This Stunning Beach City Is California’s Top Winter Getaway, According To Travel Experts

There are a choose few locations offering winter solar that vacationers scope out 12 months after 12 months — California being certainly one of them.

Whereas iconic cities similar to San Francisco can get a bit nippy, Southern California boasts year-round sunshine, from the brilliant lights of Hollywood all the best way right down to the border.

Simply to show I am not partial, journey consultants named my hometown California’s high sunny escape from the frigid temps that blanket a lot of mainland America.

That is proper — my hometown of San Diego is that this 12 months’s high winter getaway, according to Going (previously Scott’s Low-cost Flights).

And so they’re proper!

Not solely are there vibrant shores awaiting to steal you away from shoveling your driveway, there is not any scarcity of enjoyable within the solar in the case of “America’s Most interesting Metropolis”.

San Diego: Wintertime Is Finest To Keep away from Hordes Of Crowds

Folks I meet who know I stay right here, however have by no means been right here, all the time make the idea San Diego lives as much as its “75 and sunny” vibes twelve months per 12 months.

Whereas no place is flawless, it is fairly shut, except for a handful of oddball climate days intermixed. Heck, we even had a twister warning final week!

However, don’t fret — that is like seeing a unicorn on the San Diego Zoo.

The climate is actually blissful, and much more so when you’ll find your personal slice of paradise, which is an inconceivable job throughout late spring and particularly summer time.

Mission Seaside (as seen above), lined with carnival video games and curler coasters, virtually turns into off-limits to locals throughout “vacationer season” when Arizona and Nevada plated-vehicles invade our roadways.

As does La Jolla to see the ocean lions, as does Pacific Seaside to persuade your self you are still younger, and even what we San Diegans take into account our tight-lipped secrets and techniques have slowly however absolutely grow to be vacationers’ new go-to spots (ahem, Solana Beach).

However all that adjustments in winter. You’ll be able to rating entrance row parking mere steps from the seaside, and discover an open barstool at a seaside bar in a jiffy, which my new favourite is Miss B’s Coconut Club in aforementioned Mission Seaside, and naturally, get into the well-known San Diego Zoo with far fewer snot-nosed kiddos operating round like wild banshees.

Insider Tip: Regardless of opportune parking in winter, pay attention to San Diego’s newly issued downtown parking laws applied throughout occasions ($10 per hour?!).

Expertise Extra Tradition Than You Would possibly Count on

On condition that San Diego lies in LA’s gargantuan shadow, first-timers appear to suppose San Diego is a small, coastal city.

In actuality, it is a full-fledged metropolis with quite a few charming aspects regardless of the place your pursuits lie.

Sure, some seaside communities ooze small-town allure the place locals all appear to know one another, however San Diego is definitely one of many largest cities in America, and I all the time encourage guests to go exterior their consolation zone past the Zoo, Mission Seaside, the Gaslamp Quarter, and some other notable locale that is been endlessly regurgitated by guidebooks.

For instance, do not eat at Mission Seaside until it’s a must to — it is a vacationer lure.

For an genuine meal, go to the Convoy district close to ever-popular La Jolla for San Diego’s model of Chinatown. Enterprise to the outskirts of downtown to Little Italy and seize a Soppressata sandwich at Mona Lisa’s deli, or my new favourite espresso spot, Twive, a hidden stand on the far north finish that feels and tastes straight out of Italy.

Or if you’d like the most effective seafood on the town, hit up Mitch’s, and I promise the one disappointment is that it is busy year-round.

For a portal to a previous period, if you happen to do go to the Zoo, you are already steps away from the guts of Balboa Park, which seems straight out of Previous World Mexico with its ornate Spanish Colonial structure and tiled fountains.

It is actually mesmerizing, regardless of what number of occasions I go to — and I have been coming right here for 10 years.

New Flights & Airport Makeover: Extra Methods To Get Right here Than Ever

Giving credence to folks’s misperception of San Diego’s small city vibes, they’re proper about it feeling that means since San Diego Worldwide Airport solely has one runway.

Terminal 1 was a time capsule up till its latest glow-up, and I am blissful to report it is now open and higher than it is ever been with trendy facilities and higher site visitors movement to make sure you make your flight.

What’s much more thrilling is San Diego now has 2 airports. Sure, you learn that proper…

35 minutes north of downtown lies the underrated seaside metropolis of Carlsbad, which simply final 12 months welcomed American Airways as its first industrial suitor in years.

It has been so successful that United is now following swimsuit, however vacationers must wait till March 2026.

Sam Sears

Sam, our Lead Author & Journalist based mostly in San Diego has visited 36 international locations and written over 1000 articles with a give attention to sharing his personal journey experiences and shining a light-weight on lesser-known gems.