Overview
Coronado is a picturesque resort town in San Diego County in Southern California. It is on a peninsula just across the San Diego Bay from Downtown San Diego and offers quiet beaches, lovely bay scenery, and sights such as the historic Hotel del Coronado.
2 sights · 11 things to do · 7 places to eat · 1 bars & cafés · 7 places to stay
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Coronado
Hotel del Coronado
The hotel's architecture is a must-see, with its brightly colored wooden Victorian style exterior and its slightly dated art deco interior. Built by hand in 1888 by two railroad engineers, it is today a National Historic…
Silver Strand Bikeway
An 8.48-mile bike path running from Coronado down to Imperial Beach. This is one of the area's most popular due to its scenery and the fact that the path does not run through any car traffic. The bike path ends at Pomona…
Silver Strand State Beach
This is an excellent beach to swim or surf at about 5 miles south of Coronado on the Silver Strand. RV camping and fishing are allowed here.
Coronado Museum of History & Art
A small museum operated by the Coronado Historical Association, dedicated to preserving the art, history, and architecture of Coronado. The museum also holds walking tours of Coronado, which feature some of the island's …
Coronado Playhouse
Where Coronado's community theater group plays.
Lamb’s Players Theater
Home to the region's third largest professional theater company. This ensemble based theater presents a wide variety of productions throughout the year in Coronado's historic Spreckel's Building.
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: Jan–Dec. Summer highs reach about 77°F; winter lows dip to about 50°F. Wettest: Feb and Jan. (climate data from nearby San Diego)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- SAN San Diego International Airport, San Diego — 3 mi away (major hub). Directions
- CLD McClellan-Palomar Airport, Carlsbad — 31 mi away. Directions
Coronado is a peninsula, and there are two routes in and out: the Coronado Bay Bridge, from I-5 just south of downtown San Diego, or the Silver Strand, a narrow spit of land running up the coast from Imperial Beach. Both are known as State Route 75. The Bay Bridge is worth driving over just for the panorama.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
No prices are listed for this place yet. See the Sleep guide ↓ for options.
Sample 3-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning Hotel del Coronado, Lamb’s Players Theater, Coronado Museum of History & Art
- Lunch Clayton's Coffee Shop
- Afternoon Central Beach, Sunset Park
- Dinner Village Pizzeria
- Evening Coronado Brewing Company
Day 2
- Morning Coronado Playhouse, Glorietta Bay
- Lunch Bluewater Grill
- Afternoon Glorietta Bay Park, Tidelands Park
- Dinner Hotel del Coronado
Day 3
- Morning Silver Strand State Beach
- Lunch Tartines
- Dinner Loews Coronado
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
Cuisine (tap to filter)
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Photos
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Understand
The northwestern half of Coronado is the busy North Island naval base, in the middle of the San Diego Bay. It includes a large Navy Air facility and the West Coast's active fleet. South of Coronado is the Silver Strand, a narrow strip of land connecting Coronado to the mainland and home to various Navy training facilities, including beach areas used by Navy SEALs and amphibious assault groups. As can be expected, the military plays a major function in the day-to-day life of Coronado, with many old military families making their home here, but the affluence of the town has also drawn many celebrities to make their home here over the years, and scores of tourists fill in during the summer months.
Get in
By car
Coronado is a peninsula, and there are two routes in and out: the Coronado Bay Bridge, from I-5 just south of downtown San Diego, or the Silver Strand, a narrow spit of land running up the coast from Imperial Beach. Both are known as State Route 75. The Bay Bridge is worth driving over just for the panorama.
By boat
The Coronado Ferry, a pedestrian/bicycle ferry, launches from the Broadway Pier and the Convention Center in Downtown San Diego to the Ferry Landing Marketplace in Coronado. Departures from the Broadway Pier downtown occur every hour on the hour, from 9AM-9PM (10PM on Fridays and Saturdays), and departures from the Convention Center occur every half-hour, from 9:10AM-9:55PM (10:55PM on Fridays and Saturdays). It costs $4.25 one-way.
By bus
The Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) operates bus service throughout the San Diego area. Route 901 serves Coronado, connecting it to Downtown San Diego across the Bay Bridge and Imperial Beach south down the Silver Strand.
Get around
Coronado is small and dense enough that one can easily walk around and take in the sites the area has to offer. One of the better ways to get around Coronado is by bicycle; bike paths and quiet streets (along with beautiful weather) make biking easy. A number of bicycle/pedestrian trails straddle the coastline.
The MTS runs a small circulator bus line, Route 904, from the ferry landing down past Hotel del Coronado. If you're not up to walking, it's an option. It generally does not run very often. However, during the summer, it's free and runs more frequently.
See
See Hotel del Coronado
The hotel's architecture is a must-see, with its brightly colored wooden Victorian style exterior and its slightly dated art deco interior. Built by hand in 1888 by two railroad engineers, it is today a National Historic Landmark and has been a favorite location for films (including classics like Some Like it Hot) and weddings. Many presidents and celebrities like Babe Ruth and Marilyn Monroe have stayed here. You can view it from the beach or Orange Avenue.
