Welcome to San Diego - welcome to California!
San Diego is a large, attractive city, situated 180 km south of Los Angeles. There are over 33 beaches up and down the San Diego coast, from Encinitas to the island of Coronado. San Diego also provides the opportunity to play golf at 78 different golf courses or tennis at numerous public or private facilities. At Mission Bay you can take part in every imaginable type of water sports.
The cultural heart of San Diego is Balboa Park, which includes the world-famous San Diego Zoo; the San Diego Museum of Art; the Old Globe Theatre, a reproduction of Shakespeare's theatre in London; the Automotive and Aerospace Museum; the Natural History Museum; and the Hall of Champions (a museum of sport history). Attractions apart from Balboa Park include Sea World; the La Jolla Museum of Contemporary Art; the Civic Theatre, home of the San Diego Symphony Orchestra and San Diego Opera; and Qualcomm Stadium, where San Diego’s major league football and baseball teams compete.
Other areas of interest include Old Town and the Gaslamp Quarter, as both areas feature numerous museums and examples of 19th-century American architecture. For science buffs, the world-renowned Palomar Observatory is a mere one-hour drive from Downtown San Diego.
La Jolla and Del Mar, famous for their elegant seaside boutiques and fine restaurants, are located in the northern part of the county. For those seeking even more excitement, Disneyland, Hollywood, Beverly Hills and Magic Mountain are a mere two-hour drive from the city.
Pacific and Missions Beaches are the most exciting and popular beaches for young people. These beaches offer great surfing and boogie-boarding and people-watching. And when you're ready for land, the beachers have discos, great, inexpensive restaurants--Italian, Japanese, Mexican--sports bars to watch all the major baseball, football, and basketball games, plus trendy shops for the ladies who love to shop.
The San Diego Harbor fun and educational ships that you can tour--from 18th century sailboats to modern Navy carriers that you can tour. Not to mention, the harbor area has great seafood and steak restaurants right on the water with a view of the harbor.