No Crowds & Postcard Shores: San Diego’s Secret Beach Hideaway Unveiled

Finally! It’s the most effective time of 12 months to go to San Diego.

Labor Day put a cap on vacationer season. Out-of-state license plates are nowhere in sight, the climate continues to be heat, and now the seashores are solely crammed with locals unwinding after a busy summer season.

As a seasoned San Diegan myself, one factor has change into clear — guests don’t know what they’re doing, and rightfully so.

I discovered myself in the identical pickle a few years in the past earlier than making the plunge to dwell right here full-time.

“Which beach is best?”
“Is the San Diego Zoo worth the price of admission?”
“Where are the best tacos?”
“Will I die I if I cross into Tijuana?”

All of those questions are in quotes as a result of I’ve been requested time and time once more.

So, permit me to allow you to in on a secret…

You do not must comply with the crowds to a bank-busting lodge in Coronado, the place the seashore is often off-limits due to bacteria, or snap seal-fies with La Jolla’s seals in the event you may even overcome the insufferable stench.

Instead, you may go to my favourite coastal stomping grounds situated simply north of San Diego correct, and it is largely ignored by vacationers.

At Travel Off Path, we’re right here to inform you USA Today nailed it by highlighting none apart from Solana Beach as a must-visit hidden gem.

Where San Diegans Enjoy Beach Days Without Hordes Of Tourists

Look, with so many journey guides out there these days, I would not say that vacationers have not found the enchantment of Solana Beach.

What I can say is neighboring Del Mar, along with La Jolla and ever-so-trendy Oceanside, attracts way more of the aforementioned out-of-state plates than Solana Beach does.

And in the event you do see an Arizona or Nevada plate, it is doubtless they’re simply passing by to mark off the historic Highway 101 from their wishlist, with a few of Southern California’s finest views of the Pacific.

It’s extremely unlikely that vacationers are choosing Solana Beach. Not that it is unworthy — it simply would not obtain loads of hype, which is why chances are you’ll come throughout some well-known faces too.

In truth, well-known actor Scott Eastwood co-owns the Saddle Bar within the midst of a pleasant primary drag, and it is not unusual to see Blink-182’s Tom Delonge hanging out round city both when he isn’t knee deep in UFO lore, amongst others.

Postcard Shores Away From Tourist Magnets

They say magnificence is within the eye of the beholder, and I’ve had LASIK since my final breakup, so good luck to my ex’s new man.

I personally imagine Solana Beach has San Diego County’s prettiest seashores, and I’ve felt that means from the second I walked down the seemingly unending stairs on Solana Vista Drive at Tides Beach Park.

Surrounded by towering bluffs, hidden caves, and most frequently bacteria-free shores appropriate for swimming, browsing, and taking part in fetch with Fido (when the lifeguards aren’t trying 😉), it is the closest factor to a textbook paradise in SoCal.

There’s virtually all the time room to sprawl out on a seashore towel, toss the pigskin round, and in the event you’re the sort to go for jogs alongside the seashore, there is no want to fret about weaving out and in of crowds.

Unlike Mission Beach, which is by far a magnet for vacationers with seaside curler coasters and a buzzing boardwalk, Solana Beach is the right spot to calm down in astounding surroundings.

Tides Beach Park is one among many attractive seashores to scope out, however it’s personally my favourite because it looks like a hush-hush cove vacationers do not learn about.

Others to think about can be Fletcher Cove and Solana Beach County Park, holding a near-perfect Google score.

Plus, Solana Beach is without doubt one of the few San Diego seashore cities and not using a flashy resort — it feels extra genuine, such as you see within the motion pictures.

You know — shaggy-haired skate boarders screeching sidewalks, chiseled lifeguards scanning the horizon, and hardly anybody sporting sneakers, so anticipate a soundtrack of click-clacking flip-flops (responsible as charged).

No one is in a rush right here…ever — and it is fairly refreshing.

San Diego’s Middle Ground: Day Trip Or Main Stay?

Solana Beach is simply 25 minutes from the newly revamped San Diego International Airport. If you are flying in, it is not unreasonable to make Solana Beach your base, even in the event you nonetheless plan to take a look at the world-famous zoo, the always-buzzing Gaslamp Quarter, and even make a visit throughout the border, the place I can all however assure you will not die.

Rather than hire a automobile and pay California’s sky-high fuel costs, you can additionally hop aboard the scenic Amtrak Pacific Surfliner departing from each San Diego’s Little Italy and Old Town districts.

There a couple of acquainted names in Solana Beach, however in the event you’re lifeless set on luxurious then chances are you’ll wish to go to Solana Beach as a day journey as Courtyard and Holiday Inn Express are the most effective choices inside the metropolis limits.

Maybe take a look at my neck of the woods in Chula Vista because the model new Gaylord Pacific Resort is all the craze!

As for meals, there are some wonderful choices in Solana and throughout San Diego. In truth, it is all the time humorous to overhear Dodgers’ followers speaking smack with a mouthful in enemy territory — the meals right here is bomb, corresponding to one among my commonest hangouts, Pizza Port.

I gotta inform you about my 3 favourite eating places I’ve visited these days, all simply reachable from Solana:

Staying round downtown San Diego? Skip Little Italy’s meatballs for an unsuspecting shock — Michelin-recognized Cloak & Petal, a hip sushi spot on the sting of Little Italy’s primary drag.

Get the Notorious P.I.G. roll. You’ll thank me later. 🍣

Or possibly you are craving a beachside dinner. Truth be instructed, Mission Beach’s Miss B’s Coconut Club has higher Caribbean meals than wherever I’ve been within the Caribbean, and it is steps from the seashore — plus they’ve grown-up dimension “Capri Sun”. Need I say extra?

But my most up-to-date new fave is in Oceanside, one other of San Diego’s underrated seashore cities. You gotta take a look at The Lobby Tiki Bar, mockingly serving as a foyer to Oceanside’s oldest constructing, which has been remodeled into the self-service Brick Hotel with an ocean-view rooftop you may by no means wish to go away.

Every chunk and sip was an ideal 10/10. Come hungry, go away blissful, and undoubtedly seize an Uber after ordering a Level-3 Painkiller cocktail (if ya know, ya know).

Sam Sears

Sam, our Lead Writer & Journalist primarily based in San Diego has visited 36 nations and written over 1000 articles with a concentrate on sharing his personal journey experiences and shining a lightweight on lesser-known gems.

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