I’ve been living in San Diego for a little over a year now and it really is America’s Finest City. Now I’m originally from Massachusetts so Boston will always be my city but San Diego is a wonderful California alternative.

San Diego actually reminds me quite a bit of Boston. It’s smaller than it’s close concrete jungle relative (Boston/New York City, San Diego/Los Angeles), it’s on the water, it’s beautiful and clean, and it just has a lot of character.

Plus being 75 and sunny pretty much every day of the year is quite nice (though admittedly when I first moved out here I thought it was just plain weird).

So if you’re ever in Southern California make sure to visit this gorgeous city - I promise you won’t regret it.

1. Sunset Cliffs

The best thing about California (or I suppose the West Coast in general) is that the sun sets over the ocean. And it’s glorious. Sunset Cliffs is an area of Point Loma where, you guessed it, you go to watch the incredible sunsets. It’s a huge stretch of cliff area that is great for running, walking the dog, cliff jumping, and surfing, and you will see people participating in these activities pretty much at all times.

Plus look at these pictures. Seriously. Trust me when I tell you you want to make this part of your visit to San Diego.

2. Children’s Pool, La Jolla

La Jolla (pronounced La Hoya) is a beautiful sea side town. It has beautiful cliffs to walk or run on like Sunset Cliffs does, but it has one thing that the Cliffs do not…seals and sea lions! There is a beach, known as Children’s Pool, that has been pretty much been taken over by a bunch of furry pinnipeds. Spring is breeding season for seals so you’ll see adorable pups there as well, but these adorable animals are available for viewing pretty much any time of the year.

Plus you get to walk out along a wall into the ocean as the waves crash over the rocks and even occasionally up over the wall itself.

If you take a walk up the hill away from the ocean and cute animals you’ll find yourself in downtown La Jolla which is a bunch of cute shops and restaurants and is just a fun place to walk around.

3. Seaport Village/Embarcadero Park

Seaport Village/Embarcadero Park is in downtown very close to the Convention Center (where the International ComicCon is held each year). There are a seemingly endless amount of shops and restaurants and on the weekends you’ll find magicians, artists, and even palm readers. There is a lovely boardwalk along the San Diego Harbor as well as the marina.

Across the harbor from Seaport Village you will occasionally see aircraft carriers or other naval ships parked and sometimes destroyer class ships will cruise on by.

You can easily get there by car (there’s plenty of parking but you do have to pay for it), taxi, or the trolley - Seaport Village has its own trolley stop. I usually take the trolley since it’s $5 round trip and gets rid of the hassle of driving in downtown as well as parking.

4. Cabrillo National Park

This is probably one of the most beautiful places in San Diego. You get a complete view of downtown and the mountain range behind it. On a clear day you can also see Mexico.

You can quickly walk from the harbor side to the ocean side and there is a beautiful old lighthouse at the top.

Again if you get lucky you can see naval ships leaving the harbor and even fighter jets taking off from North Island Naval Air Station.

There is a $5 per car entrance fee since it is a national park, but it is well work the money. The views are incredible and the photo opportunities are endless. There is also a very large military cemetery before the park entrance that is free to visit.

5. Mission Bay Park

I’m a bit biased because this is right by my condo and I visit it often, but Mission Bay Park, while probably not on most people’s top 5 list, is definitely on mine. It’s a beautiful park with a 3.5 mile boardwalk along Mission Bay.

It’s such an active place but because it is so large and long, it rarely feels overly busy. On weekends it does get busier but it’s fun to people watch. You’ll see people flying kites, playing games of beach volleyball and basketball, there are classes like yoga held here, playgrounds galore, large gazebos where you can hold a cookout or large gathering, and the whole boardwalk is lined with different exercise stations and at the far end there is an entire circuit workout. There are also plenty of areas to stop and take a nice swim.

It’s right next door to Sea World too so you can pop on over before or after you spend some time with sea critters. During the summertime Sea World has fireworks every weekend night and Mission Bay Park is a great place to watch them. You can light a fire in one of the many fire pits along the beach, roast some marshmallows, and watch a fantastic light show.

So there you have it! My top 5 favorite places in San Diego. There are obviously so many more places to visit (even I haven’t been to all of them) but no matter where you go you’re pretty much guaranteed a beautiful view and gorgeous weather.

Have you ever been to San Diego? What is your favorite place?