Shelter Island

In 1950 San Diego’s port director decided to raise the shoal that lay off the eastern shore of Point Loma above sea level with the sand and mud dredged up during the course of deepening a ship channel in the 1930s and ’40s. The resulting peninsula, Shelter Island, became home to several marinas and resorts, many with Polynesian details that still exist today, giving them a retro flair. Shelter Island is the center of San Diego's yacht-building industry, and boats in every stage of construction are visible in its yacht yards. A long sidewalk runs past boat brokerages to the hotels and marinas that line the inner shore, facing Point Loma. On the bay side, fishermen launch their boats and families relax at picnic tables along the grass, where there are fire rings and permanent barbecue grills. Within walking distance is the huge Friendship Bell, given to San Diegans by the people of Yokohama, Japan, in 1958 and the Tunaman's Memorial, a statue commemorating San Diego's once-flourishing fishing industry.