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San Diego’s Mission Beach area offers a lot of activity from sand to shore. A classic laid back California beach community whose large stretch of sand attracts waders, sunbathers, volley ball players, surfers and those just looking to stroll along the long paved boardwalk that extends to Pacific Beach.
The area is full of casual restaurants, bars, t-shirt shops, bike
There is even a small amusement park. The historic Belmont Park offers classic amusement rides like bumper cars, an Arcade, fun carnival foods like Beaver Tails and Crepes and a classic wooden roller coaster build in 1925.
Just inland from Mission Beach is Mission Bay, a saltwater bay or lagoon. Recreational activities abound in Mission Bay Park, the largest man-made aquatic park in the country where over 4,235 acres provide sheltered marine sports activities such as boating, sailing, paddle boarding, kayaking and even rides on a genuine river paddle boat.
If you look out on the bay in the morning you’ll see crew teams from the local colleges practicing rowing. All around the bay are recreational spots to launch a boat or have a picnic or BBQ.
Mission Bay is also home to SeaWorld San Diego which offers marine shows featuring orcas, dolphins and sea lions as well as extensive aquariums and education opportunities plus thrilling amusement park rides such as roller coasters.
The Mission Beach area is basically a sand bar between the ocean and the bay. First mapped in 1914, the first attempts at commercialization occurred in the early 1920s. The area really got going when the Mission Beach Amusement Center opened as a way to spur interest in the real estate around Mission Beach. The result was a games carnival, a ballroom, the Plunge swimming pool, and the Giant Dipper roller coaster, which is the second-oldest coaster ride in California.
The modern Belmont Park has been renovated and is in good shape. The roller coaster has been updated an rebuilt and
Visitors to Mission Beach today will find a boardwalk that spans nearly two miles of ocean front. It is bounded by the San Diego River estuary on the south, Mission Bay Park on the east, and the community of Pacific Beach on the north.
The paved ‘boardwalk’ runs along the beaches on both the ocean and bay sides of the community. The widest section is on the Mission Beach end and it narrows down towards Pacific Beach and the Crystal Pier with its distinctive rental cottages on the pier itself.
The Mission Beach boardwalk is a busy place! Along with walkers, joggers and sunset watchers, look out for bikes, skateboards and motorized electric rental scooters from Lime or Bird. You can download an app to rent one of these scooters which are parked all over Mission Beach or rent one from the rental shops.
Public bathrooms are located near the lifeguard stations at Mission Beach and Pacific Beach. When swimming, look for flags that designate surfing only stretches.
Suggestions for the Mission Beach Area.
Bahia Resort Hotel – We stayed here a few nights on our trip to San Diego. We had a nice big room with deck overlooking Mission Bay where we could see activity on the water, sailboats, crew teams practicing and the big paddle boat. The room had a small kitchenette to boot. Overall the room was dated and needed to be redecorated but it acceptable.
Housekeeping was a bit of mixed bag. One day they’d forget to drop off water bottles or take out the trash. The next day everything would be perfect.
Fun amenities exist on the property including a pool, duck pond garden area and two rescue seals which you can visit and watch being fed. They also own the paddle wheeler which travels between Bahai and their sister resort in Pacific Beach called Catamaran.
The onsite restaurant was excellent. We had one of our best meals of the trip there. Easy walk down to Mission Beach from here and close to attractions such as the airport, Balboa Park and SeaWorld (very close).
We enjoyed a casual BBQ dinner at the recently renovated Coaster Saloon restaurant right across the street from Big Dipper roller-coaster in Belmont Park.
We also had great Mexican take out food from Marcy’s Mexican Food, a family run taco and burrito shop near Coaster Saloon and Belmont Park. Inexpensive, authentic and satisfying.