Coronado Island or Coronado can be accessed by car via the San Diego- Coronado Bay Bridge,
by ferry from downtown San Diego and by public bus transportation or
shuttles and taxis. With
simple directions and a map, you can find it in a snap. Known for its beautiful beaches, warm, sunny climate and
Hotel del Coronado where Marilyn Monroe and Jack Lemmon filmed "Some Like it
Hot," Coronado is certainly one of our favorite Southern California vacation
spots. Not only is it kid and
family friendly like all of San Diego, it just makes you
feel good to be there. With recent city investments in parks,
beaches and even the library, there's so much to enjoy that many
vacationers are skipping the mainland and heading right for the
island.
We've attended weddings, receptions and
enjoyed the beautiful Hotel del Coronado on each visit to the Island. It's
like coming home when you walk through the door into the chandelier-lit
hallways, lobbies and massive spaces filled with memories of days gone by.
Other great hotels in Coronado we've enjoyed are Loews Coronado Bay Resort, Best Western,
Glorietta Bay Inn and the Marriott with its bright pink flamingos living in the fountains
at the entrance to the hotel.
Miles of beaches with perfect sand,
coves for tide pooling and shops, great restaurants in a quaint downtown
district and shopping galore, make this a family fun, singles or couples
vacation paradise. Laid back and easy going, you really don't have to dress
up when visiting Coronado. You just feel at home as you gaze out to the
Pacific Ocean, which is always nearby.
Coronado includes a marina with boats,
public golf course overlooking the sweeping Coronado Bay Bridge,
surrey and bike rentals, roller blades and for a real treat, the Old Town
Trolley. You can hop aboard and it takes you to many attractions such as the San
Diego Zoo with the giant panda bears, beautiful Balboa Park with museums
& flower gardens, historic Old
Town, Seaport Village shops and Horton Plaza, to name a few great stops it
makes as it circles around during the day. You get off the trolley and hop
back aboard till you've completed an entire loop ending at your destination.
In a single day you can see wild animals, shop, dine and view San Diego's
major attractions without having to drive.
What's also unique on Coronado are two
great boat rides. One is the ferry that goes between the Island and downtown
San Diego. The other is a gondola ride available near the boat docks at
Loews Coronado Bay Resort where you can also rent sailboats. The ferry
arrives downtown just a block or two from the Amtrak station. Locals in San
Diego take the trains and trolleys and can often tell you how to ride them,
too!
The famed Hotel
del Coronado was built in 1888. Two men, H.L. Story and Elisha
Babcock purchased the entire Coronado peninsula for $110,000, envisioning
a transformation of sage brush and dunes. Hotel del made headlines around
the world as it was fitted with electric lights.
Built prior to construction of the Hotel del Coronado, Chart
House (above) served as a model for the hotel. Enthusiastically received
for its architectural esthetics, the Del was then built.
Dignitaries and stars have vacationed at the resort as
well as been featured in movies filmed there such as "Some Like it Hot"
with Marilyn Monroe and Jack Lemmon. Hotel "Del" offers
exquisite Sunday brunches, unique books and a walking history tour with
photos and memorabilia exhibited throughout the main building. A beautiful
public golf course with a view of the bay and a visit to Hotel del Coronado
and its lovely beach is on your list of things to do when you visit San
Diego. The hotel has some elegant restaurants and a scrumptious Sunday
Brunch.
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The Wizard of Oz author L. Frank Baum visited and may
have designed chandeliers in hotel
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1904 |
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Glenn Curtiss flew 1st hydroplane launched from a
ship anchored just off the hotel's shores
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1911 |
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The Prince of Wales visited the hotel during a
round-the-world cruise.
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1920 |
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Charles Lindbergh's gala dinner for his historic
transatlantic flight - Spirit of St. Louis
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1927 |
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President Franklin Delano Roosevelt came to The Del
several times during his presidency
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1928 |
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Some Like it Hot with Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis and
Jack Lemmon filmed at Hotel del
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1958 |
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President Gustavo Diaz Ordaz was the guest of
President Richard Nixon at state dinner
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1970 |
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Hotel became a National Historic Landmark
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1977 |
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The Stunt Man with Peter O'Toole was filmed at there
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1980 |
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Ronald Reagan held a summit in 1982 for Mexican
president Miguel de la Madrid
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1982 |
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Centennial Gala, with performances by top
entertainers
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1984 |
San Diego< Coronado >
Imperial Beach
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Coronado Island is on a peninsula between the San Diego Bay and Pacific
Ocean near downtown San Diego, California. Home to the famous Hotel del
Coronado, over two million visitors each year flock to this
island paradise to enjoy its beautiful beaches, great hotels,
dining and outstanding weather. |
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