San Diego tourist information:

California's second largest city and the United States' seventh largest, San Diego boasts a citywide population of nearly 1.3 million residents and more than 2.8 million residents countywide. Within its borders of 4,200 sq. miles, San Diego County encompasses 18 incorporated cities and numerous other charming neighborhoods and communities, including downtown's historic Gaslamp Quarter, Little Italy, Coronado, La Jolla, Del Mar, Carlsbad, Escondido, La Mesa, Hillcrest, Barrio Logan, Chula Vista and more.

Known for it's near-idyllic climate, 70 miles of pristine beaches and dazzling array of world-class family attractions, including the world-famous San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park, SeaWorld San Diego and LEGOLAND California, San Diego offers a wide variety of things to see and do, appealing to guests from around the world.

In San Diego's East County, the terrain varies from gentle foothills to mile-high mountains and the historic mining town, Julian, down to the 600,000-acre Anza Borrego Desert State Park, offering nature-conscious visitors endless opportunities to hike, camp, fish, observe wildlife and much more. In San Diego's North County, the land produces quantities of flowers as well as quality grapes that become excellent wines, which are served at some of the most elegant restaurants and resorts in the region. Along the west, 70 miles of Pacific Ocean coastline not only supports year-round outdoor recreation, such as surfing, boating, sailing and swimming, but also important scientific research at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. To the south, it's a whole different country, Mexico, featuring its own cultural offerings in various towns along the border and coastline, including Tijuana, Rosarito and Ensenada.

San Diego's arts and culture and culinary arts are making a name for themselves, both nationally and internationally. Balboa Park, the largest urban cultural park in the U.S., features 15 museums, numerous art galleries, beautiful gardens, the Tony Award-winning The Globe Theatres and the world-famous San Diego Zoo. The region is also a breeding ground for the hottest, new talents of culinary arts, who prepare award-winning meals in many of the region's 6,400 eating establishments.

San Diego County also features 92 golf courses and a variety of exciting participatory and spectator sports, beachfront resorts and luxury spas, gaming, a dynamic downtown district, annual special events and unique holiday offerings, multicultural festivals and celebrations, colorful neighborhoods and communities, a rich military history, accessibility for travelers with disabilities and much more.

The most difficult decision to make regarding a vacation to San Diego is determining what to do and see among the region's vast and diverse variety of offerings. San Diego County offers a vacation experience for everyone.

The beach is more than a boundary dividing land from sea, more than a place to swim or sunbathe. In San Diego, the beach is a way of life, a source of pride and joy, a defining influence in people's lives. For some, the mere memory of a mid-summer sunset melting into the Pacific is reward enough. Others have a more intimate relationship with the sea: surfing and sailing, biking and running, swimming and diving along San Diego's many coastal beaches and bays. Whether you're a first-time visitor or life-long resident, The San Diego Convention & Visitors Bureau encourages you to enjoy the beach and hopes the information provided here will help you to make the most of your stay.

Inspired by its surroundings and cherished by residents and visitors, a thriving arts and culture community blossoms in this paradise.

With two Tony Award®-winning theatres, over 90 museums, music for all tastes, innovative dance, festivals showcasing our ethnic diversity, foreign films, science, natural history and Balboa Park, the San Diego region is a treasure, colored with influences from our neighbor, Mexico. We have everything to ensure that your mind, your palette and your soul are enriched!

World-famous attractions, 70 miles of beaches and now more ways than ever to save on your family vacation. Click here for discounts at SeaWorld Adventure Park, The World-Famous San Diego Zoo, LEGOLAND California and the San Diego Wild Animal Park - and let fun be your guide.

For those looking to discover some of San Diego¹s history, visit Old Town, Cabrillo National Monument, Gaslamp Quarter or one of the regions many missions. Don¹t stop there. San Diego County has activities for every interest in your family. The kids will enjoy a roller coaster ride, numerous entertainment centers or a day at a water park. The adventurer in your life will love sky sailing or a bi-plane ride. For those with more refined tastes, discover lush botanical gardens and beautiful wineries. And so much more.

Ever since that September afternoon in 1542 when Spanish explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo landed on Point Loma, becoming the first European to set foot on America's West Coast, the San Diego area has been world famous for its magnificent oceanfront. For good reason: San Diego County encompasses 70 miles of Pacific coastline stretching south from Tijuana north to Oceanside. Legendary beaches like Coronado, Torrey Pines, Del Mar, Mission Beach, and Carlsbad offer sanctuary and sport to beachcombers and sunbathers, surfers and swimmers. In 2002, the oceanfront community of La Jolla was named "best place to live in America" by The Robb Report; Coronado was named one of America's top ten beaches by the Travel Channel; and Surfer magazine listed Encinitas as one of the ten best surf towns in the United States.

But this idyllic slice of paradise is about much more than the sea. San Diego County is the size of Connecticut, a sprawling mosaic of wineries, pine forests, mile-high mountains and pristine desert. Vast swaths have been set aside for preservation as permanent wilderness, juxtaposed neatly with such attractions as the San Diego Zoo, Wild Animal Park, LEGOLAND, SeaWorld San Diego, and, to the South, the vast beaches of Mexico. You can come to San Diego and experience a variety of terrain, sports and activities. That astonishing variety, plus San Diego's mild climate, make it the ideal year-round destination for the traveler seeking to combine an active outdoor lifestyle with family-oriented adventures.

Small wonder, then, that many of the world's best triathletes, cyclists, mountain bikers, and runners call San Diego home. The United States Olympic Committee has located a training center here. San Diego's wide array of trails and topography have been something of a secret to the rest of the world - until now. Here's an insider's guide to San Diego's natural attractions: places to run, bike, hike, and dive, along with recommendations on where to find the right gear and have that post-adventure bite to eat. Of course, there's no way we could list everything. This is one big, wild territory. Come see for yourself.