Coronado Beach, California

Coronado Beach is a glorious stretch of sand on the Pacific coastline of the barrier island centered in San Diego bay. To reach Coronado Beach take Interstate 5 to travel through the city. Hang a right onto the San Diego-Coronado Bay Bridge. Cross the bridge, continue through Tidelands Park, then turn left down Orange Avenue. Carry on for about a mile to get to the beachfront. There’s a lot of parking alongside Ocean Boulevard, but it can fill up quickly on weekend days.

The beach is divided into three areas. Towards the Naval Base lies North Beach. Here are dogs-permitted zones perfect for walking your 4 legged friend. This part of the beach is popular with surfers when the swell is coming in from the north-west.

The main part of the beach, in front of the Hotel Del Coronado, is called Central beach. The sands here are a whitish yellow, and the beach is wide enough to avoid a crowded feel, even on a busy day. In the midday sun it can be painfully hot underfoot, so bringing some flip-flops is a good idea.

The long beach south of the Hotel Del towards Silver Strand is named The Shores. This area is not as popular as Central Beach – the high rise condominiums behind the sands make this part less scenic and attractive.

Back to Central beach. The swimming is safe and supervised, in clear clean water. There are convenient restroom and snack facilities. Volleyball courts and BBQ pits available on a first-comers basis.

Behind the beach lies the iconic Hotel del Coronado. It is one of the few surviving examples of the Victorian beach hotel – there were many more in their heyday. The building, entirely made of wood, was completed in 1888, at the then staggering cost of one million dollars. Not one nail was used in its construction, as all joints were made with wooden pegs. The Hotel was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1977. Famous guests have included Charlie Chaplin, Babe Ruth, Charles Lindbergh, and Thomas Edison. The hotel also featured as a location in the Marilyn Monroe movie, Some Like It Hot.

Families with young kids can enjoy an excursion to Glorietta Park Beach, which has a fun playground, and a calm waterfront with lots of sand perfect for playing in. It’s situated just across Silver Strand Boulevard, on the Bay side of the island.