Established as far back as the late 1880s, Coronado Beach is a popular resort for vacationers from Hollywood, San Diego and beyond. Just a short drive from downtown San Diego and easy to reach by car, water taxi or ferry, the beach is a site of stunning natural beauty, with its captivating white sands and jet-black mica.
“Coronado” means “the crowded one” in Spanish—fittingly it is a well-frequented destination, and a fixture on polls and surveys about the best beaches around. It’s not hard to see why, with the inviting gentle waters shimmering in the sunshine.
Get out on the water and enjoy a range of sports, whether it’s leisurely fishing and boating or rather more energetic body-surfing and jet-skiing that you fancy. Alternatively, you can get in one of the shallow pools that form in the sand at low tide and splash around.
Head for Ocean Boulevard opposite Central Beach where you’ll find up-market shops and restaurants among the neighbouring mansions. Pay a visit to the Hotel del Coronado which has appeared in films such as 1959’s Some Like it Hot and 1980’s The Stunt Man. A glamorous spot that dates back to the 1880s, the hotel has welcomed American heroes, including Thomas Edison, Bill Clinton, Magic Johnson, Babe Ruth and many more as its guests.
Head a little further afield and you’ll find beaches nearby at Silver Strand and Glorietta Bay from which you can enjoy a striking view of the San Diego-Coronado Bridge. If you arrive at Coronado by water, explore the Ferry Landing area first, with its galleries, boutiques and shops pleasantly situated in picturesque surroundings. On Tuesdays a farmers’ market is held here. If you’re travelling to the area by car, free parking is on offer along Ocean Boulevard—get there early to make sure you get a space.
