With nearly endless opportunities for things to do, Carole Jacobs, Real Food Traveler’s Health & Fitness Editor, helps us narrow down the options in Pacific Beach, CA. That includes where to stay, what to eat and drink, and where to take in all the fun and the views. 

Save this article about Pacific Beach, CA to Pinterest to help you plan your trip there. Photo credits clockwise, Unsplash, Eat Drink Sleep Hospitality, Carole Jacobs, and Unsplash. Graphic by RealFoodTraveler.com.

 Hungry for more? Read Carole’s suggestions for U.S. hikes and local picnics to go with them.

I spent my childhood summers “down the shore” in Ocean City, a barrier island off the coast of southern New Jersey. The beach town was famous for its quaint downtown, white sand beaches, and an historic wooden boardwalk lined with funky seafood shacks, dueling saltwater taffy and fudge shops, and an amusement park where I spent many soft summer nights riding the 1926 carousel or watching the moon dance on the waves from atop the old-time Ferris wheel.

When I moved from Philadelphia to southern California, I was sure I’d find the same seaside attractions there I’d left behind. But the Pacific Ocean was a different creature than the warm, gently-waved Atlantic of my youth – colder, wilder, oddly aloof, and with a seeming dearth of charming seaside towns with boardwalks. It wasn’t until I ventured south to San Diego that I found a beach town that captured the seaside vibe of my childhood.

Pacific Beach, CA

Laid-back Pacific Beach (“PB” as it’s known as by local residents) struck me as the epitome of endless summer, the sort of classic California surfer/beach town immortalized in Beach Boy songs, with year-round sunshine and balmy temps (as opposed to Ocean City’s skimpy three-month summers, and a boardwalk that became a ghost town after Labor Day. Although Pacific Beach is busiest in the summer, even in the fall, its three miles of wide, golden strands teemed with sunbathers, joggers, swimmers, and surfers, and when the sun set, the beach came alive with flickering bonfires. PB even had a 3.2-mile wooden boardwalk, like Ocean City’s, a city in itself; plus, a quaint downtown packed with bike, surfer and tattoo shops; ice cream parlors, candy stores and bakeries; and a bar, nightclub or craft brewery on every corner.

Tower23 Hotel, home away from home in Pacific Beach

One thing Ocean City definitely didn’t have was a hotel like Tower23, San Diego’s most elegant beachfront lifestyle resort. With its striking contemporary glass-box design, the hotel looked like a crystal sculpture rising from the boardwalk. The glass walls refracted afternoon sun in bolts of light, then mirrored the sunset’s flaming hues. As dusk fell, the building sparkled like a diamond against the pitch-black night.

Tower23 is stunning by day or night. Photo courtesy Eat Drink Sleep Hospitality.

Inside, the hotel featured unique traits: A sleek lobby that riffed on the hotel’s namesake lifeguard tower, and 44 impeccably chic, fresh and clutter-free guest rooms. With a balcony that overlooked the sea, I almost felt like I was on a cruise ship – minus the Dramamine.

A comfortable and stylish room at Tower23. Photo courtesy Eat Drink Sleep Hospitality.

JRDN, the hotel’s award-winning restaurant, was also a crystal vision, with a 70-foot light sculpture that waved and pulsed with color, 10,000 square feet of indoor/outdoor oceanfront dining, a jewel box sushi bar, a private dining room decked out in teak wood, a 1,000-bottle wine wall, and the aptly named Sunset Patio.

Enjoy seaside views as you dine at JRDN at Tower23. Photo courtesy Eat Drink Sleep Hospitality.

The hotel’s 24-hour lifestyle concierge offered to arrange whatever I wanted to do – whether it was supplying complimentary beach gear (beach towels, umbrellas, chairs, snorkel gear) in-room spa services, room service meals, loaner bikes, or excursions beyond the hotel such as kayaking, water skiing, sport fishing, hot-air ballooning, golf, or E-bikes. You name it. Within reason, they were happy to make it happen.

Between the ocean, beach, boardwalk and town, there’s so much to do that I really didn’t need a car. For guests flying in from out of town, San Diego International Airport is just a 20-minute Uber away.

Monday night in Pacific Beach, California

In the late afternoon, I stepped out of my room to discover the Mission Beach-Pacific Beach Boardwalk had become a literal happening-cum-sideshow. Inline skaters, skateboarders, and cyclists, many with dogs in tow (some were even pulling their masters along), thronged the boardwalk. Weaving in and out among pedestrians, they streaked past pop-up stands where Bubble Man waved enormous shimmering crystalline bubbles out to sea and face painters turned giggling little girls into mermaids.

A man makes major bubbles on the boardwalk in Pacific Beach. Photo by Carole Jacobs.

As sunset drew near, the frenzy momentarily paused as everyone (and their dog) vied for a prime vantage spot on the boardwalk to watch the setting sun melt into the Pacific and torch the sky pink, purple and orange. Behind me on the Sunset Deck, guests too reluctant (or too jet-lagged) to brave the fray took in the show while sipping margaritas.

