Coronado Beach – Coronado, California | Island Beach near San Diego

Catch a water taxi or ferry across the Big Bay, cruise up the scenic Silver Strand peninsula, or take a ride across the incredible San Diego-Coronado bridge, to find the shimmering shores of Coronado Beach. You’ll never be short on things to do or sights to see.

This spectacular golden beach just outside San Diego’s famous Gaslamp Quarter is not only one of Southern California’s finest, it’s frequently listed among the finest in the entire country.

Overlooking the beach is the Hotel del Coronado (affiliate link), a massive Victorian resort that’s more than a century old and has played host to countless celebrities, presidents, and royal families. The hotel offers a number of restaurants to dine in once you’ve had enough sun and sand.

Coronado Island Beach San Diego Skyline California — Coronado Beach near San Diego, Cali. Photo: vagueonthehow

Activities:

Swimming, sunbathing, walking, running, fire pits, volleyball, and surfing
You’ll often find people building elaborate sandcastles on Coronado Beach
Explore the tide pools at low tide, or keep an eye out for the sunken remains of the S.S. Monte Carlo

Amenities:

Restrooms and showers
Picnic tables
Lifeguard
Volleyball nets
Fire pits
South of the Hotel del Coronado there is a free parking lot
Coronado Ferry costs per trip. Children under 3 ride for free.
Dogs are not allowed on the beach, but there is a nearby area known as Coronado Dog Run Beach where dogs are allowed to run free

Fun Facts:

The S.S. Monte Carlo, the remains of which can sometimes be seen during low tide at Coronado Beach, was a 300-foot gambling boat that was caught in a storm in 1937 and ran aground. It’s believed by some that a treasure still lies within the wreckage.
The Hotel del Coronado was opened in 1888 and is one of the last standing examples of the once-popular Victorian beach resort architectural style. At its opening, it was the largest resort on the planet. Today, it is the second-largest wooden structure in the country.

Nearby Attractions

Coronado Beach California San Diego Skyline — San Diego skyline from Coronado Beach. Photo: Chad McDonald

The Hotel del Coronado is rather incredible just to explore, but it also has multiple restaurants where you can grab lunch or dinner, as well as beachside ice skating if you can believe it.

Coronado Beach is fifteen minutes away from San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter where you’ll find countless things to do: shops, restaurants, museums, art galleries, historic sites, and guided tours.