10 of My Favorite Things to Do in San Diego

When I moved to San Diego, I immediately fell in love with the area for its beauty and all that there is to see and do. From gorgeous beaches to majestic mountains, the area has it all. With so many pockets of awesome areas throughout San Diego County, you can be here for years and still have so much to see… I know that was the case for me! Even after living there for over 7 years, I feel like I left without exploring every area.

Even so, I know that one thing is for sure: I took full advantage of living in San Diego and was constantly having fun. I wanted to be able to leave one day saying that I lived it up in beautiful California, whether that meant exploring the beaches, eating my way through the city, taking road trips through the state up the coast, or trekking through as many hiking trails as I could handle, and I definitely feel like I did all of that.

As I’ve been making my way cross country to the east coast (follow my adventures on Instagram), I thought that this week I’d share some of my favorite things to do in the city. I’ve narrowed it down to 10 things in no particular order, because it’s too hard to decide what my top favorite is! Whether you’re planning a vacation in San Diego or looking to move there one day, I hope that this post gives you some inspiration for your San Diego bucket list.

Go kayaking at La Jolla Shores. One of the coolest areas in San Diego is La Jolla, and La Jolla Shores is a great place for water activities. From surfing and SUPing to snorkeling and swimming, you’ll find it all at La Jolla Shores. But my favorite adventurous activity is probably kayaking, where you can look for wildlife that’s frequently in the area, including dolphins, sea lions & even whales, and kayak towards La Jolla’s seven caves – which are thought to be around 75 million years old. There are lots of shops to rent kayaks at, and the waves are usually not too big.

Spend a night at The Shout House. One of my favorite places to have a night out is The Shout House in the Gaslamp District. It’s a dueling piano bar where the energy is vibrant, the music is loud, and the drinks just keep flowing. The audience can request songs, and lots of people visit to celebrate their birthday, upcoming nuptials, or anniversary. In fact, I actually witnessed a proposal there on stage one time.

I’ve taken a lot of visiting loved ones to The Shout House because it’s always a blast. I was just there to celebrate my birthday earlier this month!

Stroll around at the Little Italy Mercato. I quickly fell in love with the farmers’ market scene throughout San Diego when I moved here, and my favorite market in the area is the Little Italy Mercato. Held every Saturday, the farmers’ market has over 150 vendors with just about every type of food you can think of – from lots of fresh produce, coffee, and green juice vendors to locally made olive oils, bakeries and cheesecake in a cup booths. Strolling around to sample some food and check out the craft vendors, and then nabbing some goodies to take home is one of my favorite ways to spend a Saturday morning.

Enjoy the views of downtown from Coronado. Just across the bay from the city of San Diego lies Coronado, a picturesque island with lots of beauty to admire – from the beaches to the homes. I always joke that I want to retire in Coronado when I’m old!

A few of my favorite ways to enjoy the view of downtown from Coronado is to dine at Italian restaurant Il Fornaio or rent a paddleboard. Since the waves aren’t too hectic in the bay, it’s an easier place to go SUPing than the Pacific.

Spend time in downtown Carlsbad. When I moved back from Northern California to the San Diego area, I bought a house in North County, just a few minutes from downtown Carlsbad. For the past four years, the area has been my go-to spot for beach walks with my dog, smoothie dates with friends, and sunset picnics with my husband. With wine tasting rooms and breweries to brunch spots and surf lessons, Carlsbad has just about everything you could want in a beach town.

A few of my favorite places to visit in downtown Carlsbad are:

• Choice Superfood Bar & Juicery – This outdoor eatery is the perfect place to grab a healthy plant-based meal. My favorite things to order are the mint chip smoothie bowl topped with blueberries, as well as their PB&J smoothie (they use this delicious raspberry chia jam) with spinach added in & granola thrown in on top for some added crunch. Recently they added a new cocktail & breakfast spot to the area, called Crackheads, and it’s also a fun outdoorsy place to grab food or a drink.
• The Goods Donuts – This newish gourmet donut & coffee shop became a favorite of mine for a sweet tooth donut fix. The banana cream donut is probably my favorite! They offer gluten free & vegan donuts too.
• Beach City Smoothies – This one is my go-to spot for an açaí bowl and an occasion wheat grass shot. It’s a casual place to grab smoothies, açaí and pitaya bowls, as well as juices.

Escape to the countryside of Julian. Nestled in the Cuyamaca Mountains in eastern San Diego County, Julian is the perfect place for a little getaway from the bustling city. While most of San Diego has really mild seasons, Julian has more extreme weather. I’ve been there when it’s 110 degrees, and on the flip side, I’ll never forget going there for a weekend getaway in December and being shocked that it was snowing!

Julian has lots of open space for hiking, camping, and mountain biking. You can also go wine tasting in Julian, and I love making a trip there in the fall to go apple picking (just be prepared to be doing what you think of as an autumn activity when it’s 90 degrees out there!). And of course, Julian is famous for its pies, so when visiting there, you simply have to indulge your sweet tooth. A few popular spots are Mom’s Pies and Julian Pie Co.

Check out the sea lions at La Jolla Cove. Checking out the sea lions in La Jolla, especially in winter/spring when it’s birthing season, is something I’ve done countless times. Seals and sea lions in La Jolla are just so entertaining to watch! Plus, La Jolla is gorgeous and you can tie in a sea lion spotting adventure in with a day of hanging by the beach, shopping and dining in the town.

Check out 8 things to know before visiting the La Jolla Cove seals. 

Enjoy a day of wine tasting in Temecula. While Temecula is just outside of the San Diego County, it’s considered SoCal’s wine country region and is a great place to spend a day close outside of the city if you like wine. With around 40 wineries,  Temecula is a tiny wine region compared to other wine regions spread out across the state. Admittedly, some of the wine isn’t great, but I’ve found some awesome wineries with tasty wine over the years. My favorite thing to do is bring bread, fruit, hummus, and cheese, and have a picnic outside at one of the wineries.

(I’m going to do another post soon that features my 5 favorite wineries in Temecula, so stay tuned for my info!)

Go for a hike at Torrey Pines. While the majority of hiking trails in San Diego are set a bit inland, Torrey Pines is a gorgeous place to get in your steps right on the water with a nice coastal breeze. I like to work my booty trekking up the concrete road first, then hike down to the beach.

Note: Parking gets crazy here on the weekends and dogs aren’t allowed here. 

Looking for other local hiking ideas? Check out my post that highlights 7 of my favorite San Diego hiking trails.

Enjoy vegan grub at the rooftop restaurant & yoga studio, Trilogy Sanctuary. Another La Jolla activity that made my list is visiting Trilogy Sanctuary. Situated on a rooftop, Trilogy Sanctuary is very quintessential San Diego to me. They’re all about yoga, healthy, plant-based food, good vibes and relaxation. It’s a fun place to grab a bite to eat and get work done, and they hold lots of fun events, including live music, open mic nights and yoga workshops. They also have regular aerial yoga classes, which are interesting to watch if you’re there to eat instead of exercise.

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I love San Diego so much, and it’ll forever be one of my favorite cities in America!

Tell me… Have you ever visited/lived in San Diego?