This particular pier is not on an ocean, but it is across the bay from San Diego. The Coronado bridge is one way to get there, along with a boat or the San Diego Ferry. This pier has much more to offer than just a view of the San Diego skyline – which is beautiful, especially at night with city lights reflected in the water. At the pier is a marketplace with shopping (you will even find a seashell shop!), galleries, and eateries ranging from the casual to the high-end. You can rent a bike or walk, but either way the palm tree and rock-wall lined path next to the bay will offer you views of the city and the sailboats that constantly graze the water. This pier, again, is a fishing pier.
Elsewhere on Coronado, which is Spanish for “The Crowned One,” you will find luxury mixed with casual surroundings. This is another high-end San Diego subset, and as you walk you will see multimillion dollar beach houses and expensive, exclusive boutiques. However, you can also find a vintage store and a small coffee house to relax at without spending a fortune. Coronado’s white sand beaches are its glory, and they even have sand dunes that are fun to get lost in. The strip of beach between the elegant Hotel del Coronado and North Island Naval Base is Coronado Central Beach and it is the most popular. Often naval ships can be seen on the ocean’s horizon and military jets will fly overhead. This beach is extremely family friendly and has a few picnic tables, sand volleyball courts, and fire pits. Ocean Boulevard runs behind it and if you care to walk among all the side streets you will see mansions, many of which belong to Naval Aviators.
Last but certainly not least, if you drive south past Hotel del Coronado you will run into Silver Strand State Beach. This area is much calmer than the main beaches, probably because you have to pay to park. It is called the strand because it is a secluded narrow strip of land that extends past Coronado and connects it to Imperial Beach. The Silver Strand is also a campsite. This beach always seems to have interesting things on the shore, like large pieces of shells with interesting patterns, and the sand and overall feel is different.