10 Things to Do in San Diego for Free

Balboa Park

You may have already visited Balboa Park and got familiar with some of its sights. You may have already visited Balboa Park and got familiar with some of its sights.

Here, you can walk along the paths, sit on the benches next to the water surfaces surrounded by flowers, enjoy the sounds of nature and the waterfall, and all of this is within easy reach of the center of San Diego. Examples of ornate and impressive Spanish colonial architecture are all around you. The elegant and slender Cabrillo Bridge is the first multi-arch bridge built in San Diego.

The California Tower is also one of San Diego's recognizable sights. It can be seen from a great distance, and its eclectic architecture is fascinating. Many styles intertwine: Gothic, Baroque, Rococo, Spanish Colonial, and Mexican. It is certainly unique and interesting.

On weekends and during the summer, concerts, performances, and exhibitions are held in the open air. Balboa Park is never monotonous, so it's always good to spend time there. All of these may even make you call Cali Moving and Storage and move to San Diego.

La Jolla Shores Park

Sandy beaches with no end in sight, the sound of waves that wash over the coast, a landscaped area with a green belt... you will find all that at La Jolla Shores Park . Open 24 hours a day, it is ideal for a relaxing walk, sitting on the shore, surfing, swimming, and diving. Marine inhabitants, seagulls, cormorants, seals, sea lions, and their pups are nearby.

A whole life of authentic and untouched nature unfolds directly in front of you. Seabirds nest, lay eggs, catch fish, hatch young. Sea lions and seals fight for territory; they also have cubs and show their strong bodies while sunbathing on the rocks.

The waves are moderate, the water is clean, and a rescue service is organized, which makes beach activities safe. Everything is adapted to the visitors.

La Jolla Cove

San Diego's most photographed beach is a few minutes' drive from La Jolla Shores Park. It's the legendary La Jolla Cove , which is always open. It was formed as a small bay and surrounded by rocks. It is possible to sit and sunbathe on the rocks and observe the surroundings, the ocean, and the living world of sea birds and mammals nearby.

The water is a bit cooler but calmer, so all kinds of water activities are possible. When the tide rises, it fills the natural pools in the rocks, and swimming in them is a pleasure.

Cave tours are also organized for those who love adventure. This beach is trendy among tourists and quite frequented. You will certainly remember the time spent in this place and remember it with pleasure.

Old Town San Diego

A tour of the old city center is exciting in any city, and San Diego's area has a lot to show, making it one of the best free things to do in San Diego for couples. Access is free, and you can spend a few hours strolling through the city's earliest history.

It is the oldest inhabited area of the newly formed city. The entrance is free, and you can see the first houses built in San Diego. You will get a real impression of how the first European settlers organized their lives on the New Continent. Also, you will see which habits did they bring with them, and which did they adopt from the Native Americans.

These buildings were designed as museum spaces and are very well preserved. They have been reconstructed very faithfully. For history lovers, it is a real treat and valuable information for all visitors.

Little Italy

Are you looking for things to do in downtown San Diego? Well, so many cities in the USA have a part named after Italy. It is a tourist attraction you cannot miss in the downtown. Italians and Portuguese, originally fishermen, inhabited the neighborhood, which over time grew into an exceptional tourist destination.

There you can find something for everyone. There are expensive and luxurious Italian restaurants, but also fast and delicious food, Italian delicacies on stands, fruits and vegetables on stalls. It is very affordable and accessible.

What is more characteristic of Italians than food and enjoying life? Here is the culinary epicenter, but not prosaic and simplistic. Many fantastic ponds, fountains, and small markets... make Little Italy such a specific and decorative place.

Classy boutiques and ethnic shops are located next to each other. A full wallet is not necessary. There are handmade souvenirs and items for the home — many galleries with original exhibition settings.

In Little Italy , certain dates related to the mother country, Italy, are marked and celebrated. In March, there is the Carnival associated with the Venetian one, and in April, there is ArtWalk, a huge festival that gathers a large number of tourists and offers a variety of activities. May is Sicily Day when Sicilian families relive memories of their homeland with culinary specialties and characteristic music.

In Little Italy, life is buzzing around you, rivers of tourists carry you, music is in the air, and laughter echoes through the streets. Who would miss something like that?

Pacific Beach

If something is synonymous with this part of the world, it is Pacific Beach . Even someone who has never been to America imagines California and its lifestyle in this way. It is located in the extension of La Jolla cliffs and continues to Mission Bay. A huge boardwalk, 3.2 miles long, allows you to ride rollerblades, skates, jogging, walking. Along the promenade are benches where you can rest and enjoy the view of the Pacific Ocean. Many people do yoga and various exercises, bathed in the sun and fresh sea air.

