San Diego was the last city in my 10 Day West Coast Road Trip. Although the time spent in the second-largest Californian city was very short.
More exactly less than a day, I must say I liked it a lot. The main reason for that is probably its striking similarity with my all times favorite US city, Miami.
The west southern city is a perfect destination for getting a good tan, considering the summer temperatures, all year round. At the same time, San Diego has some awesome wide beaches worth visiting.
The best known are certainly La Jolla and Mission Beach. Given its location, right next to the Mexican border, it’s pretty understandable why Spanish is the most used language in the area.
Luckily, I can understand and speak Spanish well enough, to not encounter any problem. Overall, San Diego is definitely a city worth exploring. And I can’t wait to be back here and to spend a whole lot more time.
What I use every time I travel:
- To book hotels: Booking.com
- To book tours: GetYourGuide.com
However, I can give you some very convincing reasons why you should visit San Diego:
Port of San Diego
The Dole bananas (I’m sure you know what I’m saying) enter the country right through this place.
Also, the port is used to import cars, belonging to Honda, Isuzu, Acura, Nissan, etc. In addition to trade and military functions, the Port of San Diego is home to some of the cruise lines.
Such as Holland America, Royal Caribbean, Carnival Cruises, Carnival Spirit and others. Moreover, Grand Princess just anchored in the port when we visited; lucky us!
⇒ Find here the best hotels in San Diego.
Downtown San Diego
The city center is located in almost the same region as the port is. Just as I said earlier, is very similar to Miami: palm trees, skyscrapers, and high temperatures. But San Diego is not just that.
There are numerous attractions for all tastes and all ages, and the most popular ones are Balboa Park, San Diego Zoo, Little Italy, San Diego Embarcadero and Petco Park.
Coronado Island
In order to reach Coronado Island, you must first pass Coronado Bridge. Which is a very famous structure in San Diego. Why is worth visiting Coronado Island?
Well, if you wish to relax or walk on the beach, through the sand dunes (seen from above, they form the letters of the word Coronado), to play golf on Coronado’s Public Golf Course,to visit the famous Hotel del Coronado or to go to Centennial Park, or for the best views of the skyline of San Diego.
⇒ Also read: 3 Days in Los Angeles – what to do and see
The Mexican food
Being so close to the Mexican land, it would have been a great shame not to try their delicious traditional cuisine: tamales, enchiladas, tacos or tostadas.
We went to Ray’s Mexican Restaurant, located on El Cajon Boulevard, that has some interesting dishes to try. We tasted everything, and I promise that we didn’t leave disappointed at all.
Moreover, I must add that Mexican cuisine turned out to be one of my favorites, actually.
Hi Bella. This is our first time on your site and it’s great. We agree that San Diego is wonderful town. One of our favourite memories is the mellow, laid-back vibe of the people there. It’s so much more peaceful than LA. You have some lovely photos that show off San Diego’s beauty.
I’m so happy you like my blog! San Diego is definitely a lot more peaceful than LA. However, I hope to come back and explore much more of what this city has to offer.
We sure do love Mexican food too! It’s one of the things we miss most about our home, Los Angeles. Reading your post made me a bit homesick because LA is just up the road from San Diego!
Mexican food is delicious! 😀
I have spent quite some time in San Diego over the past 2 years and really love this city. I love that San Diego has so many completely different neighborhoods to explore, so many events going on, some beautiful beaches, the mountains nearby and of course the great weather year round. I will be back there early next year and I can’t wait! 🙂
Hi Sanne! Oh, your words make me want to explore more and more of this amazing city. Hopefully, I’ll be back next year, as well 😀
You sure did a whirlwind tour of San Diego! It looks like a nice place to hang out. I think I’d be spending much of my time there eating Mexican food too!
Ha ha! Mexican food is surely tempting!
You sure made the most of your day! I’ve never been to California but I’ve only heard good things about San Diego including the weather. Many people who have visited went so far as to say they would live there.
Hi, Lydia! I would move there too. It’s really amazing!
San Diego isn’t at all what I pictured it to be! – not quite sure what I was expecting to be frank.
But by the sounds of it, you made full use of your day exploring San Diego. And that skyline is gorgeous… Oh man, I love the Mexican cuisine – I think I would have spent the entire day just chowing down on the food!
I went to San Diego when I was in college, but that has been YEARS ago. My stepson just got stationed there so we’ll have to plan a visit real soon!
Way to maximize your stay in San Diego! I used to live near San Diego as a child, but haven’t had a chance to go back. I definitely need to add it to my trip list for next year!!
Coronado is one of my favorite places. When I was younger my grandmother told me about how magnificent it was, then after she passed I went to visit it. I bought a bottle of wine and had a few glasses near the beach. I’m glad you had a great time in San Diego! It’s such a fun city 🙂
Thanks for the info on San Diego. The pictures make it look like a bright and clean city. From the sounds of it there is plenty to see and places to eat. Was everyone really speaking Spanish there?
You’re welcome! Not everyone, but a big part of the people that we’ve met.
It sounds like you enjoyed your mini stay in San Diego! I lived in Southern California for 8 years, I have eaten far more bananas living in Ecuador than I ever did in in California.I didn’t even realize that Dole was so big in the area. But, I must say that the Mexican food is die for in those parts, pretty much impossible to beat anyone other than Mexico.
Ooooh after reading this, I want more than a taste of San Diego! It looks like the perfect Californian city with lots of things to see & do in the downtown area. Putting it on my USA Bucket List!