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SAN DIEGO BEACHES
South Mission Beach
Bordered on the south by the Mission Bay Channel, South Mission Beach is possibly one of the widest beaches in San Diego. A popular place for sports such as beach volleyball, it's also home to Belmont Park, at the foot of West Mission Bay Drive, which includes the restored Giant Dipper roller coaster "The Plunge" indoor swimming pool. Lively crowds fill the boardwalk that starts here and travels up to Pacific Beach.
Pacific Beach (P.B.)
Surf shops, beach equipment, 20 hotels and motels, array of nightclubs, and more than 120 restaurants populate Pacific Beach. Only 5 minutes from Sea World, 2 minutes from Belmont Park, and 15 to the Zoo, P.B. is still best known for its access to the Pacific Ocean. You can swim, surf, boogie board, beach comb, sunbathe, or snorkel. Stroll Mission Boulevard to Sail Bay, a calm inlet where visitors can rent windsurfers, paddle boats, and sailboats, or ride the Bahia Belle, an old-fashioned sternwheeler. Along P.B's boardwalk, which blurs into Mission Beach, inline skaters, joggers, strollers, and walkers compete for space with kids and dogs, all gazing westward, celebrating the sunset.
Crystal Pier
Originally called Pickering's Pleasure Pier, part of the wave amusement piers and waterfront destinations popularized around the turn of the century, this Pacific Beach landmark was part of an effort to attract people to the coast and make ocean-front property more saleable. The enterprise was to include a boardwalk and pier, but financial and natural difficulties — including heavy rains and high tides — washed out portions in 1926.
The cork-lined floors of the Crystal Ballroom opened in 1927 with elegant formal parties of bejeweled women and tuxedo-clad men dancing under chandeliers. Unfortunately, the pier closed within a year; pilings had not been coated to protect the wood from rotting, and the pier was eventually condemned. Crystal Pier reopened in 1936, when it was lengthened and rental cottages replaced amusements and games.
But more damage loomed in its future: the winter storms of January 1953 and a loose barge knocked several pilings and one unoccupied cottage into the surf. High tides and storm surf hit again 30 years later, in January 1983, when a third of the structure collapsed into the Pacific Ocean. Crystal Pier was reconstructed again in 1988 with a raised end to reduce the chance of wave damage. Cottages are available for rent again, and shops and cares adorn the pier's boardwalk. Visitors can stroll to the end of the pier where fishing, surf-gazing, or superb sunsets await.
Windansea — 6800 Neptune Place
The rocky shore of Windansea Beach is best known for its breathtaking scenery and surf breaks created by underwater reefs. Sandstone rocks act as partitions along the beach, offering a secluded spot for sunbathing. Much of the beach at Windansea experiences "shore break," a condition on steep beaches that results in hard-breaking surf right at the shoreline.
Children's Pool — 850 Coast Boulevard
The Children's Pool, also known as The Casa, is a picturesque beach with a panoramic view. During much of the year, seals and sea lions are on or near the beach, and a reserve for these marine mammals, called Seal Rock, is just offshore. The Children's Pool is within a walk of La Jolla's village. Grassy par areas are a short distance, north and south. Other small nearby beaches include Wipeout Beach to the south and Shell Beach to the north. This a popular beach for scuba divers due to the reefs just offshore. These same reefs can create strong currents and other hazards particularly in high-surf conditions.
Mission Bay
Mission Bay was created by dredging, piling, jetting, and redirecting; this man-made environment has since become one of San Diego's most popular recreation areas, where 4000 acres of bike parks, jogging, and walking trails follow the shoreline and extend for miles. A wealth of grassy picnic spots and areas set aside for jet skiing make it a great weekend destination; waters are calm enough for even nonswimmers to approach.
At the southwestern corner of Mission Bay, Mission Beach sits on its small peninsula with the open sea to its west and the bay to the east. Belmont Park is at its heart, with its refurbished antique wooden roller coaster, restaurants, nightclubs, and unique shops. Belmont Park is also home to the historic plunge, built in 1925, perhaps the largest indoor pool in Southern California.
Where Pacific Beach Drive meets Riviera Drive, at the north end of Mission Beach, a scenic route offers sunsets and sailboats. The road follows to Crown Point, another great family-picnic destination. Bay Park lies just across the water, where grassy playgrounds and gusty winds make it an ideal spot for professional kite flyers.
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