Nestled 8 miles north of downtown San Diego sits the happening historical beach town of Pacific Beach, San Diego. Hop on a beach cruiser or go for a stroll spending the afternoon cruising along the boardwalk and bay for the plenty of sightseeing. Presenting the San Diego Surf School self guided tour around Pacific Beach so you can hit all our favorite spots in an awesome afternoon. Start at Law St. in Pacific Beach at Palisades Park. (The same place we meet for surf lessons in Pacific Beach, this is the start of the board walk) 1. Palisades Park & Law St.- At the start of the 3.5 mile boardwalk to south mission beach, a beautiful landscape of Palisades Park is met with the backdrop of the pacific surf. A great place to start the morning or end the day. Remember to check back here for an epic sunset, it’s the one time in southern California everyone stops. Hang out here for a book read, picnic, or watching the surf lessons down below. This cute residential community makes for a wonderful morning of people watching and dog walking. 2. Crystal cove pier- built in the 1930’s, this photogenic historical feature of Pacific Beach can be found in pictures, paintings, and all over town. Walk along the cute cottages towards the end for a quick selfie or family photo op (great for those Holidays cards) while checking out the local fishers and of course surfers. At the piers end, a panoramic view of Pacific Beach, Birdrock, Mission Beach, and the Ocean Beach pier can be seen. And if early enough, you might catch some dolphins riding the early morning surf! 3. Woody’s & the boardwalk- Head south along the boardwalk towards Mission Beach and stop by any of the fun cafe’s for a crisp refreshing cup of brew, breakfast burrito and enjoy watching the waves break. (There are plenty of great places to eat, but Woody’s is a local and visitor favorite on the boardwalk). The boardwalk itself can be entertainment to fill a week. Make sure to catch slo mo, and if you have never heard of the amazing slo mo just google it and you’ll be sure to catch him. In the summer, the vacation rentals lining the boardwalk are freshly painted with visitors enjoying the good life-some even still from the night before. Occasionally there will be a DJ or band matching the beat of your cruise. Stop along anywhere to sit on the wall, take a nap on the beach or continue on to the infamous Belmont park. 4. Belmont Park- Plenty of fun attractions here including the historical Belmont rollercoaster. And if rollercoasters aren’t your thing, then watching the flow riders, playing around of mini golf and shopping might just do the trick. 5. South Mission Volleyball courts- At Belmont Park, a change of pace can occur as you decide to continue along towards South Mission (another mile) for the beach volleyball courts, basketball courts, and little less crowded or make a left towards the bay. 6. The Bay- As you cross Mission Blvd, you’ll walk towards the Bahia and see the sidewalk wrap around the Bay. This is a nice and quiet leisurely stroll in comparison to the beach side. Plenty of cute houses along the way to look at and wave at onlookers. Plenty of good places to rent out Kayaks, or call us at SDSS for a stand up paddle board rental. Many enjoy hanging at the bay with their families, cooking up a BBQ or continuing on towards PB. 7. Did someone say shopping?-At the Catamaran hotel or just before, make a left in one of the sidewalk passage ways towards the beach for Mission Blvd. Here is the start of the shopping, and other cute cafe’s. Walk along Mission Blvd until Garnet Ave. Here you will want to walk east on Garnet for all the fun shops, eats, and plenty of cool craft beer places. Some our favorite spots along Garnet include the Tap Room (great sports bar, food, and craft beer), the Fish Shop, and Boardwalk to name a few. There are also plenty of cute shops along the way. ***And depending on the day of the week and time of year you are in Pacific Beach there are always fun festivals and events happening: 1. Tuesdays- Farmer’s Market (Bayard and Garnet Ave) 2. July- Fourth of July Parade (Garnet), Sip in Stroll (North PB) 3. August- Wild Rides Car Show (Garnet) 4. September- Brazilian Festival in Pacific Beach 5. October- San Diego Surf School Surf Contest Stay tuned for more events right here at San Diego Surf School!
