San Diego Adventures: Best Beaches and Great Hikes

Want to find the best beaches and hikes in San Diego? There are so many beautiful things to do outside in San Diego, even in winter!

If you have ever wanted to spend time in sunny southern California, walking on boardwalks, checking out cute cafes, and hike to magnificent overlooks? San Diego has all of that and more, with a fraction of the crowds or traffic of the bigger cities like San Francisco or LA.

Great Activities

Of course, in California the first thing you think is of beaches and surf culture. San Diego delivers this generously! But there are also incredible hiking options, a vibrant downtown with distinct cultural areas, and lots of shopping.

Best Beaches

While I consider myself both a mountain and an ocean person, one of the first things I wanted to do in California was visit lots of beaches. Here are the highlights.

Torrey Pines Beach

Torrey Pines Beach was only about 20 minutes from my aunt and uncle’s house, so that was our first pick. It is set against dramatic cliffs, with plenty of rocks and boulders to scramble over before reaching the soft sand.

• Name: Torrey Pines Beach
  • Parking: Free on the street (circle around, except in summer there are lots of options!)
  • Crowd levels: very low
  • Beauty: exquisite
  • Surf: varies, but I saw several beginner and intermediate surfers out in the modest winter waves
  • Good for: families, hiking, playing on the beach, and watching military planes!

Pacific Beach

I also made a special trip to Pacific Beach, with its classic pier, and miles of walking on the wide-open sand. This is a perfect beach for flying kites. There were also lots of kite surfers out, as well as some traditional surfers.

The whole pacific beach area is known (by locals) for not being too touristy. It still has a fun mix of little beach shops and boutiques lining the street and the boardwalk.

• Name: Pacific Beach
  • Parking: Free on the street (circle around, except in summer there are lots of options!)
  • Crowd levels: very low, and mostly locals!
  • Beauty: classic beach scene: surfers, boardwalk, pier, and ice cream shops
  • Surf: varies, but rough the day I was there. There were kite boarders out, but even they stayed close to shore. 
  • Good for: families, playing on the beach, flying kites, kite surfing, skating, biking, etc. 

La Jolla Beach

Just south of Torrey Pines is La Jolla Beach. Known as an upscale neighborhood, it is also the starting point for many excursions and tours. These include kayaking, paddle boarding, and sailing.  La Jolla is also known for its sea lions, and you may get share a selfie with a particularly loud fellow. 

• Name: La Jolla Beach
  • Parking: Free on the street (circle around, except in summer there are lots of options!)
  • Crowd levels: moderate
  • Beauty: classic beach scene, plus interesting rocky caves
  • Surf: varies, but often a great surf beach 
  • Good for: families, playing on the beach, paddle boarding, kayaking, and sailing

Coronado Beach

If you’re looking for a beach near downtown San Diego, Coronado Beach is a great choice. Located on the southern end of Coronado Island, just across the bridge, the wide sand beach offers incredible views of the huge Coronado Bridge and the San Diego skyline. Swim at sunset for a romantic mix of incredible beauty and beach vibes.

• Name: Coronado Beach
  • Parking: Free on the street (circle around, except in summer there are lots of options!)
  • Crowd levels: low, except in summer
  • Beauty: classic beach scene, plus city views, and often sea lions
  • Surf: low, at the entrance of a bay 
  • Good for: families, playing on the beach, paddle boarding, kayaking, and sailing

Great Hikes

While there are many incredible hikes in the San Diego area, I only went on two, so I will share my experience with those. But don’t worry; I’ve got you covered! The first hike, in Torrey Pines State Park, offers nearly endless options. You could go back almost every day for weeks and try a new hike.

Torrey Pines State Park

Up first is Torrey Pines State Park, not to be confused with Torrey Pines Beach. Although the access is essentially the same, the state park is located high on the cliffs overlooking the beaches, and extends into the hills and surrounding countryside.

Parking in the state park is really expensive ($20 a day), and even by the beach lot it was over $10, so we opted to park for free on the street and walk as though we were going to the beach. This just means you will have to hike up a long, steep road to get to the state park. Since we were on a mission to walk, that was not a problem.  Whether you are in a car or on foot, just follow the signs.  

Once you arrive in Torrey Pines State Park, you will immediately be greeted by spectacular views over the Pacific Ocean. You can see the tiny specs of people on the beach or out in the water on paddleboards.

There are so many trails to choose from. I’d say choose one that heads towards the ocean and is about the distance you’d like to take. We did about 5 miles roundtrip, with a baby in tow, and it was spectacular!

Dolphin and Whale Sightings

If you get lucky, like we were, you will see migrating whales or the local family (pod) of dolphins. I’m told the local pod has over 200 dolphins. Seeing the dolphins jump in the water and the blows (puffs?) of the whales coming up for air was incredible. The opportunity to witness those majestic animals was definitely one of the highlights of my trip!

We kept stopping to watch them, while I, perched on a railing, called out their locations like a sportscaster. Straight ahead! Off to the right! At 2 o’clock! I could do that all day!

Potato Chip Rock

Finally, I went with my aunt and uncle on a hike on Mt. Woodson. It is now known, in the age of Instagram, as Potato Chip Rock. It is located in Ramona, but there are several options of trailheads. We choose the easier, paved option. You can also find a trailhead near Lake Poway. But, we choose to park on the road, for free (sensing a theme here?). We walked up the wide trail so we could chat as we climbed.

Potato Chip Rock is iconic, but the hike through enormous boulders on Mt. Woodson was also incredible. The day we went was overcast, so the views weren’t clear, but I’m told that on a clear day you will get incredible views of both the surrounding area of San Diego and the Pacific Ocean.

The advantage of going on a cool, overcast weekday was that we didn’t have to wait in line for a photo on Potato Chip Rock. Apparently lines can be more than a 2-hour wait on the weekends! Crazy!

Here I am on Potato Chip Rock:

Downtown and Beyond

In part two of my San Diego recap on Wednesday, I’ll share my favorite downtown areas, cute organic restaurants, and shopping options.

I hope you are inspired to find a hike or some water and play this week!

Cheers!

Kimberly

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