About The Island
Take it all in. All the wonder, all the sights, all over the place. Everywhere you turn, there's new things to discover.
Let your California Fairytale begin…
Set across the bay from the city of San Diego, Coronado island has five distinctly different areas to entice and entertain you:
- Bayside & Ferry Landing
- Historic Downtown
- Coronado Beaches
- Glorietta Bay
- Silver Strand & the Cays
We also have a prominent military presence that you can’t miss!
- North Island Naval Air Station base
Bayside & Ferry Landing
With a spectacular vantage point facing across the bay to downtown San Diego, this is the first area to greet you as you descend from the giddying heights of our iconic bridge. Or perhaps you arrived by ferry? Coronado Ferry Landing is a 5 minute crossing from the San Diego Convention Center and the nearby Gaslamp Quarter, and 15 minutes sailing from the USS Midway and nearby Seaport Village. Ferry Landing also has an array of boutique and souvenir shops and a mix of casual and fine dining, all with exceptional views.
Keen to make the most of the beautiful weather? Sprawling Tideland’s Park has recreational fields, a children’s play area, skate park, bike path, picnic benches and a small sandy beach. While manicured Centennial Park is one of the most-photographed aspects on the island.
Bayside is also home to the upscale Coronado Island Marriott Resort & Spa famous for its pink flamingos. Continue along First St towards Orange Avenue and you’ll find a number of pampering salons and spas, as well as many popular dining and drinking venues with outdoor seating.
Historic Downtown
Orange Avenue is Coronado’s flourishing Main Street USA, brimming with character and community life. Discover shopping; everything from surfboards to high-end jewelry and the latest fashions. You can find award-winning restaurants and sidewalk cafes, hotels and boutique inns, peaceful parks, and our historic, light-filled library.
A favorite pastime is a strolling the lovingly-maintained streets, window-shopping, people-watching, and enjoying the lush, flower-lined medians that make this commercial district so picturesque.
Looking for cultural entertainment? Lamb’s Players Theatre is housed in a grand historic building alongside the Coronado Museum of History and Art, whereas our Village movie theater has vintage art deco flair. Of course the belle of the ball is our treasured national landmark – the Hotel del Coronado.
Coronado Beaches
Repeatedly ranked as one of the nation’s best beaches, Coronado Beach offers miles of soft, gold-flecked sand and safe, sun-sparkled waters. Enjoy surfing, kayaking, sailing, paddle-boarding, swimming, sunbathing, volley-balling, shell-collecting or simply relaxing and reading a Coronado-set book.
Coronado Beach is divided into four sections:
North Beach features a popular off-leash area for dogs – Dog Beach – complete with dog shower. This runs right up to the border for the North Island Naval Air Station.
Central Beach is the main expanse with the lifeguard tower housing a large restroom and shower facility. You will also find beach volleyball nets here.
South Beach begins just south of the Hotel del Coronado at The Shores condos and runs as far as the Navy SEALs training facility. (Off limits to the public and restricted to US Navy training.)
Silver Strand State Beach extends for approximately three miles along the narrow peninsula that is Silver Strand. Overnight camping is allowed with reservations and there are restrooms, showers, and lifeguard services. If you are active duty or retired military you can also camp at Fiddler’s Cove on Silver Strand, with a reservation.
Glorietta Bay
Glorietta Bay plays host to the Coronado Golf Course, Coronado Tennis Center, Coronado Yacht Club, Bluewater Boathouse Seafood Grill, Coronado Municipal Pool, Community Center, Club Room & Boathouse, as well as a public marina and boat ramp and Glorietta Bay Park with its gentle swimming beach.
On the other side of Orange Avenue, the Coronado Shores condominium towers offer million-dollar views of our local beaches and bay, as well as the Naval Amphibious Base.
The best place to stay near Glorietta Bay is…well, the Glorietta Bay Inn. It was once the home of John Spreckels, the sugar baron that developed the Hotel del Coronado.
Silver Strand & Coronado Cays
Silver Strand is a six-mile isthmus running from the Hotel Del Coronado to Imperial Beach. Along the way you will find the award-winning Loews Coronado Bay Resort, Crown Cove Aquatics Center and the yacht-dotted Coronado Cays. While the Cays are primarily residential, you can enjoy a memorable excursion with The Gondola Company or a scenic coffee or meal at The Calypso Cafe.
As you drive down Silver Strand you will see the bay on one side and the beach on the other. The paved bike path (part of the Bayshore Bikeway) gives you the opportunity to pedal your way to the local state beach park or nature preserve. (Or jog or walk!)
Silver Strand hosts the only camping areas in Coronado.
Military Coronado
Coronado has a proud military history and is home to North Island Naval Air Station, which you can see takes up a good portion of our land mass and provides us with a thrilling flight soundtrack as assorted aircraft come into land and depart from the base. You will also see US Navy ships leaving for and returning from deployment, gliding along the bay and seeming to add a new dimension to the San Diego skyline as they pass by. You can also glimpse Navy SEALS training on the bay, on the beach and along the Navy’s designated portion of Silver Strand adjacent to the Navy Amphibious Base Coronado.
