Photo by Stephen Niemeier from Pexels
San Diego is often referred to as ‘the birthplace of California’ and, while there’s no shortage of attractions in the Sunshine State, where better for a traveler to seek adventure than the city’s historic Old Town?
Its vibrant day-to-day life, eclectic shopping opportunities, exciting cuisine, spectacular entertainment and unique history beautifully fuse together to make it an irresistible tourist trap. Here are just a handful of ideas to get the best out of your visit…
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Sight-seeing
This region was the first European settlement in California, and Old Town San Diego’s State Historic Park stands as a monument to its incredible history. This living museum allows visitors to walk through the park, which features reconstructed sites as well as many original historical buildings that have restored for public viewing, retaining their authenticity to give visitors a fascinating insight into how the early Hispanic settlers of Old Town lived.
Being just a stone’s throw from the purportedly haunted Whaley House, as well as El Campo Santo Cemetery, the park is often the subject is rumoured to be haunted. So well worth a visit, but not for the faint of heart!
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Shopping
For the curious shopper, Old Town Market is perhaps the largest of the neighborhood’s shopping destinations. Consisting of over 40 shops, including an array of fashion vendors, art sellers and souvenir stores, it’s the perfect place to explore beautifully crafted goods, with stores selling products from Mexico, Peru and even Vietnam.
Old Town Market is rivalled perhaps only by the Fiesta de Reyes. Just like the Old Town market, its shops, restaurants and entertainments are teeming with vivacious local heritage – its not uncommon to see the Fiesta de Reyes populated with folklorico dancers or Mariachi performers throughout the day, and even late into the evening.
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Food & Drink
There’s no shortage of places to eat either, with the Casa de Reyes and Barra Barra Saloon offering traditional Mexican cuisine on the doorstep of Fiesta de Reyes. The former boasts outdoor dining and in-house entertainment, while the latter offers an impressive array of tequilas, and both menus feature an impressive array of margaritas.
But if you’re looking for something a little more modern, Harney Sushi is one of San Diego’s best-loved and most well-known restaurants. With regular happy hours on weekdays and weekends, plus some of the tastiest sushi this side of Tokyo, it’s a rare treat indeed.
And here’s an insider tip not a lot of people know about – if you’re flying from SAN and have pre-booked parking with a service like Looking4.com, simply stroll into the terminal and head straight to Ciao Gourmet Market for some of the city’s best salads, sandwiches and fresh fruit juices.
For those seeking a lively location, or to absorb some history and culture, Old Town San Diego is an outstanding choice.
That’s our list of San Diego Old Town Highlights! Share your tips in the comments section.
