San Diego Beach Day and No Car: Coronado? Elsewhere?

[nancy drew]

We will be staying downtown in SD and might want to spend a day at the beach. I think I read somewhere that we can take a ferry to Coronado, is that correct? And if so, can we visit the beach by the Del Coronado, or is there another beach? Would we be better off going to another beach, like the one with the amusement park (we wouldn't ride the roller coaster, and we are going to DL after SD, so rides are not a priority)? We mostly would just want to visit the beach, hang out, eat lunch, maybe look for shells (?) or something.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

 

[sonnyjane]

Coronado is a great place to visit! There are not a TON of shells here (compared to, say, the east coast), but you'll be able to find some at Coronado. Of all the beaches, Coronado is one of the better ones for shelling, and while you could just take a cab, the ferry would probably be more fun and depending on how many are in your family, cheaper too.

The beach with the amusement park is Mission Beach, but for a family beach, I'd recommend Coronado instead.

 

[ncc1701]

A FYI about the ferry.
It drops you off at the ferry landing on the bay side of Coronado. It is about a mile & a half or so to the beach by the Del.
There is a public transit bus/shuttle that runs down from the landing area to the beach. Check the schedule to make sure it is running the times you want to use it.
You can also catch a cab to take you down to the beach. There was a cab stand near the shops at the landing & getting one at the Del won't be a problem.

 

[prncssmel]

If you're feeling adventurous, another option for getting around Coronado is to rent bikes at the ferry landing.

 

[Hunnypaw]

La Jolla shores has a nice beach. you can also go to Pacific Beach or Mission Beach -- which has Belmont Park (rides). A lot of options for you to do that are within 30 min drive.

 

[nancy drew]

La Jolla shores has a nice beach. you can also go to Pacific Beach or Mission Beach -- which has Belmont Park (rides). A lot of options for you to do that are within 30 min drive.

We won't have a car. Are there other transportation options to get to the beaches you listed?

Looks like Coronado might be a good bet for us. I'll look into Ferry costs and options for getting to the beach from the ferry drop off. Thanks!