Coronado – SaDiego https://www.sadiego.com Honest, funny San Diego travel tips from a local Wed, 07 Oct 2026 16:36:57 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1.3 The Coronado Ferry https://www.sadiego.com/spots/coronado-ferry/ Tue, 06 Oct 2026 21:32:12 +0000 https://www.sadiego.com/spots/coronado-ferry/ The honest take

You could drive to Coronado over the big blue bridge. Or you could take a boat. The Flagship ferry leaves Broadway Pier downtown and crosses the bay to Coronado Ferry Landing in about 15 minutes, with the whole downtown skyline behind you and Navy ships off to the side.

At Ferry Landing there are shops, restaurants and bike rentals. Coronado is flat, so renting a bike and riding to the beach is the move. It’s roughly a mile and a half across town.

One-way tickets cost $9 for anyone 4 and up, and kids under 4 ride free. Boats usually leave on the hour, but the schedule changes by season, so check before you go so you don’t end up stranded with a lot of fudge.

Worth it? Skip it?

Worth it if

You’re staying downtown and want an easy, scenic way to Coronado.

Skip it if

You get seasick crossing a bathtub. It’s calm, but it is a boat.

Quick facts

AreaBroadway Pier (downtown) to Coronado Ferry Landing
Cost$9 one way (ages 4+), under 4 free
Ride timeAbout 15 minutes
ScheduleUsually hourly; check flagshipsd.com before you go
BikesYes
Open in Google Maps

Photo: Krithika Saravanan, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

]]> Coronado Beach and the Secret Sand Sign https://www.sadiego.com/spots/coronado-beach-sand-sign/ Tue, 06 Oct 2026 21:32:06 +0000 https://www.sadiego.com/spots/coronado-beach-sand-sign/ The honest take

Coronado’s Central Beach is wide, flat and shiny. The sand sparkles because it’s full of mica, a mineral that catches the light, so you’ll go home looking slightly glittery. Kids love it. Your car’s floor mats will love it less.

Now the secret. The dunes in front of the beach spell out C-O-R-O-N-A-D-O in giant letters. A maintenance worker named Armando “Mando” Moreno started shaping them from piled-up kelp after a storm in 1988. The letters are too big to read from the ground, so you’ll walk right past them. Look them up on a satellite map after, then feel smug.

The famous Hotel del Coronado sits right behind the beach, so you can wander over for a look at the red roofs.

Worth it? Skip it?

Worth it if

You want a calm, wide family beach with a fun secret.

Skip it if

You’re after big surf or a party scene. Coronado is more book-and-nap.

Quick facts

AreaCoronado, Central Beach along Ocean Blvd
CostFree
ParkingFree street parking along Ocean Blvd (often full), or paid parking at the Hotel del
Best timeWeekday mornings; late afternoon for golden light
KidsYes, one of the best family beaches in the county
Open in Google Maps

Photo: Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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