Coronado, La Jolla, or Other?
Aug 29th, 2015, 07:27 AM
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Coronado, La Jolla, or Other?
My husband and I are interested in doing some long weekend trips this year. Has anyone been to Coronado? If so, what types of activities did you do? Did you enjoy it? Is there another spot in California that would be better for us? We love beautiful spots with nice views on the water, good restaurants - they don't have to be fancy, dining outside, sailing, wildlife, towns that are walkable, just something with a little charm? Someone else mentioned La Jolla. Anyone have experience there? San Diego? Would love any feedback that you have on these or any other little CA towns that you think we would enjoy. Thanks for any guidance you can give me.
Aug 29th, 2015, 08:43 AM
#2
La Jolla would be my choice of the two.
Very scenic coastline with beautiful beaches and coves.
Walkable city center with an impressive choice of dining options, indoor and out.
Coronado has miles of pristine beaches but lacks the charm of La Jolla.
Very scenic coastline with beautiful beaches and coves.
Walkable city center with an impressive choice of dining options, indoor and out.
Coronado has miles of pristine beaches but lacks the charm of La Jolla.
Aug 29th, 2015, 08:47 AM
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LaJolla is more of an upscale town that happens to be on the ocean, much like Carmel - it's beautiful, has great shopping and restaurants, lovely parks and beaches, good hotels, etc. Coronado, which I also like quite a bit, is more of a quintessential laid-back beach town, although it does have the Del Coronado hotel, which is a tourist attraction in its own right. The nice thing about Coronado is its flat - so you can bike around, walk the wide beach expanses, have a drink at the bar at the Del that overlooks the ocean (we even ice skated once at the Del over Thanksgiving, when it was 85 degrees outside). I think you'd be happy with either one.
Aug 29th, 2015, 08:56 AM
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I love the Gaslamp district of SD. It is lively, great restaurants and you can easily get to Coranado and La Jolla. The zoo & park are wonderful as is Old Town. There are 2 Kimptons there as well as the Omni and Courtyard, all excellent choices.
Aug 29th, 2015, 09:03 AM
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Aug 29th, 2015, 09:17 AM
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If views from restaurants or an accommodation are what's wanted, then I think because of the terrain, there are more opportunities in La Jolla, set above the ocean, rather than just on it. I've stayed in La Jolla and at the Del Coronado and 1 other place on Coronado, as well as in the Gaslamp District and my favorite of the 3, by far, is La Jolla, for charm and setting.
Aug 29th, 2015, 10:56 AM
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Why not visit both places, since they are close together. My favorite thing about La Jolla is the beach, very relaxing and of course restaurants with views. If you just want to sit on the beach and watch the waves break over the rocks, La Jolla is nice.
Coronado is a great place to visit, cute small town on an island and if you can spend a night at the Del Coronado hotel, that would be perfect.
Coronado is a great place to visit, cute small town on an island and if you can spend a night at the Del Coronado hotel, that would be perfect.
Aug 29th, 2015, 11:10 AM
#9
I've stayed twice at the Del Coronado some time back but I suspect the distinction is still valid. The first visit was in a room in the original historic building and I loved it. The second in a newer building, a great disappointment and I wouldn't bother.
The same may be true to an extent in La Jolla. I stayed in one of the original hotels set on the bluff overlooking the water and it was great. A newer place without ocean views might still be worthwhile but I'm not sure I'd like it nearly as much.
There are other nice beach towns farther north and as I haven't visited them specifically in some time I can't recommend one. But do investigate more than the San Diego metro area. My grandmother lived in San Clemente when it had a sweet village feel and there may be vestiges of it. Same with Laguna Beach where my mother lived.
The same may be true to an extent in La Jolla. I stayed in one of the original hotels set on the bluff overlooking the water and it was great. A newer place without ocean views might still be worthwhile but I'm not sure I'd like it nearly as much.
There are other nice beach towns farther north and as I haven't visited them specifically in some time I can't recommend one. But do investigate more than the San Diego metro area. My grandmother lived in San Clemente when it had a sweet village feel and there may be vestiges of it. Same with Laguna Beach where my mother lived.
