This post will tell you about top amazing places in San Diego. Here are our top 10 picks:
Balboa Park
Balboa Park is a large urban cultural park in San Diego. It contains numerous gardens, museums, theaters and other attractions. The park was officially established in 19th century, making it one of the oldest parks in the United States dedicated to public recreational use. Several architectural landmarks were constructed for the 1915 Panama-California Exposition and 1935 California Pacific International Exposition. Visit the amazing Botanical Building, Japanese Friendship Garden, the world-famous San Diego Zoo or San Diego Air & Space Museum. There’s plenty to choose from.
Little Italy
Little Italy is a popular neighborhood in downtown San Diego featuring Italian restaurants, bars, retail shops, home design and other stores, and it frequently hosts events such as weekly farmers market known as the Mercato where locals shop for fresh products, flowers and other goods. Little Italy started as a fishing community for Italian immigrants. It eventually became the center of tuna canning industry and was often referred to as the “tuna capital” of the Western United States. The tuna business disappeared by 1980s and Little Italy transformed into a popular tourist destination. Stop for a cup of original Italian cappuccino or a slice of pizza and experience the real Italian spirit.
Old Town
Old Town San Diego is a historic neighborhood, consisting of reconstructed homes and craft shops in the 1800s Mission-style, recreating life in the Mexican and early American periods. Old Town is also the site of the first European settlement in California. Apart from several museums, parks and historic buildings in the Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, you can dine at one many traditional Mexican restaurants with live Mariachi bands. There are over 100 specialty shops and annual events are organized on regular basis.
Suspension bridge
The Spruce Street suspension bridge located in the residential Banker’s Hill neighborhood of San Diego was built in 1912 to provide pedestrians with a link to new trolley lines across a deep canyon. The suspension bridge eventually became San Diego’s best-known “secret” and is a popular romantic and serene spot admired by both locals and tourists and is a perfect location for a unique San Diego selfie.
Seaport Village
Seaport Village is a unique shopping area located in the heart of downtown San Diego waterfront. The entire area is car-free and offers miles of walking paths with plazas full of shops, restaurants, picnic areas and amazing views of the San Diego Bay. The village features several buildings belonging to diverse architectural styles, from Victorian to traditional Mexican. Musical performances and other events are often taking place in one of the outdoor areas. Seaport Village was built on “Punta de los Muertos”, Spanish for Point of the Dead, where the Spanish expedition of 1782 buried those who died during the expedition.
USS Midway Museum
USS Midway is a decommissioned aircraft carrier located at Navy Pier in downtown San Diego. The ship is now serving as a maritime museum and features a collection of aircraft, which were mostly built in Southern California. Launched in 1945, just after the end of the Second World War, USS Midway was the largest ship in the world until 1955 and was too big to cross the Panama Canal. Midway served for 47 years in Vietnam War, Desert Storm, and other important operations. You can explore the interior of USS Midway and experience what life on an aircraft carrier was like during the cold war.
Gaslamp Quarter
The Gaslamp Quarter, often referred to as the historic heart of San Diego is a historical downtown district and is the place to go to if you are looking for entertainment and night life. Gaslamp is often the venue of festivals, for instance, those organized around Mardi Gras, St. Patrick’s Day, etc. In the 1860s when the development of the area began, the Gaslamp Quarter was known as New Town, in contrast to Old Town San Diego. Now, the district is home to clubs, dive bars and cocktail lounges as well as theaters offering diverse programs of music, comedy and drama.
Coronado
Coronado which is Spanish for “crowned one”, is a resort city on a peninsula in San Diego Bay with one of the best beaches in America and an amazing view of the San Diego skyline. Coronado is easily accessible from downtown San Diego by impressive Coronado bridge. The peninsula was home to first navy flying school and San Diego was designated the birthplace of Naval aviation in 1961. Visit the breathtaking Coronado Beach where you will also find the shipwreck of SS Monte Carlo. Coronado also features a beautiful historic beachfront Hotel del Coronado, established in 1888. Coronado lies on the geographic combination of an island connected to the mainland by a tombolo called the Silver Strand.
Mission Beach
Mission Beach is a community built on a sandbank between the Pacific Ocean and Mission Bay, covering nearly two miles of ocean front, featuring a lively boardwalk on both ocean and bay sides. It is a popular place for surfing, sunbathing, skateboarding and other outdoor activities. The changing rooms on Mission Beach appear in the movie Top Gun starring Tom Cruise. You can have a drink by the ocean in of many relaxed beach-style bars or take one of the rides in historic Belmont amusement Park in South Mission Beach or visit SeaWorld in Mission Bay Park nearby.
La Jolla
La Jolla is a hillside oceanfront community in San Diego, home to successful international businesses and education institutions as well as beautiful sandy beaches and rocky shorelines. Visit the stunning La Jolla Cove which is usually lined with gulls and sea lions and offers amazing views of the Pacific Ocean. You can also visit Sunny Jim’s Cave and explore the fascinating La Jolla underground world.
