Summer Play in San Diego's South Bay

Summer Play in San Diego's South Bay

South Bay entices visitors looking for a summer getaway with its sea swept breezes and plethora of bayfront recreation activities and attractions.

Located less than 10 minutes south of downtown San Diego, South Bay encompasses more than 15 miles of San Diego Bay’s sparkling shoreline. Comprising the cities of Coronado, National City, Chula Vista and Imperial Beach, South Bay entices visitors looking for a summer getaway with its sea swept breezes and plethora of bayfront recreation activities and attractions.

With its proximity to the U.S./Mexico international border, the South Bay also serves as the gateway to Baja California where affordable shopping, dining and sightseeing opportunities abound. The San Diego Trolley makes a daytrip to Tijuana quick and convenient.

The following are some of the most popular visitor experiences in South Bay’s cities:

CHULA VISTA

The second largest city in San Diego County, Chula Vista shapes South Bay’s welcoming and culturally-diverse character and has been stalwart in protecting and showcasing its natural bayside treasures.

  • Visitors can experience one of the few remaining saltwater marsh habitats on the Pacific Coast at the Living Coast Discovery Center, a remarkable zoo and aquarium situated on the Sweetwater Marsh National Wildlife Refuge. View shorebirds, sea turtles and a variety of fish, as well as touch the velvety backs of friendly rays as they glide through the interactive Shark & Ray Experience pool. Miles of hiking trails also offer the opportunity to explore the intertidal animals and plants that call San Diego Bay home. 
  • Three scenic harborside parks provide fun, free outdoor spaces to relax and enjoy expansive views of the bay. Surrounded by marinas, restaurants and shopping, Chula Vista Bayside Park features a small beach, fishing pier, picnic and game tables, bike paths and "Wind Oars” sculptures that pivot in unison like a flock of birds overhead. Campers can enjoy Chula Vista RV Resort in Bayside Park, the "Best RV Resort in Southern California" (Woodall’s/Good Sam RV Travel Guide). Chula Vista Bayfront Park features a public boat launching ramp, beautiful landscaping and photo-worthy, futuristic-looking “Konoids” sculptures. Neighboring Chula Vista J Street Marina Park features playgrounds, picnic tables and the unique, acoustic art piece, “Wind Harp.”
  • Launching from Bayside Park, Chula Vista Kayak adventures takes guests on one-hour paddle tours of the bay to discover shorebirds, raptors like osprey, kites and harriers and one of the most exciting local wildlife sightings, Eastern Pacific green sea turtles. A group of about 60-80 sea turtles call South Bay home, foraging year-round on eelgrass beds. Cost is $15 per hour or $20 per hour for a tandem kayak.

NATIONAL CITY

Home to massive shipyards, Naval Base San Diego and National City Marine Terminal – the primary port of entry for one out of every eight cars imported to the United States – National City serves as one of San Diego’s most important commerce centers and a historic hub.

  • National City’s premier bayfront park, Pepper Park features whimsical play equipment, picnic areas, a boat launching ramp and pier with lights for night fishing.
  • All aboard the National City Rail Depot, the oldest railroad structure in San Diego County and the only original transcontinental railroad terminus in the United States that is still standing. Built in 1882, the restored Santa Fe depot features a railroad museum open Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
  • The nearby National City Railcar Museum/Plaza features the original 1887 No. 1 car of the “Motor Cannon Ball” commuter train that once looped around the bay, linking National City to San Diego, Chula Vista and Coronado. Today, visitors can ride the San Diego Trolley which runs through National City and Chula Vista.

CORONADO/IMPERIAL BEACH

Linked by a narrow isthmus called the Silver Strand, Imperial Beach and the “Crown City” of Coronado offer visitors unique natural wonders and activities.

  • Nestled between the Pacific Ocean and San Diego Bay, beachgoers can bask in the sun at Silver Strand State Beach, popular for swimming, biking, RV camping, picnicking and kite-boarding. The name references the tiny, iridescent seashells that sparkle along its 3.5-mile oceanfront and bayside nature preserve.
  • The Silver Strand also offers an easy, relatively flat eight-mile ride between Coronado and Imperial Beach along a portion of the Bayshore Bikeway, considered one of the most beautiful and cyclist-friendly bike routes in Southern California. 
  • Guests can sit back and unwind on relaxing gondola rides on San Diego Bay with The Gondola Company, featuring authentic Venetian gondolas that embark year-round from the Coronado Cays.
  • During the spring and summer birdwatchers flock to the salt ponds of Imperial Beach, part of the San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge, a bird watching paradise with thousands of protected migrating birds. The levees around the ponds provide important nesting habitats for several species of seabirds. The Bayshore Bikeway provides prime viewing access with observation decks like the Habitat Heroes site, complete with a viewing scope, benches and climbing rocks for kids to play on.
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7 Piers to Discover

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