Coronado Island is a favorite
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There are many San Diego tourist attractions to choose from including the San Diego Zoo and Sea World. However, for a peaceful day of sightseeing and relaxation, nothing beats a visit to the island of Coronado. A short drive across the graceful San Diego - Coronado Bay Bridge takes you from the hustle and bustle of city life to a more laid-back small town feel on Coronado.
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Colorful kayaks fill the beach near the Coronado Ferry Landing.
Coronado Island is actually not an island at all, but rather a peninsula extending northward from Imperial Beach. If you desire, you can drive south on Interstate 5 in San Diego until you reach the town of Imperial Beach. Then just follow the signs which point you to Coronado. The road runs along a narrow spit of land which separates the Pacific Ocean from San Diego Bay. The beach to your left along the way is known as the "Silver Strand". The drive is a pleasant one, however, most people prefer to go the short way by driving across the beautiful Bay Bridge which saves quite a bit of time.
A view of the graceful San Diego - Coronado Bay Bridge
By far, the most popular sight to see here is the world famous Hotel Del Coronado. It is the largest wooden structure in the United States and was built in 1887. Many famous people including U.S. Presidents have visited the hotel. The movie "Some Like it Hot" starring Marilyn Monroe was filmed here back in the 1950's along with a number of television shows down through the years. The hotel's grand history and appeal to visitors makes it one of the best San Diego tourist attractions.
This was a boathouse for the Hotel Del Coronado at one time.
Today, it is a Chart House restaurant.
View of the left side of the Del's swimming pool plus some
of the colorful foliage on the grounds of the hotel.
The right side of the Hotel Del swimming pool is shown.
Another great spot to visit is the Coronado Marketplace outdoor shopping center. The setting for the Marketplace is perfect with great views of the downtown San Diego skyline visible across the bay. The Coronado Ferry Landing is located next to this center and you can travel back and forth from the island to San Diego by ferry if you wish to. The Ferry Landing is also a terrific spot if you wish to take your own skyline pictures of San Diego. Sailing a boat around the bay is another favorite San Diego tourist attraction (along with boating on Mission Bay).
This photo was taken near the Coronado Marketplace back in 1999. The
San Diego skyline has added a few more downtown towers since then.
This is Glorietta Bay Harbor near the Hotel Del Coronado.
Although not one of the best known San Diego tourist attractions, Coronado Beach is probably the finest family beach in all of Southern California. It has even been named by the Travel Channel as one of the 10 best beaches in the U.S. in years past. Located right next to the Hotel Del Coronado, it has a large expanse of sand so you can roam to your heart's content, and is a great place to swim or to jump waves, or even to just sit and build sand castles with the kids!
This is beautiful Coronado Beach. The wide expanse of
sand gives ample room for all kinds of activities.
The downtown area of Coronado evokes comparisons to the fictional town of Mayberry on the Andy Griffith Show. If you wish to spend more than a day on the island, there are two more world class resorts here. Loews Coronado Bay Resort and the Coronado Marriott. Both provide stunning views of San Diego Bay and the Marriott has views of both the Bay Bridge and the downtown skyline. North Island Naval Air Station is also located here on Coronado. You can often see large aircraft carriers in port at North Island. Many people love to watch the big navy ships when they arrive in San Diego. The large ships are yet another of the many San Diego tourist attractions which bring people to this place year after year.
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This is the main entrance to the Coronado Marriott Hotel.
Whether its a stay at one of these excellent San Diego resorts, or just a day trip to Coronado Beach, the island of Coronado offers you a great and restful experience. Even though it is one of the least known
San Diego tourist attractions,
it just might become your favorite one.
Please visit more of my San Diego pages:
San Diego skyline photos
Pictures of Balboa Park
San Diego area attractions
Pictures of Sea World
Pictures of the San Diego Zoo
San Diego hotel photos
San Diego main page
Pictures of La Jolla
Miramar Air Show 1
Miramar Air Show 2
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