San Diego is one of the main cities of the Pacific coast and, like all coastal cities, it has developed around the port. Therefore it goes without saying that its neighborhood on the bay is one of the most interesting to visit during a stay in the city.
To the north and south of San Diego, tourists flock to the long beaches, havens for surfers. We wrote a separate article specifically about the beaches of San Diego, but in front of the Gaslamp Quarter and Little Italy, you will find the Marina District. Among aircraft carriers, luxury yachts, a fish market, and classy restaurants, here you can alternate a historical and cultural walk during the day with a pleasant romantic evening.
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Location and Directions
This area is well connected to all the other neighborhoods of San Diego. The main hub of the Marina District is Santa Fe Station. It is the main train station in downtown San Diego – from where trains leave for the coastal cities of the rest of California – is also one of the stops on the green line of the Trolley and is within walking distance of the main attractions of the Marina District.
The same line also stops at Seaport Village and the Convention Center, with the two stops of the same name. American Plaza, right behind Santa Fe Station, is the beginning of the blue line, while 12th & Imperial Transit Center is the stop on the orange line you need to take, but it is slightly more inconvenient than the two previous ones.
If you are staying in an area not connected by the Trolley, you may need the bus. In this case, to get to the Marina District, you can use Buses 923 and 992, which stop on N Harbor Dr, or Buses 280 and 290, which stop on Pacific Hwy.
Things to Do in the Marina District
The coastal neighborhood of San Diego is one of the most pleasant places to stroll on the water and in the parks, but it is also full of monuments, museums, and points of interest. Walking from south to north, you can go from the historic Gaslamp Quarter to the bustling Little Italy. Let’s take a walk around the whole neighborhood and explore everything there is to see.
Embarcadero Marina Park
The San Diego Convention Center – famous for hosting the annual Comic-Con, as well as countless other events – separates the Gaslamp Quarter from San Diego’s marina, better known under the Spanish name of Embarcadero. To start your visit here, you can travel from the Gaslamp Quarter or get off the green line of the Trolley at the Convention Center Station.
My advice at this point is to bypass the Marriott Hotel. This big hotel has a staircase that allows you to cross it from above and to go to the terrace to admire a beautiful view of the boats.
The docks teeming with sailboats and large yachts are enclosed between two parks, Embarcadero Marina Park North and South respectively. The southern park is home to the outdoor theater of the San Diego Symphony, which comes alive on summer evenings when concerts and events take place. The northern one, on the other hand, is full of joggers and families who bring their children to play in the meadows. I recommend taking a walk here, especially early in the morning or at sunset when it is not as hot.
Seaport Village
If you keep going north along the coast, you’ll come across Seaport Village. Around a fountain, there is a round plaza surrounded by shops and restaurants that form two concentric circles. This sort of open-air shopping mall is great not only for shopping, but also because it is usually quite lively. Strolling around it you can stop and see the paintings of the Wyland Galleries or take a ride on the Seaport Village Carousel, but it’s also an ideal place to get something to eat.
Just a stone’s throw from Seaport Village, there are some of the city’s most renowned seafood restaurants, such as the Harbor House Restaurant and San Diego Pier Cafe. If you want to know all the places to eat in the neighborhood, check out our article on where to eat in San Diego.
Tuna Harbor Dockside Market
If you happen to be in San Diego on a Saturday morning, you can’t miss the fish market on the pier. Every Saturday from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm, small fishing boats dock here and sell the catch of the day directly to the public, some of them serving the fish ready to be enjoyed on the spot.
The group of fishermen who set up the market also aims to spread the culture of sustainable fishing. In addition to using sustainable fishing techniques that respect the marine environment, the fishermen have stalls set up with demonstration stands where you can see (and touch!) algae and shellfish and learn more about the local marine life.
Memorials
The main landmarks of the Marina District are the memorials and most of them are dedicated to the theme of war and the Navy.
- USS San Diego Memorial. The first monument you come across while strolling along the waterfront is the USS San Diego Memorial. The USS San Diego is one of the ships of the U.S. Navy that most influenced the victory of the Second World War. The large granite tombstones are positioned to form the bow of a stylized ship, enclosing the design of the seas crossed by the cruiser.
- Aircraft Carrier Memorial. In a park nearby, we find another memorial, this time it is a small obelisk. While the previous one is dedicated to the sailors, this one recalls the pilots who served during the war, fighting in the sky.
- National Salute to Bob Hope and the Military Memorial. Bob Hope was a British comedian, singer, and actor, but he always lived in the United States. He regularly supported U.S. military missions with his art, particularly during World War II. He received four Academy Awards for his career and humanitarian merits and President Johnson awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom. After his death – at exactly 100 years old – he was remembered with this memorial representing him with a microphone in his hand while speaking to the troops.
- Unconditional Surrender. One of the symbolic statues of the American Navy is the one that reproduces the kiss between a sailor and a woman, immortalized in Times Square on August 14, 1945. In truth, this statue was originally installed by artist Seward Johnson in Sarasota, Florida. It was then moved several times and other copies were made, so that now we can admire it here in San Diego Bay.
USS Midway Museum
Have you ever been on an aircraft carrier? Walking on a floating runway, surrounded by warfighters, can be a truly fascinating experience, and so can discovering more about the lives of sailors and how they spent months in the middle of the ocean.
