Accommodations

San Diego offers an exciting getaway with a variety of condos, vacation homes, hotels, and resorts. Choose an accommodation near any of San Diego's local attractions that offers comfort while making the most of the beautiful beaches and attractions at affordably priced rates.

View our San Diego Vacation Rentals or San Diego Resorts

Activities

For many visitors to San Diego, the San Diego Zoo is one of the top attractions, one of the most famous zoos in the word. They have several exhibits not available at other zoos, such as panda bears and the Mountain Gorilla habitat, one of the finest in any zoo. An entrance to the Zoo is through the Famos Balboa Park, with its beautifully landscaped acres that include museums featuring world class collections, the Starlight Bowl outdoor theater, the Spreckels Organ Pavilion, the Old Globe Theatre complex, rose and cactus gardens, and the Japanese Friendship Garden. One of the Museums in Balboa Park is the San Diego Aerospace Museum, which is the place to be for aviation enthusiasts. Whether it is an interest in historical flight or merely a child's fascination with flying that brings one here, there is plenty here to view, entertain, and educate. The San Diego Seaworld was the original Seaworld. You can see first hand animals such as beluga whales, orca whales, a pilot whale, polar bears, dolphins, penguins, manatees, and much more. For an exciting day, try Belmont Park at Mission Bay, San Diego's top beachfront amusement center, with rides and arcade, shops and oceanfront restaurants. The park's most distinctive attraction is the Giant Dipper Roller Coaster, one of two original oceanfront roller coasters still operating on the west coast. Other attractions include a simulated wave attraction, a carousel and a 175-foot indoor swimming pool, known as "The Plunge."

Events

Winter in San Diego is whale watching season, when gray whales migrate from the waters off Alaska to the lagoons of Baja California and back, and San Diego is fortunate enough to be along the way. Whether you're on a sundeck or in a kayak, don't miss the gentle giants as they swim by. In late July, enjoy the U.S. Open Sandcastle Competition, with a street festival, over 140 vendors, entertainment, food, children's rides, arts and crafts and lots of fun. Stroll up and down Seacoast Drive, wich is closed to traffic. The Kids-N-Kastles Competition is held on Saturday afternoon. Carlsbad Marathon is a winter marathon/half marathon unlike any other, with ideal January weather conditions to the spectacular coastal course, this award winning San Diego running event will wow you with continuous entertainment and unsurpassed volunteer support, just a few of the outstanding features that make this a runners favorite.

Water Sports

The Pacific Ocean and San Diego in particular has a long history of attracting surfers to the local shores. Sport fishing is one of the favorite activities of visitors and residents of San Diego. San Diego Bay famed for its abundant sea habitat and whale watching opportunities. The large diversity of sealife draws thousands of scuba divers each year to San Diego, which is considered one of the best regions for the sport in California. Some of the local beaches are perfect for swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving, and windsurfing.

Golfing

San Diego's climate and natural beauty make it a premier golf destination. Few areas can rival San Diego's diverse array of courses and landscapes, from the oceanfront course at Torrey Pines to the mountain views of Maderas, golfers are sure to enjoy the links in San Diego.

History

Although Jose Rodríguez Cabrillo discovered the area in 1542 and named it San Miguel, the name did not stick. In November of 1602, Sebastian Vizcaíno was mapping the Pacific coast for Spain, and he named the area for the Spanish Catholic saint San Diego de Alcalá. It was not until 1769 that Mission San Diego de Alcala was built in San Diego, in an effort to establish possession of California to prevent Russian settlers from entering the area. The Mission was the first of 21 Missions established throughout California by the Spanish. In 1821, Mexico won its independence from Spain, and California became a territory of Mexico.

Twenty-five years later, during the Mexican-American War, the city of San Diego was captured by a contingent of marines from the U.S.S. Cyane. The rest of California was taken shortly thereafter, and the State became a U.S. possession following the war, along with Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. Shortly following the discovery of gold outside of San Francisco in 1848, California became the 31st state in the Union.