Too tired to fight the mobs, I headed back to the safety of JRDN’s outdoor patio, tucking into tantalizing California cuisine with Japanese and Baja influences while watching the chef prepare sashimi, sushi, and raw bar dishes from the glassed-in sushi station. Guests can complement their meal with sake, Japanese beers, or craft cocktails, and if you’re visiting midweek, JRDN’s seasonal Wine Wednesday happy hour features a different California vintner weekly through October.

Can’t get enough seafood? Order a tower of it at JRDN in Tower23. Photo courtesy Eat Drink Sleep Hospitality.

After dinner, I strolled on the beach past several parties of surfers, beachgoers, and other after-dark revelers huddled around flickering bonfires, some of which (I could spy them from my balcony) were still going strong long well into the wee hours.

Hungry for more? Carole tells you where to see the Death Valley Superbloom.

Tuesday morning

I got up early for JRDN’s room service on my balcony: a toss-up between avocado toast on grilled lemon Pugliese bread, or a coconut-banana-pecan-peanut butter-granola-seasonal-fruit Acai Bowl.

Then I bummed a complementary beach cruiser bike from the hotel for a 9-minute pedal south along the boardwalk to Palisades Park where you can get into the PB flow with beachfront yoga on weekend mornings, individual or group surf lessons with San Diego Surf School on a beginner-friendly beach featuring calm waters and steady waves, and much more.

Whether you spend the morning downward-dogging or catching ten, you’ll likely work up a colossal appetite. (Blame it on all that sea air!)  Torn between having lunch at Rocky’s Crown Pub, where the burgers are so legendary it’s the only thing they serve (besides fries), and a second breakfast at Kono’s Surf Club Café, a neighborhood icon serving what’s regarded as the best breakfast in Pacific Beach, I went with Kono’s, ordering one of their legendary breakfast burritos. It seemed to get bigger the more I ate.

Tuesday afternoon

I decided to hang on to my cruiser bike for the afternoon to explore the hood, as it’s the easiest way to zip around PB. Given the town’s endless summer, tourists pour in year-round, and parking is usually at a premium.

In six minutes flat, I was at Pacific Beach’s bustling Tuesday afternoon farmers market, a collection of colorful tents and booths offering all things fresh (produce, bread, flowers, plus gourmet dining ops and handcrafted artisan wares).

After unloading a loaf of fresh bread, homemade jam, and a huge bouquet of fresh-cut flowers in my hotel room, I cycled back out to historic Crystal Pier, home to the Crystal Pier Hotel & Cottages (1924), a picturesque, beachy New England-inspired hotel featuring stark white cottages with blue shutters. The pier is open to non-guests during the day, so I rolled my bike midway down the pier for a bird’s eye view of surfers catching waves. Crystal Pier is also one of the best places in San Diego to fish for surfperch, walleye, shovelnose surfperch, and shovelnose guitarfish, so even if you’re a rookie angler, you have a chance of catching something.

I was interested in a different sort of fishing, and cycled a block to Pangaea Outpost, an eclectic marketplace where more than 70 indie artisans sell exotic imports from across the globe. Even if you aren’t buying, this is a zany experience you won’t want to miss—and where else are you going to find a stuffed zebra to take home?

Then I pedaled another six minutes to Tourmaline Surfing Park, where the rugged headlands of La Jolla end abruptly. With slow, “slopey” waves, beginners, longboarders and (when the wind is up) windsurfers and kiteboarders, favor this beach over other spots in the area. If it’s low tide, you can stroll the beach past entrancing tide pools.

Another 12 minutes of pedaling brought me to Fanuel Street Park along Sail Bay, a popular section of Mission Bay Park and the biggest man-made aquatic park in the country. With an expansive grassy area, public restrooms, a seasonal lifeguard-protected swim area, and calm, shallow waters, it’s a popular place to swim and sail.

To me, summer at the beach means ice cream, and it was a tough choice between PB’s vintage Mr. Frostie, serving classic dipped cones to frozen banana since 1949, and The Baked Bear, featuring handmade ice cream sandwiches. While the Bear’s Vegan/Gluten Free Fudgy Brownie Cookie sounded sort-of guilt-free, I decided to go whole hog with a scoop of Gooey Butter Cake and Caramel Pretzel Fudge.

In search of a scenic way to spin off some calories, I pedaled up to Kate Sessions Park, a 79-acre spread perched high above Pacific Beach about 10 minutes from The Baked Bear. The park’s grassy slopes were filled with locals walking their dogs, flying kites, throwing Frisbees, or just hanging out admiring the views over Mission Bay, the San Diego skyline, the Pacific, and the Coronado Bridge.

