Coronado Beach

Coronado Beach, aka Central Beach, starts at the famous Hotel del Coronado and continues north to Sunset Park. It’s one of the most popular beaches near downtown San Diego and one of the best beaches in California.

This family-friendly beach gets crowded, but it is wide enough that you can always find a place to spread out comfortably. Coronado Beach gets protection from the waves by Point Loma to the west and is generally a safe place to swim and wade in the surf. Typically the farther you are from the hotel the calmer the waves are. Look for lifeguard towers if you have little ones playing in or near the water. Flags might be in place to separate the swimming and surfing areas.

During lunch or dinner time you can enjoy any one of several restaurants at the Del. Call ahead for reservations if you know the days you’ll be on Coronado Island.

If you plan to stay into the evening, pack some firewood for a bonfire. The north end of Coronado Beach has fire rings and fires are allowed up until 11pm every night.

Frequently you’ll find professional sand castle builders near the hotel carving elaborate sand castles to view and photograph (the creators love donations).

Access to the main part of Coronado Beach is from the area near “Hotel Del” where there are free parking spaces along Ocean Boulevard.

The sand at Coronado Beach is firm and gradually sloping so it’s idyllic for long walks on the beach. If you walk south from the Del there is a beach below tall condo buildings called Coronado Shores Beach which has its own public parking lot (and sometimes a shipwreck to view).

At the north end of the beach, dog owners bring their pets to roam freely in an area dubbed Dog Run Beach. Parking for that beach is at the far end of Ocean Boulevard. Right across the street is a grassy dog-friendly lawn called Sunset Park.

To the north of Dog Run Beach you’ll see a fence and the North Island Navy Base. Beyond that, and visible in the distance, is Cabrillo National Monument atop Point Loma, a highly recommended park if you enjoy walking and viewpoints.

Beach address: Isabella Ave & Ocean Blvd, Coronado, CA 92118

Activities: Surfing, Sunbathing, Swimming, Walking, Volleyball, Bonfires, Beach Walking, and Fishing.

Amenities: Lifeguards, Restrooms, Showers, Picnic Tables, Fire Pits, Playground, Tide Pools, Sandcastles, Dunes, ADA Access, Restaurants, Shipwreck, and Benches (by the main lifeguard tower).

Dogs: No dogs allowed on the main part of Coronado Beach, but there’s an off-leash dog beach at the end of Ocean Boulevard (see Coronado Dog Run Beach).

Prohibited: Alcohol, glass containers, smoking, kite flying, camping, and groups over 25 people.

Parking: There are free parking spaces on both sides of Ocean Boulevard behind Coronado Beach.

Hours: The beach is open from 6am to sunset every day of the year.

Address

Ocean Blvd
Coronado, CA 92118

Phone

619-522-7346

Other Names

Central Beach

Owner

City Beach

Fees

Free parking

Links

Coronado Web Cam
Water Quality
Water Temps
Tide Chart