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San Diego‘s sun-kissed brand of carefree fun has always appealed to families and friends seeking a laidback adventure. The sunny Southern California weather lends itself to outdoor activities like golfing, surfing, paragliding and kayaking among leopard sharks and sea lions at La Jolla Cove, but the city’s culinary and cultural cachet is growing, too. San Diego has the most small, family-owned farms in the United States, and independent restaurants and chefs relish the cornucopia of organic produce and sustainably caught seafood available locally all year round. Visit vibrant weekly farmers markets in Little Italy, Hillcrest and North Park to see for yourself.
Photography provided by Hotel del Coronado
Stay
San Diego’s beachfront grand dame resort wraps up a multiyear $550 million renovation this spring with a complete restoration of the iconic Victorian building. The hotel’s fascinating history began in 1888 when it opened with its own power plant, ice house, theater and — at the time, unheard of — manual elevators. Guests were entertained with various novel activities such as archery, glass bottom boats and even a menagerie of animals including parrots, monkeys and sea lions. Marilyn Monroe filmed Some Like It Hot here, and The Del has been a favorite vacation destination for presidents and movie stars for over a century.
Today, the sundeck is the heart of the resort, surrounded by dining, entertainment and a retail arcade. Beachfront rooms in The Cabanas neighborhood include spacious terraces and private fire pits, ideal for sunset drinks. Instead of a club lounge, book access to the Ocean Club for a complimentary breakfast buffet and exclusive beach cabanas.
Photography by Jim Sullivan
Dine
This modern Italian restaurant in downtown La Jolla gives Amalfi Coast vibes with a rare combination of excellent people-watching and exquisite food. Purple and white bougainvillea dangles overhead on the spacious heated tile terrace, which is always buzzing for weekend aperitivo hour with bellinis, spritzes, stuffed zucchini blossoms and airy focaccia on every table.
Chef Cameron Ingle deftly uses the Italian hearth to cook whole branzino, Tuscan-style bistecca alla fiorentina and focaccia. A selection of fresh handmade pasta includes plump potato gnocchi swimming in verdant basil pesto. Vegetables here are outstanding too, mostly sourced from nearby Chino Farm. Ingle lets the flavorful produce shine, pairing earthy roasted carrots with pickled green tomatoes and the sweetest mara be bois strawberries with velvety burrata. Cocktails are fun and wine service is excellent, with elegant stemware and knowledgeable servers. A new soft serve machine whips up pine nut–studded swirls to conclude.
Photography provided by Shop Good
Shop
After an arduous personal wellness journey, Shop Good founder Leah Kirpalani understands that health and skincare are intricately intertwined. Skin is the body’s largest organ, after all. She created a clean beauty and healthy lifestyle boutique to help decode and demystify complicated ingredient labels and marketing claims. Every product sold here has been personally tested and vetted, with brands like Agent Nateur, Botnia and Ilia among her bestsellers. Kirpalani’s friendly team at both the North Park and Del Mar locations readily share their encyclopedic skincare knowledge, passionately helping guests find the perfect product or personalize a new skincare routine.
Holistic aestheticians with a compassionate and inclusive approach to beauty offer apothecary-inspired, results-oriented facials in two treatment rooms behind the retail shop. From back facials and scalp treatments to gua sha and high frequency, Shop Good facials are more effective and a better value than most floofy hotel spa treatments. You’re guaranteed to walk out feeling more beautiful.
Photography provided by San Diego Tourism Authority
Do
Home to 18 museums and the world-class San Diego Zoo, Balboa Park is larger than New York City‘s Central Park, with a range of attractions for every interest. Comic-Con Museum is the newest permanent opening for a dose of pop culture superhero fun inspired by the annual entertainment convention, while the recently reopened Timken Museum of Art showcases work from European old masters, including Rembrandt and Rubens.
The Japanese Friendship Garden is a popular location for weddings and engagements, bursting to life each spring with an annual cherry blossom festival in March and hosting cultural workshops in black pine pruning, bamboo making and tea whisking throughout the year. Mingei International Museum is another thought-provoking stop, with 30,000 objects used in daily life from nearly 150 countries on display. Collections of textiles, jewelry, folk toys and delicately preserved ceramics range from ancient relics to contemporary designs.
Photography provided by La Jolla Ecological
Do
The La Jolla Ecological Reserve is a protected marine area with one of the highest concentrations of sea life in California. Everyday California’s eco-friendly guided kayak tours are fun and educational ocean adventures accessible even for beginners, and you never quite know what you’ll encounter. Wipeouts do happen on occasion, but everyone is outfitted with life jackets and athletic young guides help push your kayak from the shallows past the swells into calmer deep waters.
Enthusiastic guides share personal stories and fun maritime factoids, and you might even spot baby bat rays or baby whales if you’re lucky. With a fleet of 75 single and double kayaks, these tours are available year-round along with wetsuits for colder weather. While kayak tours are most popular, surf, snorkel and paddleboard lessons and rentals are also available. Shop the brand’s fun athleisure line at the retail flagship once you’re safely back ashore.
Photography by Kimberly Motos
Dine
This beguiling restaurant located in an unassuming strip mall is a collaboration between Santa Barbara’s Pali Wine Co. and Chef Ashley McBrady, a woman whose fanatical pursuit of the best ingredients has earned the respect of farmers, fishmongers and diners alike. The sprawling patio offers a casual indoor-outdoor ambiance and a well-priced wine list of easy-drinking and eclectic California bottles.
Begin with house-fermented wood-fired pita and colorful dips. Everything from pomegranate molasses drizzled over whipped tahina to pinipig dukkah sprinkled on tomato and fennel matbucha is made from scratch, and there’s even a dedicated fermentation chef.
Bluefin ‘nduja toast with thick cubes of tuna marinated in sweet smoky paprika and Calabrian chiles is a must, followed by brown butter pork chop generously dressed with cherries and smoked almonds to share. Sunday brunch takes breakfast classics to new heights, with ice cream–topped brûlée French toast and cheesy, pork belly breakfast sandwiches.
