The South Bay region of San Diego County is bounded by Downtown San Diego to the north, the Pacific Ocean to the west, the international border with Mexico to the south, and the Otay Lakes to the east. The largest city in this area is Chula Vista, which is the second largest in the county behind San Diego.
Cities
Chula Vista - The largest city in the region
Coronado - A scenic island community located across the San Diego Bay from Downtown San Diego
Imperial Beach - A small beachside city at the southern end of the bay
National City - A small city just south of Downtown San Diego that is home to ship ports
San Diego - Most of San Diego lies to the north of the South Bay area, but San Diego does encompass San Ysidro, a community situated on the USA-Mexican border which is also the major crossing between the USA and Tijuana, Mexico.
Other destinations
Understand
Talk
Get in
I-5 and I-805 run north-south through the area, down to San Ysidro, where I-5 proceeds all the way to the border. You can drive to the border crossing and then continue driving through, or park at one of the lots and walk through. Parking at one of the lots costs about $4-9 a day. Traffic is pretty heavy coming up from Mexico.
The '''San Diego Trolley''' [http://www.sdmts.com/Trolley/Trolley.asp] Blue Line service runs south from Downtown through National City and Chula Vista down to San Ysidro. Standard, one-way fares run $1.25-$3 depending on how far you travel. Day passes are $5, and there are 2, 3 and 4 day passes available as well.
Get around
See
The '''Hotel del Coronado''' in Coronado is a beautiful architectural masterpiece.
The '''Chula Vista Nature Center''' in Chula Vista is a quiet and rather scenic attraction, situated in the midst of a wetland under restoration.
Itineraries
Do
'''Silver Strand State Beach''', on SR-75 between Coronado and Imperial Beach, about 5 miles south of Coronado ''+1 619'' 435-5184, [http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=654]. Daily 8AM-7PM. Located on the Silver Strand, this is an excellent beach to swim or surf at. RV camping and fishing are allowed here.
'''Bayshore Bikeway'''. A 25-mile bikeway that is a very popular and scenic route. The level of difficulty is low as there are no major hills on this route, and it is also one of the safest bike routes. The 2.5-hour ride takes cyclists along the bay past golf courses, lagoons, piers and numerous places to stop for a rest and a drink of water such as Pepper Park and Glorietta Bay Park to name a few. The route also features a nine-mile stretch that follows the former Coronado Branch of the San Diego and Arizona Eastern Railroad.
'''Tijuana Estuary''', 301 Caspian Way (''in Imperial Beach''), ''+1 619'' 575-3613 [http://www.tijuanaestuary.org/]. Park: Sunrise-Sunset. Visitor Center: W-Su 10AM-5PM. A small coastal estuary located south of Imperial Beach and one of the few salt marshes remaining in Southern California. Next to the estuary at the USA-Mexico border is '''Border Field State Park''', which covers the extreme southwestern corner of the United States, where the USA-Mexico border meets the ocean. Border Patrol officials keep a close eye on this area. $5 per vehicle.
The '''U.S. Open Sandcastle Competition''' [http://members.cox.net/usopensandcastle/] takes place every July in Imperial Beach, and is a great chance to see professional sand castle crafters at work.
Buy
'''Plaza Bonita''', National City, [http://www.westfield.com/plazabonita/].
'''Las Americas Premium Outlets''', 4211 Camino De La Plaza, San Ysidro, ''+1 619'' 934-8400, [http://www.premiumoutlets.com/outlets/outlet.asp?id=76]. A outlet center with around 125 stores and restaurants.
'''San Diego Factory Outlet Center''', 4498 Camino de la Plaza, San Ysidro, ''+1 619'' 690-2999. This is an older outlet center and its lost some business to Las Americas, which is located right across the street. Still, it houses stores like Anna's Linens, Carter's Childrenswear, Nine West, and OshKosh.
Eat
Drink
Sleep
Comfort Inn & Suites - South Bay. 645 East Plaza Blvd, National City. 1 619-474-2400. ttp://www.comfortinn-sb.com.
Motel 6 San Ysidro - San Diego. 60 East Calle Primera, San Ysidro. 1 619 690-6663. 1 619 690-1949. ttp://www.motel6.com/reservations/motel_detail.asp?MotelId=0098.
Super 8 Motel - National City/Naval Base Area. 25 Roosevelt Ave, National City, CA 91950. rom I-5 North, get off at 8th Street and take a right. Take a left at first light (Roosevelt Ave) and motel is 1/4 mile ahead on the right. From I-5 South, exit at Plaza Blvd. Turn left on Roosevelt Ave, and motel will be a mile ahead on right.. 19-474-8811. ttp://www.super8.com/. 500. 200. 55-$75. A good, cheap hotel off I-5 in National City. Equally distant from downtown San Diego, Chula Vista, Coronado, and the naval base. Good amenities and good quality for the price.
Stay safe
Get out