Aug 29th, 2015, 12:21 PM
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volcanogirl,
I know you enjoy wildlife. Have you been to the Monterey Peninsula? I have a thread on wildlife viewing in this area http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...t-wildlife.cfm
What time of year are you thinking of? The weather and water are cooler up here so it wouldn't be a beach vacation (although the last few days have felt like Southern California weather) but sailing, kayaking, whale watching, hiking, gorgeous coastal scenery and great food and wine are all available.
Carmel is charming and if you stay downtown, you can walk to lots of restaurants, shops, wine tasting rooms and the beach. Nearby Pacific Grove and Monterey are walkable towns as well.
I know you enjoy wildlife. Have you been to the Monterey Peninsula? I have a thread on wildlife viewing in this area http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...t-wildlife.cfm
What time of year are you thinking of? The weather and water are cooler up here so it wouldn't be a beach vacation (although the last few days have felt like Southern California weather) but sailing, kayaking, whale watching, hiking, gorgeous coastal scenery and great food and wine are all available.
Carmel is charming and if you stay downtown, you can walk to lots of restaurants, shops, wine tasting rooms and the beach. Nearby Pacific Grove and Monterey are walkable towns as well.
Aug 29th, 2015, 12:35 PM
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both la jolla and coronado are lovely. for your first weekend, i'd try to book 3 nights in la jolla. make sure it's in the village and not just a la jolla zip code as they can be miles from the beach. look at the torry pines glider park, hiking at torry pines state park, the marine room if you don't want to pay for a fancy dinner. then for a couple of hours take the 20-25 minute drive over to coronado and see what you think. have a look at the glorietta bay hotel if the hotel del is out of your budget.
also thought of laguna beach, carmel, monterey, santa barbara. where are you coming from?
also thought of laguna beach, carmel, monterey, santa barbara. where are you coming from?
Aug 30th, 2015, 09:14 AM
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You don't mention what time of year you plan to visit. I would not come to SD in June (it is gloomy and overcast for much of the month). January is actually a very nice time as it is cooler but sunny ... perfect imho.
Late August is often very crowded and parking, traffic, crowds, etc make life difficult. Sept & October can be stiffling hot and uncomfortable because of the hot Santa Ana desert winds that blow in from the east county desert regions.
At any rate, Coronado has a small town, beach feel. It is a semi-island which is only about a mile by a mile so biking, walking etc is very easy around town. Also there are excellent restaurants, public golf course, municipal pool, a lovely beach and the old and historic Hotel Del Coronado.
La Jolla is about double the size and abuts an equally large suburban area called Pacific Beach. Traffic and parking are always a problem. The beaches in La Jolla (IMHO) are better (Windansea, La Jolla Cove, La Jolla Shores). Someone above mentioned that the La Jolla zip code (92037) includes hotels that are miles from the actual city and beaches of La Jolla. You want to make sure you are in or nearby what is referred to as "The Village" which centers around Girard Ave. If you are east of Interstate 5 you aren't in the La Jolla area even though they have that zip code.
Late August is often very crowded and parking, traffic, crowds, etc make life difficult. Sept & October can be stiffling hot and uncomfortable because of the hot Santa Ana desert winds that blow in from the east county desert regions.
At any rate, Coronado has a small town, beach feel. It is a semi-island which is only about a mile by a mile so biking, walking etc is very easy around town. Also there are excellent restaurants, public golf course, municipal pool, a lovely beach and the old and historic Hotel Del Coronado.
La Jolla is about double the size and abuts an equally large suburban area called Pacific Beach. Traffic and parking are always a problem. The beaches in La Jolla (IMHO) are better (Windansea, La Jolla Cove, La Jolla Shores). Someone above mentioned that the La Jolla zip code (92037) includes hotels that are miles from the actual city and beaches of La Jolla. You want to make sure you are in or nearby what is referred to as "The Village" which centers around Girard Ave. If you are east of Interstate 5 you aren't in the La Jolla area even though they have that zip code.
Aug 30th, 2015, 10:04 AM
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Coronado is nice, but it's more a place to visit for an afternoon than a great place to stay. La Jolla or Pacific Beach feel more like vacation spots to me. Coronado is feels like it was built by Disney or something. Downtown is really nice too, at least the Gaslamp area. Def. check out Little Italy in the same area.
