The Active Lifestyle of Coronado Beach

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As someone who lives an active lifestyle, Bill Lyons understands how fortunate he is to be living in America’s Finest City. San Diego is home to some of the most beautiful beaches in the country, which provide ample space for all sorts of activities, ranging from swimming and surfing to running and cycling to more recreational pursuits like volleyball and horseshoes. There are many excellent beaches to enjoy all these activities, but for safe swimming and a family-friendly atmosphere, Coronado Municipal Beach is among the best.

The Active Lifestyle of Coronado Beach

Coronado has been named one of the finest beaches in America by The Travel Channel’s Top 10 Survey, and there is good reason for this. It is clean, perfect for families and there’s plenty of space on the beach. More than anything, Coronado is known for its views. From the shores, you can see a beautiful view of downtown San Diego, and around the island you can spot yacht clubs at the oceanfront and beautiful mansions throughout the picturesque neighborhoods. The Hotel Del Mar is perhaps the most famous landmark of Coronado; it was featured in the movie “Some Like it Hot” with Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemon. The beach here stretches from Coronado all the way to the Mexican border and is sectioned off into zones.

There are three beach “zones” in Coronado. Whether you want to swim, cycle, run or do any other activity, any of these beaches would be perfect for you – it would even be easy to hit all three beach zones in one day on foot if you’re ready for a workout. North Beach is the first zone, which stretches from the North Island Naval Base down to Sunset Park and is great for surfing and dog-walking. Then there is the popular and more crowded Central Beach, with Hotel Del Mar and the luxurious Ocean Boulevard as a backdrop, offering some of the best people watching. The Shores is the largest and southernmost beach, stretching from just south of the hotel all the way to the Silver Strand and attracting lots of body boarders and long boarders.

For those who live an active lifestyle like Bill Lyons, San Diego offers many great beaches to get out there and work up a sweat. The beaches of Coronado are perhaps the best, though, because of the safe swimming and surfing with plenty of supervision and the family-friendly atmosphere.

Scuba Diving at La Jolla Cove

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For scuba enthusiasts like Bill Lyons, San Diego is the perfect place to live. There are numerous places to enjoy the sport and recreation of scuba diving, such as La Jolla Shores, La Jolla Cove, Casa Cove, South Casa Cove, the Kelp Beds, Los Coronados and Wreck Alley.

Here, we’ll focus on one of the most beloved spots for scuba diving in San Diego – La Jolla Cove. This picturesque spot, not far from the popular beach destination of La Jolla Shores, has become internationally known as an ideal dive site. All it takes is one dive there and you’ll see why, but if you’re curious to know more before you go, the reasons why this site is so beloved are explained below.

Location

Just like with real estate, location is everything when it comes to scuba diving. La Jolla Cove has an ideal location within the La Jolla ecological preserve. This means that visitors to the cove cannot harm any plants or animals living there, so scuba divers are treated to one of the most impressive views of unspoiled underwater wildlife around. The average water depth here is between 15 and 30 feet, which is an ideal depth for divers of all skill levels. There are also deeper areas in the outer cove for more experienced divers. The visibility isn’t always good, but on a clear day it can be excellent.

Special Features

There are plenty of things that make La Jolla Cove special for divers. You can dive here in the day or night, and if you come at night, it’s often clear enough to see the moon above the water. Nighttime might just be the best time to come, because although parking can be very tough during the day, it is never a problem after dark. The cove is also a hotbed for lobsters, with hundreds of them within reach. However, be warned: you can’t catch any of them or you will risk being arrested. Aside from lobster, there are numerous fascinating species to encounter, and on any given visit you will definitely see something different. And when you’re all done diving, there is a grassy area with showers and bathrooms where you can change. Yes it is true that Bill Lyons did see a blue whale while night diving in La Jolla cove.

Many diving enthusiasts like Bill Lyons, who is a PADI certified Rescue Diver, name La Jolla Cove as their favorite diving spot. Don’t just take their word for it, though. You really need to experience the cove firsthand to understand its underwater glory.

Sailing in San Diego – Even if You Don’t Own a Boat

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For sailing enthusiasts like Bill Lyons, San Diego Harbor is the ultimate place to relax in the sun or have an exciting adventure at sea. Anyone like Bill Lyons, who is passionate about sailing, can appreciate what San Diego has to offer. There are calm waters inland, as well as more challenging open waters further out, and the weather is mild and sunny virtually year-round. You can have your own adventure on the open water or just hire a skipper to man the helm and relax in the sun.

