa Park. Pop-culture fest Comic-Con. California’s first Catholic mission.
Spring: In March and April, golden yarrows, mariposa lilies, and California poppies burst forth in Mission Trails Regional Park. Pink and white blooms star in March’s Cherry Blossom Festival in the Japanese Friendship Garden and Museum.
Summer: Temperatures in the 70s Fahrenheit make summer an ideal time to walk, surf, or sunbathe on local beaches like Torrey Pines and La Jolla Shores. Iconic seasonal events include Comic-Con International downtown and the San Diego Pride Parade, which brings up to 300,000 revelers to Hillcrest.
Autumn: Experience one of the country’s largest Day of the Dead processions (plus live music and food vendors) in Barrio Logan. Snorkel amid the (harmless) leopard sharks in La Jolla in September, the best time to spot the timid creatures.
Winter: From December to March, around 20,000 gray whales migrate from Alaska to Baja California, passing through the deep waters off the San Diego coast. Take a whale-watching cruise from Mission Bay, keeping an eye out for dolphin mega pods. February is Museum Month, with half-price admission to over 40 city showplaces, including the Whaley House Museum in Old Town, the USS Midway Museum in downtown, and the Women’s Museum of California in Balboa Park.
Coastal neighborhoods: Traveling south, stop at Gliderport for the hang-gliding school in Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve. (Tip: Tandem rides offer amazing ocean views.) Avoid tourist-clogged Mission Beach and head instead to the coastal village of La Jolla, set amid pine trees, craggy cliffs, and sparkling tide pools. Visit the recently revamped Museum of Contemporary Art, then catch a Broadway musical at La Jolla Playhouse, founded by actor Gregory Peck in 1945.
Urban neighborhoods: Historic Gaslamp Quarter, with its Victorian-style flickering streetlights, is the city’s nightlife hub. Dance to hip-hop and electronica at Bloom or soak up the views of the bay from Altitude Sky Lounge. Nearby, Little Italy comprises 48 square blocks of outdoor restaurants, patio cafés, and wineries. Stop for a slice at Filippi’s Pizza Grotto (established in 1950) then head five minutes north to the famed Ballast Point Brewery, which has more than 25 beers on tap.
By bus: MTS operates bus routes throughout the city. Plan your trip and buy tickets at the MTS website or on the PRONTO app. Greyhound and Flixbus offer regular daily services to San Diego from all major U.S. cities, including New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles.
By car: With about 1,800 charging stations across the city, San Diego is one of the most EV-friendly destinations in the U.S. No matter what you drive, parking can be a challenge, so check Parkopedia for nearby lots and parking structures, and use ride-shares when possible.
By train: Amtrak connects San Diego with many U.S. cities. Pacific Surfliner runs north and south along the coast from Oakland to the Downtown San Diego Amtrak Station, with stops at San Francisco, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Los Angeles.
By trolley: The bright-red, eco-friendly San Diego trolley crisscrosses through the city, connecting neighborhoods such as downtown, Old Town, and Mission Valley.
Languages: English is the official language, but many people speak Spanish as well.
Wildlife awareness: Stingrays are ubiquitous in the summer months; remember to shuffle your feet through the sand when entering the ocean to warn them you are coming.
Outdoors: San Diego was recently ranked the Greenest City in America. Cycling lanes are abundant; use the regional bike map to navigate. San Diego Natural History Museum offers a new native plant nature trail and a canyoneer-led hiking program with guided walks through desert, beach, or mountain wilderness.
Shopping: In hip North Park, browse along Main Street for locally made gifts, jewelry, and vintage clothing. For secondhand surfboards, try Bird’s Surf Shed near Mission Bay.
The House of Broken Angels, by Luis Alberto Urrea. This Mexican-American family saga explores issues surrounding immigration, identity, and loss in San Diego and across the border.
Mister Magic, by Kiersten White. The San Diegan horror writer serves up a creepy tale of 1990s child television stars who reunite to solve a cold case.
Veronica Mars, directed by Rob Thomas. San Diego stood in for the fictional Neptune, California, in this beachy noir TV series (and movie) starring Kristen Bell as a hardboiled, soft-hearted teenage sleuth.
For more local literature, visit the San Diego Festival of Books in August.
(For more tips on what to do in San Diego, see our Explorer’s Guide.)
Edmund Valance is a Los Angeles-based writer.
Feb 4, 2023 · 1. San Diego is Very Photogenic: Great Reason To Visit San Diego If You Like Taking Pictures. One of the best reasons to visit San Diego is that it is a very photogenic city. Wherever you'e going there, you'll be able to see beautiful places. If you like photography, that's definitely why you should visit San Diego!
Mar 7, 2024 · Maybe more so than some people who have never lived anywhere else. We lived in Texas for a while and could not wait to come back to Southern California. And here are the top reason why I love San Diego so much: The Weather. Of course, everyone loves the weather in San Diego. It is pretty much spring year round with a few months of summer.
- Balboa Park. San Diego is famous for Balboa Park, 1200-acres in the heart of the city that is home to 16 museums, lush gardens, walking trails, and the world-renowned San Diego Zoo, which has earned a separate listing below.
- Perfect Weather. Never too hot and never too cold. San Diego’s weather just can’t be beat. Averaging 266 sunny days annually and only 38 days with precipitation, outdoors activities are a go, year-round.
- Hotel del Coronado. San Diego is famous for the historic Hotel del Coronado, which is located just across San Diego Bay from downtown in the island City of Coronado.
- Gaslamp Quarter. Calling itself “the heart and soul of downtown San Diego’, the Gaslamp Quarter is famous for its amazing collection of dining and entertainment options.
Apr 7, 2023 · Table of Contents. Is San Diego Worth Visiting? Who Is San Diego Good for? Why is San Diego NOT Worth Visiting? Things to Consider When Visiting San Diego for the First Time. PROs to Visiting San Diego: CONs to Visiting San Diego: FAQs to Determine if San Diego Is Worth It. Is San Diego Safe? What Areas Should I Avoid in San Diego?
With a population of over 1.3 million residents, the city is the eighth-most populous in the United States and the second-most populous in the state of California after Los Angeles. The city is the seat of San Diego County, which has a population of nearly 3.3 million people as of 2021. [15]