Over 30 perfectly restored airplanes welcome you into the hangar of the gigantic ship, and you can climb into the cockpits, and learn about their air battles through interactive screens. Another twenty or so aircraft are positioned on deck. Below deck you can explore every corner where the sailors have worked, slept, eaten, played. From the canteen to the chapel, passing through the cabins, you will have fun learning a lot about the life spent sailing on the ocean. I highly recommend the ship museum to families with children (but not only), who will certainly be entertained.
The aircraft carrier museum is open every day from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm (last admission is at 4:00 pm). The full ticket costs $26. Reduced prices are available for children under 12 ($12), adults over 62 ($22), and students under 17 ($18). Children up to 5 years old do not pay.
Maritime Museum
The Maritime Museum consists of a collection of historic ships that you can clearly spot on the pier. Visitors can board the ships and visit the interior. The main one is the Star of India, the oldest active sailing ship in the world, which has been sailing since 1863. She is joined by three other sailing ships – the Californian, the San Salvador, and the HMS Surprise – as well as two steamships – the Berkeley and the Medea – and two submarines – the 555 USS Dolphin and a Soviet B-39.
Maritime charts, navigation tools, and historical photographs help visitors immerse themselves fully in the visit aboard historic ships, while the “Man-of-war” staging aboard the HMS Surprise takes visitors back in time to witness naval combat from 200 years ago.
The museum is open from June to September every day from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm. Tickets cost $20, but reduced fares are available for children aged 3-12 ($10), students up to 17 ($15), and adults over 62 ($15).
Waterfront Park
During the hot California summer, there is nothing better than jumping barefoot into a fountain! Well, here at least the kids do it without any problems. Opposite the Maritime Museum, you will see the large Waterfront Park, a very large rectangular public garden in the center of which stands the San Diego County Building.
The highlight of visiting the park is seeing its large fountains, which can be refreshing and can create a pleasant place to take a walk to take a break from the heat. Part of the park is fenced off and can only be accessed from 6:00 am to 10:00 pm. The fountains are on from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm.
San Diego Food Markets
In the block separating Santa Fe Station from the bay, you will find Lane Field Park, while the Seaport Village and the memorials are connected via Ruocco Park. Both of these parks are particularly lively on weekends when the market takes place.
Numerous stands sell food and drinks and you can set up blankets, chairs, and umbrellas to relax on the lawn. Local bands often perform live and make it even more enjoyable to stop and eat something in these parks.
The market in Ruocco Park is held every Saturday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, the market in Lane Field Park every Sunday from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.
Sailing on the Bay: Whales and Romantic Dinners
On the piers in Embarcadero, there are numerous tour options to enjoy all the beauty of the San Diego Bay. Here are the best things ways to visit the San Diego Bay.
Whale watching
To experience the thrill of seeing whales, you don’t have to freeze to death while sailing the icy Arctic seas. Between December and April, about 20,000 grey whales migrate along the California coast and if you’re in San Diego during this time, taking advantage of this tour could be one of the best ways to return home with a lasting memory. Spotting cetaceans is very easy and there are several tour options, here they are:
- Tour of about 4 hours in a big boat with all the services on board. It also includes a video documentary during the trip. Check the prices.
- Tour of about 3 hours on a Coast Guard boat. Check prices.
- Tour of about 4 hours on board a sailing boat. Whale watching is guaranteed and snacks and drinks are included during the trip. A ticket for Maritime Museum is also included. Check prices.
Sea lions and seals
One of the major natural attractions of the coast, particularly in the area of La Jolla are the seals and sea lions that populate the beaches and rocks. There is a tour that will take you to see these nice animals in their habitat. It is a fantastic activity for families with children. Check the prices here.
The romantic bay of San Diego
If you’re visiting San Diego as a couple, a special way to spend an evening may be to dine on board a ship circling the bay, or to sail at sunset as the sun plunges into the ocean. Here are some options to make your stay unforgettable.
- Dinner and dance cruise. Why dine in a restaurant when you can do it while admiring the Cabrillo National Monument from a unique view, passing under the scenic Coronado Bridge and watching the cute sea lions resting on the rocks?
- Experience sailing at sunset. What more romantic place than a sailboat to admire the sunset over the ocean? On this 3-hour tour, you will enjoy a decidedly fascinating view of the bay at the best time of day. You will meet marine animals up close and take breathtaking pictures.
- Cruise with an aperitif at sunset. The only floating happy hour in San Diego is an alternative for those who prefer a more relaxing experience. It is active every Friday and Saturday in summer.
Adrenaline on the jet-boat
You know those little boats that are so fast they look like missiles flying above water? Well, in San Diego Bay, you can experience the thrill of boarding them. Here are a couple of options for an experience decidedly unsuitable for the faint of heart!
- 30-minute run on the Patriot Jet Boat. Check prices.
- Two-hour rental of a fast speedboat. Check prices.
Where to Stay in the Marina District/Embarcadero
Embarcadero is one of the best places to spend the night in San Diego, both because it is located close to all the major attractions of the city and because of the services it offers, starting with the restaurants. There is not a huge choice of budget hotels. Instead, there are mainly large chains or luxury hotels.
If you are looking for recommendations for accommodations in this area, you can read our article on where to stay in San Diego, where you can find our specific advice on both Marina/Embarcadero and the other districts that are ideal for overnight stays in San Diego.
