SAN DIEGO PARKS AND RECREATION

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Located near downtown, Balboa Park is the largest urban cultural park in the U.S. First established by the City of San Diego in 1868, it is also one of the oldest city parks in the nation and remains the most visited single destination in the city. Its 1,200 acres include 17 museums, beautiful gardens and attractions, the world-famous San Diego Zoo, and miles of scenic hiking trails—many of which can also be enjoyed as part of a San Diego Scenic Tour experience.

Sitting at the southern tip of the Point Loma Peninsula, this monument marks the spot where explorer Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo first stepped ashore on the West Coast of what is now the United States on September 28, 1542. Today, the park offers some of the most breathtaking panoramic views in San Diego, overlooking San Diego Bay, the downtown skyline, Coronado, and Naval Air Station North Island. 

Presidio Park allows visitors to walk in the footsteps of California’s early European settlers. This popular attraction is in the location where Gaspar de Portola and Junipero Serra constructed the San Diego Presidio and the Mission San Diego de Alcala in 1769. The fort and church encompassed the first European settlement in the area that is now known as California. 

 Go whale watching from San Diego aboard a replica of a historic sailing schooner that won the world’s first America’s Cup sailing competition in 1851.   Throughout your cruise, your expert guide shares informative commentary about gray whales, dolphins, and other marine animals, along with details about the US Navy sites you pass as you head out on the Pacific Ocean.

Sunset Cliffs Natural Park is a 68-acre City of San Diego regional park which extends 1½ miles along the Point Loma peninsula's western shoreline. This unique coastal environment features expansive ocean views and dramatic cliff formations and caves.

Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve® is located within San Diego city limits. The 1,500 acres of land are as they were before San Diego was developed — including the maritime chaparral, the rare Torrey pine, miles of unspoiled beaches, and a lagoon that is vital to migrating seabirds.