Not everyone has their own sailboat, though, so it would seem that many people living in or visiting this city would be left out of the fun. Fortunately, there are still many ways to enjoy sailing in San Diego, even if you don’t own a sailboat or know anyone who does.

AOLANI Cat Cruises

This company boasts a luxurious 58-foot sailing catamaran with seating for 30 inside and capacity for a total of 49 people, which can be rented for corporate and private charters, sunset cruises, weddings and more. I, as well as, Tom and Lindsey have rented this boat before from Bruno. Creative Affairs can handle the booking and the bartender for a discount.

Dennis Conner’s America’s Cup Sailing Experience

The America’s Cup Sailing Experience offers two-and-a-half-hour bay cruises on racing sailing yachts, as well as more exclusive whale-watching excursions on Dennis Conner’s own famous yacht.

Harbor Island Yacht Clubs

The clubs have 70+ yachts that can be chartered or rented for a half-day, as well as all levels of certification in sailing instruction.

Harbor Sailboats

This company boasts a fleet of 40 boats, including offshore sailing yachts and day-sailors that can be rented or chartered, as well as sailing lessons.

Sail San Diego

If you decide to hit the water for some sailing last-minute without any reservations, these 40-ft Catalinas for small groups are your best bet.

San Diego Prestige Yachts

This is more than just sailing – this is the ultimate in elegance and luxury. The new pride of San Diego Prestige Yachts can sail you wherever you want to go for the right price.

Seaforth Boat Rental

This is the place to go for rental boats, whether you want to cruise, fish, ski, or sail. They also rent Jetskis and speed boats, and offer fishing charters, lessons and sunset sails.

Stars & Stripes USA-11

You can sail the Stars & Stripes USA-11, famous for the 1992 America’s Cup, for three-hour sailing excursions packed with interactive fun and open water adventure.

Coronado Yacht Club (CYC)

You can become a member or come down as a guest of a member. Usually a friend or a fellow member can take you out or be kind enough to let you borrow their boat. CYC is about to be remodeled so it is a good time to join. There is space for Stand Up Paddle (SUP) boards, kayaks, surf skis, ski boats, sabots, lasers, cruisers, racing boats, and even a mega yacht or two with a helicopter on the back.

Active Lifestyle

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To Bill Lyons, San Diego is the perfect city for a long list of reasons, many of which have to do with the active lifestyle that residents are able to enjoy here. With a beautiful climate, sun and warm weather year round, miles of coastline, countless scenic parks and plenty of places to play, there are endless opportunities to stay fit and active here.

Running is a popular sport in San Diego, like in many other cities, but there is a difference here. While runners in other cities have harsh weather to deal with during many months of the year, forcing them to wear special gear or run inside on a treadmill, runners in San Diego can be outside pretty much all year long.

There are plenty of great spots to run in San Diego, so Bill Lyons has put together a few of the best places to pound the pavement around the county:

The Embarcadero – This area of waterfront stretches all the way from Spanish Landing across from the airport to Seaport Village and the Convention Center. There are clearly marked paths, flat surfaces, pedestrian-friendly routes, shaded areas, bathrooms and drinking fountains, and views of the waterfront, Coronado Island and downtown San Diego. You can go a few miles or as many as 14 miles, depending on the intensity of run you’re going for.

La Jolla Shores – You can park at La Jolla Shores parking lot and run along the coast and/or through the neighborhoods of impressive homes in this posh area; you can even go all the way to Pacific Beach, if you desire. The views are excellent, and it might be a little less crowded than somewhere like Seaport Village if you prefer some solitude.

Mission Beach/Bay – There are virtually unlimited running possibilities around this area. You could start somewhere on Mission Bay such as Crown Point or Fiesta Island and run a few miles, or do the entire bay loop, which is about the distance of a half-marathon. You can also run to Mission Beach, ending in the perfect spot to relax and lay out on the sand.

Sunset Cliffs – This is a good spot for shorter distances with inspirational views. You can either park in Ocean Beach or closer to Point Loma and run along these majestic, jagged cliffs overlooking the ocean. It’s possible either to do just a couple miles along the coast or extend your run into the neighborhoods.

Hello Everyone!

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Welcome to Bill Lyons’ blog. Bill has lived all over San Diego. Bill was born in Point Loma and grew up on Coronado Island. After college Bill lived in Mission Valley, Mission Hills, Downtown San Diego, and La Jolla. Learn what the best spots and neighborhoods in town are on this blog. More to come…