TIPS
Local know-how for San Diego — where to go, what it costs, what trips people up — checked against the agency, the dataset or the law that decides it, and dated so you can see how fresh it is.
36 tips · showing 1–15
How to see San Diego's glowing blue waves (bioluminescence)
Wait for a red tide, then go to a dark beach at least two hours after sunset. The glow comes from a plankton called Lingulodinium polyedra, and Scripps says nobody can yet predict when it will bloom or how long it will last.
What glowsLingulodinium polyedra
Potato Chip Rock: how long is the line, and which way up is easier?
Expect a 30-60 minute wait for the photo on weekend mid-mornings. The shorter way is about 6 miles round trip from Highway 67 on a shadeless paved road; the classic Lake Poway route is 7.5 miles with about 2,000 feet of climbing.
Lake Poway route7.5 mi, ~2,000 ft
5 best places to watch the sunset in San Diego
Sunset Cliffs in Point Loma, Coronado Central Beach, Mount Soledad above La Jolla, the Torrey Pines Gliderport and the Oceanside Pier. Skip Cabrillo (gate shuts at 5 p.m.) and the closed OB Pier.
Mt. Soledad822 ft
Where to swim with leopard sharks in La Jolla (and when they show up)
Every summer and fall, hundreds of harmless leopard sharks gather in waist-deep water off La Jolla Shores near the Marine Room. Go June to early December, peak August–September, on a calm morning at low tide.
SeasonJun–early Dec
5 beach walks worth doing in San Diego
Coronado Central Beach to Dog Beach, the Mission Beach to Pacific Beach boardwalk, La Jolla Shores to Black's Beach, Torrey Pines State Beach to Del Mar, and the Carlsbad seawall. Time the sand walks for low tide.
Longest3.2 mi
The best tide pool days this winter
Go on a winter afternoon with a minus tide: the best 2026–27 dates at Cabrillo National Monument are Dec 22–24, Jan 20–22 and Feb 18–19, when the tide drops below −1.4 feet between about 2 and 4 p.m. — just before the tidepool area closes at 4:30.
Lowest tide of winter−1.97 ft · Jan 21, 2:51 p.m.
How to hike to the Goat Canyon Trestle, the world's largest wooden trestle
Hike in from Mortero Palms in Anza-Borrego: about 5.5 miles round trip with 2,200 feet of climbing and real rock scrambling. Go October to April, look but don't walk on it, and skip the railroad-track route, which crosses private property.
Built1932-33
Can you go paragliding off the Torrey Pines cliffs with no experience?
Yes. The Torrey Pines Gliderport flies tandem paragliding for about $200–$275 and hang gliding for about $225, no experience needed. There are no reservations: show up, sign in, and wait for the wind.
Tandem paragliding$200–$275
Is Torrey Pines open right now?
The beach is, the reserve isn't: Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve closed to all visitors on September 22, 2026 for a utility and restroom construction project and is scheduled to reopen by March 1, 2027 — every trail, the Beach Trail staircase, the Lodge and both upper lots are shut, but Torrey Pines State Beach and its North and South Beach lots remain open.
Reserve closedSept 22, 2026 – ~Mar 1, 2027
Biking the Bayshore Bikeway: San Diego Bay's 24-mile loop, with a ferry ride
The Bayshore Bikeway circles San Diego Bay in about 24 miles, much of it car-free. Take the ferry from downtown to Coronado with your bike (bikes ride free), roll down the Silver Strand, and loop back.
Full loop~24 miles
How to see the Sunset Cliffs sea caves (and why the tide decides everything)
Only at a negative low tide on a calm day. Sunset Cliffs Natural Park in Point Loma hides arches and sea caves below 68 acres of bluffs, but the cliffs are unstable, falls have been fatal, and even at low tide you may wade or swim.
Park size68 acres
Kayaking the La Jolla sea caves: what to expect, what it costs, and the rules
Guided tours launch from La Jolla Shores and paddle about 90 minutes to the seven sea caves, from about $59 per kayak. Calm days let you nose into a cave. It's a protected marine reserve, so you can look but not take anything.
Tour length~2 hrs
Lobster season is open in San Diego: the rules, the costs, and where to buy one if you'd rather not dive
California spiny lobster season opened at 6 p.m. on Friday, October 2, 2026, and runs until 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, March 17, 2027. You can keep seven a day if they measure at least 3¼ inches across the body shell. Everyone needs a $12.70 report card, kids and pier hoopers included. If you'd rather skip all of that, local lobstermen sell them live at Tuna Harbor on Saturday mornings.
SeasonOct 2 – Mar 17
Mount Helix: the hilltop amphitheater with a 360-degree view most San Diegans skip
A 1925 stone amphitheater and 35-foot cross sit on top of Mount Helix in La Mesa, free to visit from 5:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. You can drive almost to the top, but parking is tiny, so come at sunrise or on a weekday.
CostFree
Old Mission Dam: the 200-year-old stone dam hiding in Mission Trails
Kumeyaay laborers and Franciscan missionaries built this stone dam on the San Diego River between 1813 and 1816 to water Mission San Diego. It's free to see, a few steps from the Old Mission Dam parking lot in Mission Trails.
Built1813-1816