See Coronado Museum of History & Art (Coronado Historical Association)
A small museum operated by the Coronado Historical Association, dedicated to preserving the art, history, and architecture of Coronado. The museum also holds walking tours of Coronado, which feature some of the island's historic buildings include the house where Frank Baum wrote The Wizard of Oz.
Do
- There are a couple of performance art spaces in Coronado:
Do Silver Strand Bikeway
An 8.48-mile bike path running from Coronado down to Imperial Beach. This is one of the area's most popular due to its scenery and the fact that the path does not run through any car traffic. The bike path ends at Pomona Avenue and Glorietta Boulevard and runs along the San Diego Bay. There are restrooms and a drinking fountain at Silver State Beach (see below).
Do Glorietta Bay
Offers facilities for boaters on the San Diego Bay. There is a launching ramp and a small anchorage, where boats are allowed a maximum stay of up to 72 hours during a seven-day period.
Beaches and parks
The entire west side of Coronado (facing the Pacific Ocean) is essentially one long beach, although parts of it are a little more accessible than others.
Do Central Beach
Coronado has a splendid beach, made up of beautiful white sand and the crowd is mostly families enjoying the day. If you look closely you can read the name Coronado in the sand dunes close to the Hotel del Coronado. A small tidepool area in front of the Hotel Del gives you a chance to explore a bit. There's plenty of free parking along Ocean Blvd, but it fills up quickly during the summer. At the north end of the beach, up by Sunset Park, the beach is open to dogs as well as bonfire pits and surfing. Surfing is also allowed in-front of the "Shores" just south of the Hotel Del. Lifeguards on duty seasonally. Restrooms and showers available.
Do Centennial Park
Visitors can walk several different paths with views of downtown San Diego. Bike rentals are also available, with a bike path that runs all the way to Imperial Beach. Boat rentals are also available for sailing around the bay.
Do Glorietta Bay Park
Just south of the Hotel Del on the bayside of Coronado, this small park offers shady trees, big grassy lawns, and a small beach with views of the Coronado Bay Bridge.
Do Spreckels Park
In the heart of Coronado, on Orange Avenue between 6th and 7th Streets, this shady park has a gazebo, a playground, and is the site of local events such as a summer concert series and other community events and shows.
Do Tidelands Park
Just north of the Coronado Bay Bridge, this large park offers lovely views of the bridge (a bayside trail leads you right under the bridge), a large children's playground, a skate park, and big grassy lawns perfect for sports.
Events
- The Coronado Flower Show, the world's largest tented flower show, takes place on the third weekend of every April in Spreckels Park.
- Coronado holds a huge Fourth of July celebration, with a fair and concert in Spreckles Park, a marathon, a large parade, a rough water swim in Glorietta Bay, and of course the fireworks display on the bay, with pyrotechnics fired from several locations in the bay simultaneously, making for a spectacular show.
- December brings the Parade of Lights to San Diego Bay, when dozens of boats decked out in Christmas lights make their way across the bay past the Coronado ferry landing.
Buy
Eat
Eat Bluewater Grill
A former boathouse overlooking the southern San Diego bay.
Eat Clayton's Coffee Shop
Old style coffee shop, good food, mostly breakfast and lunch, very affordable -- around $8 per person.
Eat Hotel del Coronado
Offers a Sunday Brunch, a steal at just under a hundred bucks per person; go for the atmosphere.
Eat Loews Coronado
On the Silver Strand, also has a Sunday Brunch; go for the food.
Eat Miguel's Cocina
Delicious, authentic, Mexican cuisine ranging from enchiladas to chimichangas to their rather unique fish taco. Seating is on a heated open-air patio.
Eat Tartines
A European style cafe open for breakfast lunch dinner and dessert. They have hose made ice-cream as well as a large assortment of European desserts.
Eat Village Pizzeria
A local favorite.
Drink
Drink Coronado Brewing Company
Small brewpub. Happy hour Tu-F 2PM-6PM.
Sleep
Go next
- Downtown San Diego is a short ferry ride or drive across the bridge and offers plenty of sights, not to mention the sights just beyond in Balboa Park or Old Town.
- You can also bike or drive south along the Silver Strand to Imperial Beach at the southern end of the bay.
Nearby
San Diego
City / town · 25 listings · 2 mi away
National City
City / town · 13 listings · 5 mi away
Imperial Beach
City / town · 11 listings · 8 mi away
Chula Vista
City / town · 43 listings · 9 mi away
La Mesa
City / town · 10 listings · 11 mi away
El Cajon
City / town · 17 listings · 15 mi away
Del Mar
City / town · 13 listings · 19 mi away
Poway
City / town · 4 listings · 21 mi away
My experience
Write about your trip here. Notes save automatically in this browser as you type; back them up from My journal.