Pacific Beach Park(Pacific Beach)

Located in the Pacific Beach neighborhood in San Diego County, Pacific Beach is two miles long and is situated between Pacific Beach Drive and Crystal Pier. The beach has light brown sand, is popular among young adults and teenagers, and is known for its fun and oceanfront party scene especially during summers. Pacific Beach is not to be confused with another beach with a similar name called North Pacific Beach which is located to the north of Crystal Pier. 

Pacific Beach offers numerous amenities including lifeguards, restrooms, showers, concession stands, and walking paths. The beach allows dogs on a leash before 9 am and after 6 pm between April and October, and from November to March dogs are allowed on the beach before 9 am and past 4 pm. 

Pacific Beach offers many activities including swimming, paddle boarding, wildlife watching, kayaking, canoeing, boating, kitesurfing, sail-boarding, surfing, bodysurfing, boogie boarding, surf-skimming, biking, fishing, skateboarding, and sunbathing. The water at Pacific Beach has ideal waves for all kinds of surfers, but if you are planning to go into the water at Pacific Beach, we recommend being careful as the water here is known to have rip currents. We also recommend getting here early as this popular beach can get crowded quickly. The water near Pacific Beach is home to a variety of animals including seals, sea lions, dolphins, and migrating whales (between December to April). If you want a hassle-free evening bonfire on the beach, Beach Fire Guy offers a safe, environment-friendly, and fun oceanfront bonfire experience on Pacific Beach. The Ocean Front Walk (also known as Ocean Boulevard) is a concrete walkway running parallel to Pacific Beach that features numerous exciting nightclubs, shopping, bike and water sports rentals, and restaurants – and it is also a place for skateboarding and biking. The Crystal Pier is a wooden pier located on the northern end of the beach that offers pier fishing spots and breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean. If you want a quieter beach experience, you can walk north of the pier to North Pacific Beach which is usually less crowded.

Getting to Pacific Beach is easy - it’s located near the intersection of Mission Boulevard and Grand Avenue. There are many paid parking lots near the beach. However, we recommend visiting early as these lots often fill up quickly. Free street parking is also available on the side streets present along the north of Crystal Pier.

There are many attractions near Pacific Beach. Garnet Avenue and Grand Avenue, which are located adjacent to Crystal Pier, feature a vivid collection of clothing stores, novelty shops, and restaurants. On Tuesdays, a local Farmer’s Market is held near Bayard Street between 2:00 pm and 6:30 pm and offers some of the finest fresh local produce, gourmet dishes, and handicrafts in San Diego County. Another attraction is Belmont Park, an amusement park that offers exciting rides, a restaurant, and a gaming arcade. Belmont Park was built in 1925 and is a part of the United States National Register of Historic Places, and features the iconic and famous Giant Dipper Roller Coaster. Another fun attraction is Quicksand Escape Games which offers exciting and engaging escape room puzzles that can be enjoyed with family and friends.

If you get hungry, there are many great nearby restaurants. JRDN Restaurant is an upscale oceanfront restaurant that offers delicious coastal Californian cuisine with Japanese and Mexican twists and serves great fusion seafood dishes and steaks. A modestly priced and family-friendly restaurant is Kono’s Surf Club Cafe which offers fantastic breakfast dishes including French toast, burritos, eggs, and their signature Kono potatoes. Another great restaurant is Baja Beach Cafe which offers a pleasant outdoor oceanfront dining experience and serves outstanding seafood tacos, burgers, and sandwiches.

If you are looking for a hotel near Pacific Beach, there are many great nearby options. The 4-Star Pacific Terrace Hotel offers many amenities including a pool, a hot tub, massage service, bike rental, fitness center, and a restaurant. A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star The Beach Cottages which offers many amenities including an outdoor patio, ping pong table, and barbecues. Another good and affordable hotel is the modestly priced 2-Star Pacific View Inn which offers many amenities including complimentary breakfast, a terrace and bike rentals.