There are also many hotels, restaurants, and bars here. Living in Pacific Beach is considered exclusive, and real estate is expensive. But all that adds to the charm of walking and getting to know San Diego from all angles. An interesting fact is that the streets around the Pacific Ocean are named after precious stones: emerald, Garnet, Turquoise, Opal, and Sapphire.

Here, you can spend hours and hours walking barefoot on the sand, renting a bike and riding it on the beach, sitting and soaking up sunbeams, taking a nap on a towel, or running on the beach. You will also observe the stunts of surfers and their fascinating physical abilities. Pacific Beach is very crowded, but it is spacious, and therefore, the crowd is not unpleasant.

A beach guard also exists here and constantly patrols. There are also lookouts with lifeguards, so the safety of tourists is at a high level. It is one of the great free things to do in San Diego for families. So, if you bring children, they will enjoy making sand castles and running on the sand. There will be no shortage of entertainment.

Seaport Village

Another one of the places to go in San Diego is this picturesque place that would be interesting to visit but does not require spending. If you have the opportunity, visit it on weekdays because there are big crowds on weekends. The place is popular and attractive. It is located next to the bay of San Diego and is a real tourist pearl. It was opened in 1980 as a tourist area, but it dates back to the era of Spanish colonialism when it had a special purpose.

Although its official description states that it is a shopping center, a complex of restaurants and bars, a gallery, and a souvenir shop, we will find something else.

These are traces of the beauty and charm of a small place on the coast, which, despite mass tourism, has retained something of its old appearance. Still, an unexpected corner, overgrown with vegetation, a hidden rock from which the view is fantastic, a road between two houses, which will make you feel like you're in a time machine, may appear in front of you...

Walking through this rustic place, enjoying the general atmosphere, riding the legendary carousel, even as an adult, will fill you with complete enjoyment. The antique carousel, with artistic, handmade animals made in 1895, will remind you of your childhood or the carousels you only saw in books.

The view from the wooden pier, on the pillars, is also reminiscent of the past when concrete, glass, and metal were not the sovereign rulers of construction.

Be sure not to miss a tour of Seaport Village . The plan is to demolish the center itself and build a new part. It is likely that something in the concept will change, and part of the original character and thus authenticity will be lost.

Sunset Cliffs Natural Park

Here is a masterpiece carved and decorated by Mother Nature herself without the help of man. It is a scenic landscape with high cliffs that extends over 68 acres all the way to the Loma Peninsula. It makes an excellent place for free sightseeing and to distance yourself a little from the urban environment.

Huge cliffs drop steeply towards the ocean, making it a real challenge for anyone who likes to hike on more extreme trails. Some parts are even considered very dangerous, and caution is required.

You can walk, and some people don't get out of the car but drive slowly and observe the landscape. Slightly more extreme surfers come here, but at their own risk because the lifeguard does not patrol here.

As Sunset Cliffs Natural Park suggests, the sunset, viewed from these rocks, is incredible. This park adjoins the city's commercial area, so everything you need from civilization is nearby.

Cabrillo National Monument

On the Loma peninsula, in its southern part, there is a monument to Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, who landed there with the first European expedition in 1542. This is where the new history of this area began.

A stone sculpture of Cabrillo himself is located on the cliff. When the day is sunny and clear, the coast of Mexico can be seen from there, just as Cabrillo saw them when he landed.

Nearby is the Old Point Loma Lighthouse, which has not been in operation for long but is a testament to a bygone era. It is located at the highest point of this tourist complex and is now a museum open to visitors.

Children's Pool Beach

If you are wondering what else to do in San Diego, there is another free attraction. Near La Jolla , there is a small beach called Children's Pool Beach with a beautiful view. It got its name from the concrete rampart that was built in 1931. Its purpose was to protect it from the strong impact of waves from the open sea and create a safe oasis for shoppers, divers, and families with children. So you can put it on the list of things to do in San Diego with kids.

This beach was closed to customers in September 1997, but that's why seals live there. Today, they and the view from the rock are the biggest attractions of this place.

You can go down the stairs and sit on the sand, watching the seals and their habits. There is a rope that limits your approach because seals are, after all, wild animals that do not like excessive human contact. Follow these rules because seals are not always peaceful.

Here, you can enjoy observing the surroundings, the sea, and the living world and take wonderful photos. These will remind you of this unusual place, where the sea, rocks, sand, seals, and buildings in the background are part of the same landscape.