San Diego
A pleasant, sunny climate welcomes visitors to San Diego all year round. They flock to the city for its dozens of great tourist attractions, especially its captivating resorts like Mission Beach and Pacific Beach, which are just part of the enchanting natural world that is yours to explore on this patch of the West Coast.
Families are in for a treat. San Diego is home to the exciting SeaWorld®, where youngsters can get up close to marine life and enjoy the fun shows and rides on offer throughout the park. Elsewhere Balboa Park and the San Diego Zoo are popular favourites. Here you can even see giant pandas, one of the few places in the world outside China where you can admire these beautiful animals. Enjoy the puppetry at the Marie Hitchcock Puppet Theater or take a miniature railway ride around the park.
Right on the coast of the Pacific, San Diego has a historic place in America’s naval history. Here you can get on board the old USS Midway aircraft carrier that used to be home to over 4000 crew, and now houses the Aircraft Carrier Museum. Head for the San Diego Air & Space Museum and you can see so much of the region’s rich aviation heritage.
The massive Balboa Park is perhaps San Diego’s stand-out attraction, its size and scale truly astounding. With over a dozen different museums including the impressive San Diego Museum of Art, not to mention theatres, a golf course, and nearly 20 different themed gardens – including a reproduction of the Seville Royal Palace gardens – there is so much here to enjoy.
For an easy way to get around the heart of town, hop on the Trolley, the light rail network that will take you past many of the city’s major attractions. Further afield, make a beeline for the old-fashioned Gaslamp Quarter, visit Navy Pier, or explore Coronado Beach, each of which has its own unique flavour and attractions. Head for the Old Town San Diego State Park meanwhile for a glimpse into the city’s Spanish heritage.
When you’ve seen all the manmade attractions, you can always head for the Pacific Ocean and admire the golden California sunset—a perfect way to end your visit to this dazzling West Coast city.