Mission Beach is one of the best places in San Diego to lay in the warm sun and be a part of the famous Southern California beach lifestyle at its very best. Located near the man made islands of the famous Mission Bay, the beach runs along Mission Blvd. and has a full length boardwalk for walking, jogging, skating or biking. This beach is popular with locals and the thousands of tourists who come here annually to soak up the warm California sunshine and to swim, surf, bike, or skate along this beautiful and famous beach. There are many beach volleyball courts where you can tan and play at the same time.

There is a diverse collection of shops and restaurants and fast food outlets all along Mission Beach, on the boardwalk and along Mission Blvd. In the heart of Mission Beach you will find Belmont Park, home of the famous Big Dipper, a half mile wooden tract roller coaster built way back in 1927. This is an historic piece of recreation equipment which has operated for decades and completely restored and updated in 1990. Around the Big Dipper are various other rides, unique shops, restaurants and a special children’s area and a fresh water swimming pool known as “The Pludge”.

Mission Beach is the center of a beach connected on the north with Pacific Beach. Mission Beach extends over two miles, beginning at the Mission Bay channel entrance, known as the jetty and ending at Pacific Beach Drive. Mission Beach is the most popular beach area in the City of San Diego and draws large crowds. The north end of Mission Beach is bordered by residential properties, but there are some stores available on Mission Boulevard, a block or so from the beach. There are lifeguards on duty year around at Mission Beach which also makes the area quite popular especially for families and children. Surfing at Mission Beach is separated from the swimming areas. Restrooms and showers are also available near the lifeguard station at Ventura Street, and at the south side of Belmont Park, and at the mall area adjacent to the Mission Beach lifeguard station. Alcohol and smoking is banned at all San Diego County beaches and the law is strictly enforced.

Mission Beach, California

La Jolla California is considered the “Jewel” of the west coast and is one of the most highly sought after vacation destination spots of all of California’s beautiful beaches. La Jolla means “jewel” in Spanish and is aptly named. La Jolla is technically a neighborhood within the City of San Diego, and is located about 15 minutes from downtown San Diego. La Jolla is one of the most, if not the most, affluent communities in the nation. Despite it’s affluence it remains a typical casual Southern California typical beach and surf community where average families live and enjoy their beach and surfing standard of living with the thousands of tourists who visit here annually.

La Jolla has some of the finest upscale restaurants, beautiful beaches, art and various types of cultural galleries and events, hotels and breathtaking views of the Pacific found anywhere. La Jolla is home to the well known Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the Stephen Birch Aquarium & Museum. This is in addition to the University of California, San Diego. La Jolla is also home to many Bio-Tech and software corporations. Without a doubt, La Jolla California is a major part of the economic powerhouse of the City of San Diego and Southern California.

The residents of La Jolla are fortunate to be able to live in beautiful custom single family homes, large estate-executive style single family homes, beach cottages, modern condominiums, townhomes and beautiful apartments, along the beachfront and inland. Shopping options include large well known national retail stores, unique shops, one of a kind specialty shops, beach and surf shops and more. La Jolla itself is made up of several smaller neighborhoods where the 32,000 plus residents make their home.

The beaches in La Jolla are clean, with warm white sands and inviting all year long. There is La Jolla Shores beach which is about 1 mile long and has gentle surf for those surfers that are just starting out or with no experience. This is also a popular beach for scuba diving and is adjacent to the La Jolla Underwater Park Ecological Reserve where classes in scuba diving are offered. La Jolla Cove is a small beach, tucked beautifully between the sandstone cliffs. Because of its extraordinary beauty, La Jolla Cove is one of the most photographed beaches in Southern California. This north facing cove is ideal for swimmers, snorkelers and scuba divers and has water visibility of more than 30 feet and is part of the La Jolla Underwater Park Ecological Reserve. One of the most popular outdoor recreation sports in La Jolla next to beach and surfing sports is golfing with some of the very best golfing taking place at Torrey Pines golf course close by.
Whether you live here or are just visiting, all can agree that La Jolla, California is a great place to live, to work and to raise a family, and the casual everyday lifestyle here in La Jolla is like no other standard of living anywhere.

LaJolla California

Mission Beach is a community on a stretch of sandbar along the Pacific Ocean to the west and Mission Bay to the east in San Diego. The main artery through Mission Beach is Mission Boulevard, which is divided into South Mission, a peninsula, and North Mission. Mission Beach spans nearly two miles of ocean, with a Boardwalk on both the Ocean and Bay side, between Mission Bay to the east and Pacific Beach to the north.

What Makes Mission Beach Unique

• SeaWorld is a chain of marine mammal parks in the United States. The parks feature Orca, sea lion, and dolphin shows and zoological displays featuring various other marine animals.
• Giant Dipper Roller Coaster is a wooden roller coaster, built in 1925. The Giant Dipper is in Belmont Park, right on Mission Beach in San Diego. It is one of the only remaining coasters built by noted coaster builders Prior and Church on the West Coast
• The WaveHouse is a beachside bar-and-grill featuring an 8-foot tall barreling artificial wave called the Bruticus Maximus and a smaller flowrider.

