arrow-down arrow-left arrow-right arrow-up play-button plus tab-indicator dots close menu search facebook google-plus instagram pinterest rss twitter youtube rss-two heart Check FeaturedBadge linkedin minus apps placeholder linkedin
Get out and play

Sports & Recreation

Outdoor adventure is a year round pursuit in San Diego

Photo By Aaron Chang

The Inside Scoop on Outdoor Fun

San Diego may be known as a relaxing, kick-off-your-shoes beach destination but the locals have a passion for sports and recreation that runs as deep as the Pacific. An ideal climate, 70 miles of coastline and diverse topography draw outdoor enthusiasts to San Diego year-round. Whether you're looking for a heart-pounding mountain biking excursion, an active surf lesson or even an exhilarating high-flying glide above the cliffs, there's always something exciting and thrilling to watch, do and discover in San Diego.

Watersports

If watersports are on your vacation agenda, you'll find plenty of options including sport fishing, sailing, jet-skiing, kayaking, paddle boarding, scuba diving, and surfing, to name a few.

Individual Sporting Activities

On land, enjoy gorgeous hikes in the backcountry and along the coast, rock climbing, golfing at over 90 courses, mountain biking, running along urban and rural routes and horseback riding. For a bird's eye perspective on the spectacular San Diego coastline, try your hand at paragliding or hang gliding from La Jolla's Gliderport or skydiving both indoor and out.

Spectator Sports

For spectator sports fans, there is plenty of cheering to do as San Diego's professional sports teams battle it out each season. Get your Major League Baseball fix with the San Diego Padres at Petco Park, where ballpark food takes on a whole new meaning with some of San Diego's favorite eateries and local craft beer on tap. Beyond the MLB, there are plenty of other spectator sports to enjoy, including international soccer tournaments, indoor soccer, ice hockey, rugby games, surfing, action sports competitions, marathons and much more.

Browse the articles and listings below to discover San Diego's best spots for fishing, sailing, scuba diving, mountain biking and more!

Find a place to stay

Book online or call 1-800-350-6205 to speak with a local expert

Things to do

What's Hot|
What's On|

7 Ways to Make a Splash in San Diego

Dive into these 7 big, bright water-related San Diego adventures

Discover

Surf and Skate in San Diego

From the sand to the street, San Diego has been at the center of action sports for decades.

Discover

San Diego's Outdoor Sports Scene

Ride, Surf, Skate and More

Discover

San Diego Crew Classic

Mar 31 - Apr 2, 2023

Regarded as the first major regatta of the year, the San Diego Crew Classic brings together thousands of athletes from more than 100 universities, clubs and high school programs across the United States. Spanning ages 14 – 84, the Crew Classic is a competition for future Olympians as well as for those new to the sport. This event is often a highlight of their competitive rowing careers. The Crew Classic is not only an athletic event with competitors at the peak of physical fitness, but a social gathering for enthusiasts to enjoy great local food, a beer garden with San Diego’s famous local craft breweries, and shopping. The event is held at Mission Bay, just a mile from the Pacific Beach.

Discover

La Jolla Half Marathon & Shores 5K

May 20, 2023

The La Jolla Half Marathon is one of America's most picturesque and beautiful point-to-point races. Starting at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, the course follows a scenic coastal route before reaching the challenging climb to the summit of Torrey Pines State Park. The course then rolls atop Torrey Pines mesa, continues down through residential La Jolla Shores, and finishes at La Jolla Cove.

For those interested in a shorter option, the La Jolla Shores 5K offers a mostly downhill course and features some of the most scenic views of the last 3.1 miles of the half marathon course.

 
Discover

United States Police & Fire Championships

Jun 10 - Jun 17, 2023

Welcome to the Athlete Registration Page for the 2023 United States Police & Fire Championships!

Discover

America's Schooner Cup Sail aboard State Tall Ship

Apr 1, 2023

Maritime Museum of San Diego, with an international reputation for excellence in restoring, maintaining, and operating historic vessels, will race the 142-foot schooner Californian in the 34th annual America’s Schooner Cup Saturday, hosted by Silver Gate Yacht Club. Californian, official tall ship of the state of California, and a signature historic vessel among the collection found at Maritime Museum of San Diego, won her first America’s Schooner Cup March 30, 2019.

 

Discover

What's Hot

View More

7 Ways to Make a Splash in San Diego

Discover

Surf and Skate in San Diego

Discover

San Diego's Outdoor Sports Scene

Discover

What's On

View More Events

San Diego Crew Classic

Mar 31 - Apr 2, 2023
Discover

La Jolla Half Marathon & Shores 5K

May 20, 2023
Discover

United States Police & Fire Championships

Jun 10 - Jun 17, 2023
Discover

America's Schooner Cup Sail aboard State Tall Ship

Apr 1, 2023
Discover

More from San Diego

Neighborhoods

Offers

Team Building

10% Military

Adventure Whale Watching San Diego Tours
Valid: Jan 11, 2023 - ongoing

If you serve our Country or have in the past, please join us on one our tours with a 10% discount. We apprecaite you and want to take you out on our Adventure!

Biking

50% OFF Any weekday watercraft rental

Sup & Saddle
Valid: Mar 8 - ongoing

Save 50% on any kayak or SUP rental in Coronado weekdays and 20% on weekends.  Valid before 10am and after 4pm only.

Tours & Sightseeing

$5 off Champagne Brunch Cruise

Flagship Cruises & Events
Valid: Jan 3 - ongoing

Save $5 and hop aboard a Flagship luxury yacht to have an amazing San Diego brunch cruise experience. Use Coupon Code at Checkout: SDTABRUNCH5

Related Articles and Features

Stay in touch

Sign up to receive the latest news, events, and updates about San Diego. Our monthly and weekly newsletters will keep you informed about the latest and greatest happenings in the destination.

Sign Up

Explore

Plan

Stay

Follow Us

Language:

English | Change Language

Select your country or region

China FlagChinaGermany FlagGermanyGreat Britain FlagGreat BritainJapan FlagJapanMexico FlagMexicoKorea FlagKoreaSwitzerland FlagSwitzerlandBrazil FlagBrazilFrance FlagFranceAustralia FlagAustraliaCanada FlagCanada USA

Or use Google Translate

Afrikaans Albanian Arabic Belarusian Bulgarian Catalan Croatian Czech Danish Deutsch Español Estonian Filipino Finnish Francais Galician Greek Haitian-Creole Hebrew Hindi Hungarian Icelandic Indonesian Irish Italian Japanese Korean Latvian Lithuanian Macedonian Malay Maltese Nederlands Norwegian Persian Polish Portuguese Romanian Russian Serbian Slovak Slovenian Swahili Swedish Telugu Thai Turkish Ukranian Vietnamese Welsh Yiddish