Say Aloha! to San Diego's Tiki Culture

The festive chapter of the city’s history of Polynesian culture began decades ago as San Diego marketed itself as an affordable, closer-to-home version of the tropics.

With a surprising proliferation of Polynesian culture, San Diego is an unexpected paradise for lovers of tiki. This festive chapter of the city’s history began decades ago as San Diego marketed itself as an affordable, closer-to-home version of the tropics. Photo-worthy remnants of San Diego’s tiki past, ranging from tiki sculptures and South Pacific architecture to exotic plants and luaus, can still be found today throughout the city.

After WWII, American soldiers and sailors returned home from the South Pacific with photographs, art, souvenirs, music and more from these tropical islands, to the delight of the American public who romanticized exotic island cultures. As a burgeoning strategic Navy town on the Pacific, San Diego was a prime destination to celebrate and recreate tiki culture, especially on the shores of the newly developed Mission Bay and Shelter Island. By the 1980s, South Seas influences around San Diego began to disappear as contemporary tastes and design took hold. But fortunately, some fun tiki relics were preserved and maintained.

The following are some of San Diego’s best-known tiki spots and experiences from the past to present day.

The Bali Hai Restaurant, a well-known “tiki temple” that hosted luaus in its heyday, opened in 1954 on Shelter Island – “San Diego’s Hawaiian Isle” where many buildings reflect a Polynesian motif. Today, hand-carved tiki idols like the iconic Mr. Bali Hai and Goof on the Roof, genuine Polynesian artifacts and tapa cloths adorn the restaurant, which was beautifully renovated in 2010. Visitors can enjoy Pacific Rim cuisine and famously strong Mai Tais against a spectacular backdrop of San Diego Bay and the downtown skyline. For those seeking a memento, souvenir tiki mugs are available for purchase.
Built in 1959 on Shelter Island, Humphrey’s Half Moon Inn & Suites is a landmark tiki retreat with a soaring lobby roof that extends outward like a giant Polynesian fishing canoe, complete with a traditional lantern at its bow. The tropical theme is complemented with lush gardens, swaying palms, koi ponds, splashing waterfalls and colorful parrots.
Located at the gateway to San Diego’s tiki-filled Shelter Island, Trader Mort’s Liquor Store (originally named the Hooch Hut, circa 1966) is famous for its tiki hut design with a lava rock veneer and a large tongue-wagging tiki sculpture welcoming customers by the front entrance.
Opened in 1954, the Crowne Plaza San Diego (formerly the Hanalei Hotel) is a slice of paradise in the heart of bustling Mission Valley. The property retained much of its Hawaiian-themed luster from yesteryear, including tikis, Polynesian art, a lava rock fountain, outrigger canoe and tropical pool area. Crowne Plaza’s tiki surroundings are a fitting site for the annual Tiki Oasis convention, the largest and longest-running tiki gathering in the world, held Aug. 13-16, 2015. Each year, about 3,500 attendees enjoy a tiki art and fashion marketplace, “exotica” music, live entertainment, classic car show, pool parties and more. This year’s theme, “Yesterday’s Future, Today!” is a space-age take on the tiki scene.
On the sparkling shores of Mission Bay, Catamaran Resort Hotel and Spa recreates a South Pacific paradise with island-inspired architecture, tropical gardens, a massive rock fountain and koi pond in the lobby and a family of friendly parrots. A popular San Diego summer tradition, the Catamaran’s 17th Annual Sunset Luaus, June 26 – Sept. 4, are festive celebrations of Polynesian food, music, and dances. Guests are greeted with leis, Mai Tais, an all-you-can-eat buffet and entertainment by the Pride of Polynesia, featuring hula and fiery torch dancers.
Set amidst the lush palm-lined gardens of The Dana on Mission Bay, a mighty tiki warrior sculpture greets visitors. There’s also a tiki hut-style Tropical Pool Bar, offering sunbathers a variety of libations.
At Belmont Park amusement park in Mission Beach, visitors can enjoy the new Tiki Town Adventure Golf, an indoor/outdoor, island-themed 18-hole interactive mini golf course. Golfers encounter surprises at every hole, including an abandoned village of lost temples, tiki idols and an erupting volcano.

Another island-style adventure is a two-hour Surf and Tiki Tour by Where You Want To Be Tours that strolls past 20 tiki statues in Pacific Beach and Mission Bay Aquatic Park. Visitors are sure to discover hidden spots not found in guidebooks.
On Sept. 26-27, the 20th Annual Pacific Islander Festival entertains locals and visitors alike at Ski Beach on Mission Bay. This celebration of the cultures, foods, crafts and customs of Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia perfectly showcases the rich island-inspired side of San Diego.

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