Mission Beach

Ocean Beach, California is located along the Southern California coast in the sunny city of San Diego. Its neighboring cities are Downtown San Diego, Mission Bay, Mission Beach and Point Loma. Residents of Ocean Beach often refer to themselves as OBceans pronounced “oh-BEE-shun.” Earlier names for the city include Mussel Beach, Mussel Beds, Medanos, Palmer’s Place/Ranch and Palmiro’s. In more recent times, people refer to this beautiful city simply as OB. OB’s main street of business is Newport Avenue where you’ll find locally owned and managed antique shops, restaurants, coffee houses, bars, and bike and surf shops. Ocean Beach is home to numerous locally owned businesses and very few chain stores. In the early 2000s, Starbucks wanted to put a store on Newport Ave but the town didn’t like the idea. After the town’s efforts to prevent a chain store on the street, they lost the fight.

Some major popular events OB is known for are the Ocean Beach Kite Festival on the first Saturday of March, Ocean Beach Street Fair and Chili Cookoff in late June, Ocean Beach Jazz Music & Arts Festival at the foot of Newport in late September and the Ocean Beach Christmas Parade in early December.

Perhaps the most popular canine hotspot is Dog Beach, San Diego’s only 24 hour beach for dogs, located on the north end of Ocean Beach beach. This is a dog run area where dogs are permitted without a leash at all hours of the day. Just like many of the other San Diego beaches, OB is a popular surf spot for many local surfers. It is also one of the top favorite local beach hang-out spots for many of the area’s youth and San Diego natives.

Fun Facts

• Ocean Beach Pier was originally names the San Diego Fishing Pier with the original plaque still there.
• Many people believe the Ocean Beach Pier is the longest pier in CA. It isn’t. At 1971 feet it is the longest concrete pier on the west coast. The pier at Santa Cruz is 2745 feet.
• Ocean Beach is surprisingly home to several species of parrots which have created a feral population, meaning they have escaped from domestication and returned to living in the wild.
• Ocean Beach Dog Beach is the first leash-free beach in the United States.
• One of the most spectacular things to see from the Ocean Beach Pier is when a surfer shoots the pier by riding a wave underneath from one side to the other while maneuvering around the concrete legs of the pier.

Ocean Beach

La Jolla, California is truly a remarkable destination and one of San Diego’s brightest treasures. Often compared to upscale European seaside villages, La Jolla offers more than just great shopping and some of the finest restaurants in the county.

Stroll down Coast Boulevard and watch the sea lions and seals frolic in the Children’s Pool, and the pelicans lounging on cliffs or diving into the ocean. Fly a kite, watch fireworks or a summer concert in the park, take a swim in the famous cove, or a daring walk to the bottom of the historical La Jolla cave. Enjoy a bike ride, paraglide, rent a kayak, or just relax on the beautiful, sunny beaches.

La Jolla offers something for everyone, and is the gem of San Diego!

La Jolla

Pacific Beach is a neighborhood of San Diego, California bounded by La Jolla to the north, Mission Beach to the south, Interstate 5 and Clairemont to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. While largely populated by surfers and college students, the population is becoming more professional and affluent, due to rising property and rental costs.

What Makes Pacific Beach Unique
 

• Ocean Front Boardwalk has both modest and well proportioned resorts and hotels dot the coastline amongst bike and board rental stores, beachfront dining (with views), and many green parks.
• Crystal Pier brings the Southern California past back to life. At one end of the pier a fascinating hotel that lets you “Sleep over Seas” and at the other end is a place to cast a line for fish.
• Watch the boys and girls of summer surf the swells from above and feel at one with the sea as the old wooden pier rocks on with the waves.
• Garnet Ave & Mission Blvd Shopping District is the main shopping district of Pacific Beach, filled with interesting shops, bars and restaurants. The shopping district has several brand name clothing stores, used clothing stores, and salons. Also in good supply are night clubs, including Moondoggies, Blind Melons, Tiki – Pacific Beach Nightclub, Plum Crazy, and Canes Bar & Grill.

Pacific Beach

Mission Bay is a bay located south of the Pacific Beach community of San Diego, California. The bay is part of the recreational Mission Bay Park, which is the largest man-made aquatic park in the country, consisting of 4,235 acres, approximately 46% land and 54% water. The combined area makes Mission Bay Park the ninth largest municipally-owned park in the United States.

What Makes Mission Bay Unique?

• Mission Bay Aquatic Center is the world’s largest instructional waterfront facility.
• In 2007, over 15,000 participants experienced instructional and recreational opportunities in wakeboarding, sailing, surfing, waterskiing, rowing, kayaking, and windsurfing.
• SeaWorld features thousands of fascinating mammals, fish, reptiles and birds as well as spectacular animal shows, interactive attractions, aquariums, rides and dining facilities.

Mission Bay