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San Diego Maps & Attractions Guide
San Diego maps & Attractions - Things to do
in San Diego
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San Diego
Attractions - Things to do
1. Balboa Park
1549 El Prado
www.balboapark.org |
What is it? Balboa Park contains one of the biggest
groups of museums in the USA, many of them housed in magnificent
Spanish-Mexican buildings, in addition to more than 85 Performing
Arts and International Culture Organisations including theatres
like the internationally acclaimed Old Globe Theatre, and several
art galleries. The park also houses the world-renowned San Diego
Zoo with more than 800 species in spacious re-created natural
habitats. The oldest and most famous of the 15 museums is the
Reuben H Fleet Science Centre with a big screen Omnimax Theatre and
virtual reality simulator that transports visitors to outer space.
Other museums cover a wide range of interests, including cars and
motorbikes, anthropology, various forms of art, and natural
history. The Spanish Village Art Centre provides a traditional
ancient village setting for viewing sculpture, painting,
glassblowing and pottery performed by crafts people in classic
tiled-roofed studios. The park has numerous features and facilities
including golf courses, hiking and cycling trails, promenades,
extensive landscaped gardens and horticultural treasures, a
Japanese Friendship Garden, fountains and restaurants, a pavilion
for Sunday afternoon concerts and the world's largest outdoor
organ.
Hours of Operation: The visitor centre is open daily from 9.30am to
4.30pm (5pm in summer). Some museums are closed on Mondays, but the
zoo, science centre and Spanish Village Art Centre are open
daily
Phone:(619) 239 0512 |
2. San Diego Zoo
2920 Zoo Drive, Balboa Park
www.sandiegozoo.org |
What is it? The San Diego Zoo is one of the city's
biggest attractions and has a worldwide reputation for its
enlightened management program, worldwide conservation efforts,
natural animal environments and most notably its success in
breeding endangered species in captivity for reintegration into
their natural habitats (together with the Wild Animal Park north of
the city). It is the only zoo to have successfully bred Chinese
giant pandas in captivity. The zoo houses more than 4,000 mammals,
birds and reptiles. Many rare and endangered animals roam simulated
natural habitats, while tourists follow walkways and bridges,
passing waterfalls, tropical forests, sandy plateaus, arctic
tundra, and bird aviaries. The 100-acre (40-hectare) park can be
explored on foot, on narrated open-air trams, hop-on-and-off buses,
or above the ground on the aerial Skyfari tram or hot air balloon.
One of the highlights is the Tiger River Asian rainforest with
animal enclosures situated along misty trails enhanced by
waterfalls and exotic plants. It features tigers, pythons, tapirs
and crocodiles. Other highlights include the Gorilla Tropics, Sun
Bear Forest, polar bears in a simulated freezer, and the Ituri
Forest Exhibit that features African buffaloes, monkeys and hippos.
There is also a Children's Zoo where small animals such as bunnies,
goats and sheep can be petted, and the nursery where the latest
arrivals are looked after. An outdoor amphitheatre has daily sea
lion and other animal shows.
Hours of Operation: Open daily from 9am to 10pm (Mid-June to
mid-September), and from 9am to 4pm (mid-September to
mid-June)
Phone:(619) 234 3153 |
3. SeaWorld
500 SeaWorld Drive, Mission Bay
www.seaworld.com |
What is it? On the shores of Mission Bay is one of San
Diego's best-known attractions whose mascot, the resident killer
whale Shamu, has for many become synonymous with the city. SeaWorld
is a leader in marine conservation and plays an important role in
rescuing and rehabilitating animals found beached along the West
Coast. It is also one of the world's largest marine entertainment
parks and is a source of education as well as family recreation.
The park is best known for its work with killer whales (Orcas) and
dolphins, and the Dolphin Interaction Program provides the
experience of feeding, stroking and wading with bottlenose dolphins
(requiring advance booking and an additional fee). SeaWorld's
favourite attractions are its arena shows that run throughout the
day, highlighting the behaviours and talents of trained marine
mammals such as sea lions, walruses, otters, dolphins and killer
whales. Most of the exhibits are walk-through marine environments
like the Penguin Encounter that passes through a glass-enclosed
Antarctica with remarkable emperor penguins sliding over glaciers
into the icy water. The walk-through glass tube that passes through
the Shark House affords frightening face-to-face encounters.
Adventure rides include the Shipwreck Rapids ride with its
turbulent rivers and underground canyons, the exhilarating Journey
to Atlantis and the virtual-reality trip to the world of beluga
whales, polar bears and walruses of the Wild Arctic. During summer
peak hours the shows and more popular exhibits can be very crowded
with long queues.