Aug 30th, 2015, 11:27 AM
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Thanks for all this great info. This is a huge help! I didn't realize that these areas were all so close together. Maybe we could stay on Coronado for one night and then in La Jolla for the others. I think the Gaslamp District in SD sounds good too. I'll have to check out the Kimptons as well. We stayed in one on our recent trip to D.C. and it was wonderful. Sounds like there is a lot to explore in this area. I have been to the Monterey Aquarium years ago and thought it was great.
Aug 30th, 2015, 11:44 AM
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The Gaslamp area is really fun. It is in Downtown San Diego and not near the ocean or beaches. It has tons of great restaurants, shopping, some (not a lot) historic walks or tours you can sign up for. (We don't have a lot of historic places in downtown but they are few and interesting).
The Gaslamp is much more city feeling and is not as great if you have children - it is definitely a cool place if you enjoy the nightlife and bar scene.
In the Gaslamp area is our local SD Padres National League baseball team plays at PetCo Ballpark. Even if you don't like baseball it is a fun place to go.
You are very close to other areas (a mile or two) to Little Italy (which has tons of great restaurants and a wonderful Farmers Market on the weekends).
Also a short bus ride away (check with your hotel staff - parking at the park is difficult depending on the time of year and day) is Balboa Park home to the San Diego Zoo many great galleries and museums. My favorite is the Aero Space Museum. Also downtown on the Embarcadaro facing the SD Bay is the Midway Museum (a former Navy aircraft carrier open to the public).
Regardless of where you stay like mentioned La Jolla and Coronado are about 30 minutes from each other by car.
La Jolla to downtown (Gaslamp or Little Italy or Balboa Park) is about 20 minutes and Coronado to Downtown (et al) is about 10 minutes across the bridge.
The Gaslamp is much more city feeling and is not as great if you have children - it is definitely a cool place if you enjoy the nightlife and bar scene.
In the Gaslamp area is our local SD Padres National League baseball team plays at PetCo Ballpark. Even if you don't like baseball it is a fun place to go.
You are very close to other areas (a mile or two) to Little Italy (which has tons of great restaurants and a wonderful Farmers Market on the weekends).
Also a short bus ride away (check with your hotel staff - parking at the park is difficult depending on the time of year and day) is Balboa Park home to the San Diego Zoo many great galleries and museums. My favorite is the Aero Space Museum. Also downtown on the Embarcadaro facing the SD Bay is the Midway Museum (a former Navy aircraft carrier open to the public).
Regardless of where you stay like mentioned La Jolla and Coronado are about 30 minutes from each other by car.
La Jolla to downtown (Gaslamp or Little Italy or Balboa Park) is about 20 minutes and Coronado to Downtown (et al) is about 10 minutes across the bridge.
Aug 30th, 2015, 03:37 PM
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Personally, I wouldn't stay 1 night in a place and then move. All of these areas are close enough to each other that staying in place and heading out to see what interests you would be my vote. All are easy to get to and you don't have a possible lull between checking out and when you can check in. I'd stay in Gas Lamp and go from there; we have done this 3 or 4 times now and it works well.
Aug 31st, 2015, 04:11 AM
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The Gaslamp is only a small part of our compact Downtown. Downtown SD is on the water but no beach. The closest beach is Coronado. About a 15 min drive from Downtown.
You can walk from one side of our downtown to the other in about 30 mins. That includes Little Italy.
In both Coronado & La Jolla you can rent bikes, swim, surf, take segway tours, kayak, walk. Coronado has a lot of original Victorian Homes that the wealthy built back in the day. La Jolla has an advantage with restaurants with a view of the ocean over Coronado.
You can walk from one side of our downtown to the other in about 30 mins. That includes Little Italy.
In both Coronado & La Jolla you can rent bikes, swim, surf, take segway tours, kayak, walk. Coronado has a lot of original Victorian Homes that the wealthy built back in the day. La Jolla has an advantage with restaurants with a view of the ocean over Coronado.
