San Diego

San Diego is California’s southernmost city, on the Pacific coast just north of the border of the States and Mexico.  It has a fantastic, temperate climate that never becomes oppressively hot or freezing cold.  There are just enough rainy days to keep everything lush and green, but never too many to make rainwear a packing necessity.

San Diego International Airport is just three miles or so from downtown San Diego, and is served by most international carriers.  One note of interest is that it is the second largest single-runway airport in the world, after Gatwick in London.  Remember, as with all travel into the US these days, you will need to fill out an ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorisation) online before you arrive.

Once in the city, the best policy is to use public transport to get around as the roads are usually jammed and parking is expensive.  Much of interest within San Diego is reachable by foot, anyhow.  Your accommodation is likely to hotel-based, although there are cheaper hostels and guest-houses should your budget dictate somewhere less spartan.

The two main attractions within San Diego are Balboa Park and San Diego Zoo.  Balboa Park is the largest urban cultural park in the United States.  Within it are a number of attractions (including the zoo) including gardens, museums and many cultural venues.

The two must-visit museums are the Mingei International Museum and the San Diego Natural History Museum.  Also worth your perusal are the Reuben H Fleet Science Center, the United Nations building and the Old Globe Theatre.

Part of the world-famous San Diego zoo is inside Balboa Park.  This is the traditional zoo, whilst the second half is a wild animal park which is located north of the city.  The zoo has remodelled itself in recent years to provide spectacular natural habitats for the 4,000 or so creatures housed within its wall.  The zoo is expensive (a family of four would pay at least $150 to get in) but worth it.

If history is the thing that gets your pulse racing then check out the monument to Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo at San Diego Bay.  This commemorates the landing of Cabrillo at the bay in September 1542, the first time an expedition has reached the west coast of what is now the United States.

The monument is found within a park which also contains a museum, an old lighthouse and some former military installations.  You should also check out the ‘Old Town’ part of the city; this is considered the birthplace of California.  It has become a little bit of a tourist trap in recent years but remains a fun place to visit.

If that’s not enough for you, there’s always Sea World, home to Shamu and several other marine animals; Belmost Park, a vast amusement park at the Mission Beach boardwalk; and the Birch Aquarium at Scripps which has a huge abundance of sealife to look at.

San Diego really is where the great state of California really began, and retains both its Spanish and Mexican heritage, whilst also having a modern and cultural feel.  If you are a nature lover who enjoys reliving the past whilst enjoying all the comforts of contemporary life, then San Diego should be just what you are looking for.