Ultimate Guide to Vacationing on Coronado Island

San Diego can sometimes be overlooked for sexier Los Angeles or more cosmopolitan San Francisco. However, just inside its harbor, San Diego holds a treasure that neither L.A. nor S.F. can claim: Coronado. This area is classified as a resort city within San Diego County, but Coronado actually sits apart on its own piece of land.

Though Coronado resembles an island, it is actually a tied island, connected to the mainland by a narrow strip of beach. Detached and somewhat sleepy yet still an easy hop from the mainland, Coronado embodies a resort in the true sense: a place set aside for the singular purpose of recreation and repose.

This transformation didn’t happen by accident. In 1885, two ambitious Midwesterners, Elisha Babcock and Hampton Story, purchased the entire island, with plans to erect a grand, Victorian-style hotel along the beach. Almost 150 years later, Hotel del Coronado is the iconic property that most travelers associate with this picturesque island.

About 60% of guests come here for a stay, according to Chris Jorgens, chief concierge at the hotel, whose iconic cone-shaped pavilion has become synonymous with Coronado. Many visitors check in for a week and rarely leave the resort.

Despite its legendary beaches, Coronado remains unpretentious, offering a leisurely, relaxed island atmosphere. There’s a quaint downtown strip with novelty shops, restaurants, and a movie theater. A museum is also available, but none of it feels overly commercialized. Additionally, visitors can enjoy a biking and running path that encircles the island, along with scenic ferry service to and from downtown San Diego and 1.5 miles of sun-drenched, gloriously uncrowded beachfront, which contributes to its vacation-like ambiance.

Getting there is the best part.

The curvilinear, impossibly high San Diego-Coronado Bridge connects the island to downtown San Diego; it’s an especially unique aspect of visiting this area. While the drive lasts only a few minutes, the journey offers all-encompassing views of the San Diego skyline, along with its expansive shipyard and naval base. Speaking of that naval base, to accommodate large aircraft carriers, the bridge rises 200 feet at its highest point, which gives motorists a surreal sense of driving through the clouds.

It’s a ‘Wizard of Oz’ mecca.

One of Coronado’s most famous residents was Frank Baum, author of “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.” A devoted fan of the island, Baum regularly spent winters here from 1904 to 1910, incorporating Coronado’s rich, vibrant scenery into stories like “The Road to Oz” and “The Emerald City of Oz.”

He even published a poem in 1905 called “Coronado: The Queen of Fairyland,” which features the lines: “And every day her loveliness shines pure, without a flaw; new charms entrance our every glance and fill our souls with awe!” Nowadays, visitors can peek at the house where Baum lived, explore an Oz-themed glass-art display at the public library, and admire chandeliers in the Hotel del Coronado, designed by the author himself.

Classic film enthusiasts may also recognize the Hotel del from “Some Like it Hot,” the 1959 Billy Wilder movie starring Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, and Marilyn Monroe, where the hotel served as an East Coast resort.

Sleep at a grand seaside resort

While the upper half of Coronado is dominated by the North Island Naval Air Station (and hence, off-limits to visitors), it’s the flamboyant, turreted Hotel del Coronado — known by many simply as “The Del” — that stands as the island’s undisputed star. Built entirely of wood in 1887, the resort’s iconic red-roof rotunda remains an architectural wonder, with tons of lumber shipped in from across the U.S. for construction, including rich Illinois white oak framing the lobby to this day.

Prized for its oceanfront setting, the 757-room Del is an ideal spot for relaxing and enjoying California sun and surf. The hotel opens onto a wide, sandy beach, where it’s easy to lose track of time. As a public beach, it welcomes beachgoers, but hotel guests enjoy special perks like access to candy-striped cabanettes, beach butler service, and nightly campfires for roasting marshmallows.

See a greener side of San Diego.

As previously mentioned, Coronado is a tied island. The strip that separates it from San Diego proper is known as Silver Strand State Beach, a stunning marine park equipped with beautiful beaches, camping facilities, barbecue pits, and even a surfing academy.

Its best feature? The 18.7-mile bike route (part of a larger 24-mile circuit), allowing riders to enjoy views of the Pacific Ocean on one side and San Diego Bay on the other.

Venture off the island.

Coronado’s waterfront isn’t limited to beach activities; at the island’s southern tip, Glorietta Bay Marina is a perfect spot for boat rentals. Choices range from sailing lessons and kayaking to jetskiing and chartering a private captain for a sunset sail. Here, you’ll experience a broader, more adventurous perspective on the island’s unique position as a gateway between San Diego and the Pacific Ocean.