San Diego Holiday

San Diego is the perfect stop for tourists on a California holiday. Alongside San Francisco and Los Angeles, the city is a hive of activity for the holidaymaker to discover.

From the laidback beaches and surf shacks to the bright lights of the trendy Gaslamp Quarter, a San Diego holiday can satisfy every kind of tourist.

Traditions and Culture in San Diego

Once part of the Spanish Empire, San Diego has an interesting past steeped in a mix of cultures and influences.

It was part of the gold rush and its position of the edge of the Pacific Ocean means that its past is intrinsically linked with the military and navy.

Spanish influences are all around from the buildings to the cuisine to the city's name.

Another passion of San Diego is board sports. Skateboarding and surfing are two of the most popular pastimes for locals and visitors alike, with the board culture contributing to the economy and bolstering the already bustling tourism sector.

Recommended in San Diego

The historical Gas Lamp Quarter is possibly the best bit of Victorian architecture in any Californian city. The neighbourhood went through an extensive regeneration programme in the late 1980s and is now one of the trendiest spots in San Diego.

Some of the best bars and restaurants can be found in the picturesque Victorian buildings and the district has a packed calendar of annual events and festivals.

For a completely different experience, visitors can book into one of the many cheap hotels in the laidback surf resorts of Mission Beach, Pacific Beach or Ocean Beach.

This is where the West Coast surf culture is at its strongest and the waterfronts are awash with activity at all times of day and night.

Little Italy and the East Village are also worth a visit, as is the sprawling Balboa Park. Spread over 1,200 acres, the parks contains several museums and cultural centres, as well as various species of desert cacti and plants. The park is also home to the famed San Diego Zoo.

Visitors can also combine their trip to San Diego with a Mexican holiday as the city sits almost on the border with the Spanish-speaking country. The easiest way to cross the border is by using the San Diego Trolley.

Weather in San Diego

The climate in San Diego is semi-arid meaning that at the height of summer the city can be dry, with temperatures hitting upwards of 24 degrees C.

Like its fellow Californian city of San Francesco, San Diego can sometimes suffer from a layer of fog during the summer.

Destination Checklist for San Diego

Like in the rest of America, English is the official language of San Diego, although its close proximity to the Mexican border means Spanish is widely spoken.

The currency in use is the US dollar, meaning the proliferation of cheap hotels can be even cheaper for British holidaymakers.

San Diego has the +1 international dialling code for America and operates on Pacific Time which is eight hours behind GMT.