Cheap Car Rental San Diego

San Diego – more than just a surfer’s paradise!

Whether gold rush headquarters, military base or biotechnology capital - San Diego was always many-sided and it has retained this versatility to this day. Not only is sightseeing fun here, but at the southern tip of California you can also learn something. Come along on this exciting trip full of things waiting to be discovered!

San Diego is about a two and half hour drive south of Los Angeles and is also called “America’s Finest City” because of the perfect climate (average yearly temperature is 70 degrees Fahrenheit). Your accommodations in San Diego could be a real movie set – if you book a room in the historic beachside “Hotel del Coronado” with its elegant beach bar. In 1959 “Some Like it Hot” with Marilyn Monroe was filmed here.  For smaller budgets the “Gaslamp Plaza Suites” in the middle of the bustling old town are a good choice.  The Victorian buildings have been lovingly restored and radiate a very special kind of charm.

In one of the most important centers for telecommunications and the biotechnology industry there are many different activities that visitors can choose from. Those that love shopping should go to the Horton Plaza in the downtown area. The landmark of the downtown area is architecturally very impressive, stylistically mixed, open air shopping center. Around150 businesses, restaurants, cafés and movie theaters are united in this Plaza with the casual, cool California flair. You can stroll around, shop and just spend time here.

The Sea World with its artificial coral reef in Mission Bay is fascinating for young and old. With an area of  6 458 346 sq. feet, the world’s largest oceanarium presents the famous dolphin, orca and sea lion shows every hour and informs in a very successful Arctic exhibition about the development of this sensitive region. You can also see live polar bears, penguins and sharks. For animal lovers a visit to the huge San Diego Zoos has to be included in your plans. There you can see more than 4,000 animals which are held properly for their species.The zoo is mostly famous for its successful breeding of pandas, gorillas and endangered species of tigers. The gigantic, nearly 2 sq. mile large park around the zoo is called Balboa Park and was already setup in 1868. Here you can find the Botanical Garden, various museums and cultural centers.  

Art lovers will enjoy visiting the Museum of Contemporary Art in the beautiful city district of La Jolla, which is around 14 miles away from the city center. The architects Robert Venturi and Denise Scott designed the new building which features mainly Californian artists. The district itself is also definitely worth seeing. On the many beaches of the rugged coastline, the world famous California surf culture was started in the 1960s. Even today you can watch these brave heroes perform their tricks. A protected underwater area within the bay, where hundreds of baby seals feel at home, is easy to reach for divers and is extremely interesting.

You should definitely go to one of the many fish restaurants along the coast for your evening meals. There is something for every budget here. A real culinary insider’s tip is the “Casa de Bandini” on Calhoun Street. In the quaint clay building from 1829 you can enjoy exquisite Mexican cuisine and fine California wines.  

Day trips to the surrounding areas of San Diego are of course possible. A good 12.5 miles south of San Diego is the large tourist city of Tijuana in Mexico. From there you can enter lonely desert landscapes and can eat real Mexican food. Another highlight for animal lovers is the San Diego Wild Animal Park. It is located 28 miles away from the city and huge outdoor compound is home to around 450 endangered species. The natural climate zones, like the steppe and swamp, but also rainforest, was artificially created so that the animals could have a true home. The park is open from 9 AM to 10 PM during the summertime.

If you would like to travel to Los Angeles while in San Diego then it is better to plan a longer stay, because there is a lot to see there (for more information read the article on Los Angeles). Enjoy California with all of its beautiful attractions!