Back in my room after a long day “on the road,” I debated over which in-room spa treatment would best serve my needs: the “Pacific” therapeutic deep tissue whole-body massage to take the knots out of my calves, or the aloe vera “Sun Soothe” wrap to take the bite out of my sunburn.

Tuesday night

My notion of a perfect dinner was a laid-back meal on the beach served with a Kodachrome sunset—a tall order for anywhere but PB, where the ops were almost countless. In the end, it came down to either Pacific Beach Shore Club, a rooftop beach club serving 20 tap beers, fish tacos, fresh ceviche, and tri-tip sandwiches; or Waterbar on the boardwalk, with big open windows overlooking the beach and a menu featuring an extensive raw bar and fresh seafood.

After dinner at the latter, I hit the boardwalk for the 20-minute stroll to (1925) Belmont Park, an old-time amusement park and arcade in neighboring Mission Beach. After debating on whether to risk losing my lunch on the Tilt-a-Whirl, Vertical Plunge, Sky Rope or Zip Line, I settled on admiring the sea views from atop the historic 73-foot-tall wooden Giant Dipper rollercoaster, and taking a nostalgic whirl on the Liberty Carousel, an antique reproduction that transported me back to my childhood summers in Ocean City.

Riding along with the animals on the Liberty Carousel at Belmont Park. Photo by Carole Jacobs.

Pacific Beach After Dark Bar Tour

The park closes at 9pm, allowing ample time to check out some of PB’s many bars on the walk back to Tower23. A popular hang for local 20-somethings, PB is the undisputed party girl of the San Diego coast, and even on a worknight, the clubs were in full swing, with music blaring at ear-deafening decibels.

According to locals-in-the-know, PB’s hottest night spots include Mavericks Beach Club, PB’s newest bar; Backyard Kitchen & Tap, the reigning champ of after-dark clubs before Maverick’s was built right next door; Duck Dive, renowned for its Mexican fare and margaritas; Moonshine Beach, PB’s largest bar, with country music and line dancing; and El Prez, a three-story beach bar near Crystal Pier, just steps from Tower23. Depending on your energy/inebriation level (or how many rounds you did on the Tilt-a-Whirl), you may want to end (or start and end) your PB bar tour there.

Sunset at Crystal Pier at Pacific Beach CA. Photo courtesy Unsplash.

Wednesday morning in Pacific Beach, CA

Maybe God rested on the seventh day, but after just two days in PB, I was eager to sleep in. On awakening, I contemplated PB’s many brunch options. JRDN is justly famous for its gourmet Sunday brunch—Chef Stephen Gage’s biscuits and gravy are the talk of the town, while pastry chef Christian Molle’s homemade sticky buns have been the demise of many a diet. (Plus, if you’ve had a hard night on the town, JRDN is just a flight of steps down from your room.) But seeing as how it was Wednesday, I agonized over choosing Broken Yolk for Nutella crepes or the Fig Tree Café for fig jam and ricotta French toast.

Before heading out for the day, I took a dip in the sea along Tower23’s beautiful beach.

Swim with a view of the beach and ocean at Tower23. Photo courtesy Eat Drink Sleep Hospitality.

Wednesday afternoon in Pacific Beach CA

Before I moved to the High Sierra, I lived just north of San Diego County and spent many weekends visiting its bucolic beach towns. For old times’ sake, I decided to spend the afternoon visiting some old haunts before driving home.

Just south of Mission Beach is bohemian Ocean Beach, home to some of my favorite quirky antique and vintage stores, and eccentric artist studios; and Sunset Cliffs Natural Park, a great place to hike past dramatic park lands, cliff formations and coastal sea caves.

Just north of Pacific Beach is La Jolla, a millionaire’s enclave surrounded on three sides by turquoise sea and backed by the steep slopes of Mt. Soledad. After a stroll through La Jolla’s designer downtown (often called Rodeo Drive by the Sea) and La Jolla Cove, an aquamarine inlet surrounded by cliffs, I ended my San Diego visit at Torrey Pines State Beach, a coastal sanctuary of profuse wildflowers, rare pines, and sandstone bluffs that plunge to roiling seas.

Torry Pines State Park. Photo courtesy Unsplash.

To learn more about Pacific Beach, CA, visit this website.

-Story by Carole Jacobs, Health & Fitness Editor

If you’re a Hotels.com member, you can make reservations at Tower23, here. Or plan things to do and flights in Pacific Beach, California on Expedia.com, here. RealFoodTraveler.com uses Expedia.com and Hotels.com to help plan trips. As members of their affiliate networks, we may receive a small commission for travel booked through our links to those sites. However, that doesn’t change your search or payment results or experiences in any way. It’s just a means to support the running of our site.

Hungry for more? Read Carole’s suggestions for an Oregon Coast road trip.

Save this article about Pacific Beach and Tower23 Hotel to Pinterest to help you plan your visit. Photos courtesy Eat Drink Sleep Hospitality. Graphic by RealFoodTraveler.com.