San Diego★★
San Diego is the relaxed, sunny counterpart to hectic Los Angeles. Located in the far south of California, right on the Mexican border, the city offers 300 sunny days a year, 112 km of coastline, a thriving craft beer scene (over 150 breweries!), excellent Mexican food, and a quality of life that even spoils Californians envy.
The highlights:
- Balboa Park: A 490-hectare city park with 17 museums, the world-famous San Diego Zoo ($67, one of the best zoos in the world — 3,700 animals, including pandas, koalas, and gorillas), Spanish-colonial architecture from the Panama-California Exposition 1915, and free gardens. A whole day is hardly enough.
- Gaslamp Quarter: The historic city center — 16 blocks with Victorian buildings, now full of restaurants, bars, clubs, and galleries. On weekends, the district pulses into the early morning hours.
- La Jolla: The chicest coastal town in San Diego. The La Jolla Cove is a protected beach with crystal-clear water, where sea lions lie on the rocks alongside swimmers and snorkelers. The Birch Aquarium ($22) at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography offers a behind-the-scenes look at marine research.
- Coronado: The peninsula opposite Downtown, accessible via the sweeping Coronado Bridge. Coronado Beach has repeatedly been voted the best beach in America. The Hotel del Coronado (1888) is a Victorian dream castle on the beach — even if you don't stay here ($400+/night), a visit to the lobby and beach bar is worthwhile.
San Diego is also the perfect starting point for a day trip to Tijuana (Mexico) — you can cross the border on foot (trolley to San Ysidro, then a 10-minute walk). Don't forget your passport!
💡 Tipp
San Diego has an excellent trolley system ($2.50 per ride, $6 day pass) — you don't need a car in the city center. For beaches outside (La Jolla, Coronado), a car is helpful. The best travel time: September-November — perfect weather, fewer tourists, lower prices. The "June Gloom" (May/June) brings morning cloud cover that only clears in the afternoon.