Hours of Operation: Open daily, but park hours vary according to the
season. Generally open from 9am to 10pm (summer) and from 10am to
5pm (September to May)
Phone:1 800 257 4268 or 800 380 3203 (recorded
information) |
4. Downtown
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What is it? The active downtown area is compact and easy
to walk around. It encompasses the business district, the historic
Gaslamp Quarter, the post-modern Horton Plaza pastel-coloured
shopping mall, and the waterfront Embarcadero with boardwalk shops,
museums and restaurants. The Gaslamp Quarter was the first
commercial district in San Diego and is now a trendy 16-block area
of historic buildings and old-fashioned wrought-iron street lamps,
antique stores, shopping centres, art galleries, chic coffee
houses, restaurants and jazz bars. The Horton Grand is a
reconstruction of a 19th-century hotel with Victorian décor and
costumes, well worth a peek. San Diego is one of California's most
important centres for the performing and visual arts, and its
artistic and musical heritage is celebrated annually with the
opening of artists' studios and galleries to the public, as well as
its numerous Blues and Jazz festivals. Summer evenings are the
liveliest time to visit, when people flock to the outdoor tables,
bars and clubs and wander the streets. However visits after dark
should be confined to the populated, well-lit
areas.
Hours of Operation:
Phone: |
5. The Beaches
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What is it? Epitomising Southern California lifestyle,
the beaches and seaside suburbs are the heart and soul of the city,
with bikini-clad bodies, sun-tanned surfers, and a plethora of
little shops, coffee houses, cafes, and restaurants. The 70 miles
(113km) of sandy coastline attracts swimmers, sunbathers, surfers,
volleyball players and snorkellers. A boardwalk that runs from
Mission Beach to Pacific Beach is extremely popular for
rollerblading, jogging and cycling. Mission Bay is a playground for
waterskiing, sailing and windsurfing, and the surrounding beaches
of Mission Beach, Ocean Beach and Pacific Beach are known for their
wide stretches of sand as well as for the vibrant nightlife and
dining. The northern part of Ocean Beach is known as 'Dog Beach',
one of only two beaches in the city that allows dogs. Mission Beach
is the most popular with plenty of action, particularly along the
Ocean Front Walk that resembles the boardwalk parade of Los
Angeles' Venice Beach. To the north, the pretentious seaside suburb
of La Jolla is known for its high-priced real estate, expensive
shops and excellent restaurants, as well as its beautiful coastline
with lovely coves, cliffs, gorgeous beaches and superb surfing. La
Jolla Cove has clear waters and the offshore San Diego-La Jolla
Underwater Park affords brilliant snorkelling and diving, with
giant kelp forests and a deep canyon.
Hours of Operation:
Phone: |
6. Coronado Island
Coronado Visitor Center is at 1100 Orange Avenue,
Coronado
www.coronado.ca.us |
What is it? The isthmus of Coronado contains an upmarket
resort community with several beaches, including the award-winning
Silver Strand State Beach, hotels, outdoor dining, boutiques and
the Museum of History and Art dedicated to the history of Coronado.
A naval station occupies the western end of the island. The island
is of little interest except for the historic Hotel del Coronado
around which the community grew. 'The Del' is a much-loved San
Diego institution, and a National Historic Landmark dating back to
1888. Its distinctive Victorian turrets, conical towers, balconies
and curious architecture have served as a filming location for many
years, and a stage for political meetings and social happenings.
Its glamorous old-world ambience with polished oak pillars and
arched ceilings has hosted guests like Marilyn Monroe, Frank
Sinatra and a number of presidents. Guided tours are available, or
visitors can choose to dine and dance here, stay as a guest or
simply wander through the grounds and look at its historic photo
gallery. Visible across the bay is Point Loma where a statue of
Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo commemorates the landing of the first
European in 1542.
Hours of Operation: The visitors centre is open from Monday to Friday 9am
to 5pm, weekends 10am to 5pm
Phone:CVC (619) 437 8788 |
7. Tijuana, Mexico
www.seetijuana.com |
What is it? A typical border town, Tijuana is not suited
to everyone's taste, with plenty of noise and frenetic activity.
Its location on the American/Mexican border and proximity to San
Diego ensures a steady stream of curious day-trippers and souvenir
hunters from up north. Tijuana's notorious 'sin city' image of
prostitution and sex shows has now taken a back seat; the sleazy
element, the drugs and violence that seems to be the lot of a
border town, is still there, but the focus has shifted in an effort
to clean the town up a bit, and it has become something of a
shopper's delight along with the intense nightlife and non-stop
entertainment. This is the place to shop, drink and dance the night
away; there are souvenir stalls, numerous duty-free shopping malls
and markets selling goods from all over Mexico, and countless bars,
restaurants and dance clubs. Tijuana has some traditional
attractions as well, including bullfighting and Jai Alai (a Spanish
ball court game), but this is not the classic Mexico that stories
are made of. Just across the Mexican border, 30 minutes from
downtown San Diego, Tijuana is unlike other Mexican cities, but is
a worthwhile experience that provides a fascinating contrast
between Mexico and the USA.
Hours of Operation:
Phone: |
San Diego Holidays guide
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Transport -Getting around San Diego is relatively
easy without a car with three types of public transport servicing
the city.
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