San Diego's Superb Sails and Trails by Hal Peat

Pristine bays and year-round gorgeous weather--it’s no surprise San Diego has a strong connection with the water it is impossible to far from once you arrive here--and won’t want to when you get a look at their coastline. Some excellent natural terrain along with some ingenious thinking by operators with an eye on the active traveler’s needs have also made this southernmost California city into a cool destinations for enjoying yourself as much on a mountain, an ocean harbor or cliffside trail, or just de-stressing and recharging at a world-class spa and health club as you do on a man-made ride or at a gambling table. Former U.S. Navy SEALS have set up camps and clinics for private training, while everyone from surfers to world-class yachtsmen would never consider anywhere else home. Thanks also to these geographical and weather conditions, activities on ocean or land take place year-round, allowing the visitor to plan a visit at almost any time and know your itinerary will be as full or easy-paced every day as you want. Yes, Sea World is here, but there is also a world of the seas in San Diego that you don’t want to miss out on either. And if you are inclined to look for action which is more land-based, there is also plenty to explore, take part in or just observe throughout the course of the year.

What to do:

Indoors...

Why indeed be indoors at all when the climate outside is so consistently fine? Still, for those times when you’re doing an evening workout, or some special form of training that required indoor facilities, San Diego does have its share of first-class spa resorts. Whether you want to be near Sea World or just intend to be close to plenty of water sports action, then Hilton San Diego Resort is a well-placed stayover right on Mission Bay. If you are in the mood for any indoor workouts or enjoy the occasional spa service like a massage, then you will appreciate having their on-site Villa di Lusso European Spa; for a quick session with weights or cardio, the Resort Club fitness center downstairs has all the latest equipment. The outdoor sports facilities are impressive, ranging from sailboats, jet skis and scuba gear for rental at their marina, or you can use any of the other activities round the property that include 5 tennis courts, 4 putting greens, and bicycles for rent.

Outdoors...

On a weekend afternoon, half of San Diego seems to have made it out on watercraft of every kind into the Pacific shoreline along Mission Beach, Pacific Beach and Tourmaline. If you didn’t bring your own, you can easily rent most kinds of craft: several oceanside resorts rent everything from paddle boats to 12 meter sailboats and Hobie Cats, but you may find a better range of equipment and accessories at one of the sailing clubs or more specialized outfitters. For instance, Harbor Island Yacht Club, which is San Diego’s only rental yacht club, can get you out on the waves with one of its sleek little Catalina sailboats to explore San Diego Bay’s 23 square miles of varied parameters—if you have the time, continue out past Pt. Loma to the Pacific and the chance to see some migrating California Grey Whales. They also have group and individual sailing lessons, but if you don’t have the time to learn you can still hire a skipper to get you out on a Six-Pack Charter. Mission Bay serves as an ideal hub for most water sports near the city, providing relatively calm sea for windsurfing, kayaking or learning to sailboat. The light but consistent breeze will bring out windsurfers and sailors alike, while kayakers and jet-skiers make the bay a favored hub at all times. You can find pretty much all the equipment, facilities and even lessons if necessary at Mission Bay Sportcenter. The rental fleet here includes Hobie and Prindle catamarans, Lasers, windsurfers and sloops from 14 to 25 ft. Their location is perfect—nestled at the curve of one of the bay’s inlets—and even the drive into sleepy Mission Beach to get there is a real taste of laid-back southern California beach life. Offering several locations (two around Mission Bay, one on Coronado Island) and the means to get you rolling on both land and water is Action Sport Rentals, San Diego’s largest water sports rental operator offering sailboats, power boats, jet skis, water-skiing, catamarans and kayaks, and also bicycles and skates, with skippers and instruction available for all ocean activities. The atmosphere is busy at these locations on a summer day, but the staff remain friendly and provide all the time you need with any help.

Whether your style is a 26-mile marathon or a fast-paced, hour-long power walk or a steadier-paced hike along the coastal or inland reserves, San Diego has a wealth to do or participate in on foot. If you’re going to be based in downtown San Diego or near the bay, then take advantage of the scenic stretches that running or walking along the Embarcadero is outstanding for. If your hotel is close to Mission Bay, then you can take morning or evening runs along the wide sidewalks that curve along the east side of this bay—and you definitely get an eyeful of San Diego at play as you jog past the waterfront parks busy with people doing everything from martial arts to sailing kites to prepping for their next 10K. These areas near the bays are largely flat terrains, so if you want the challenge of ascent and descent then head for somewhere in town like the trails that head off into canyons from Balboa Park. When you’re up for an out-of-town excursion, then take a short hop about 8 miles north of town to the Mission Trails Regional Parks, a preserve of almost 6,000 acres of mountains, wooded hillsides, lakes and easy to moderately difficult trails. If outdoor climbing is one of your passions, this is a prime location for you—just check with the park office (619/668-3665) for all the details on bouldering and single-pitch climbs. While relaxing hereabouts, don’t miss the view of the city from Cowles Mountain and another from a historic missionary path. San Diego has some interesting takes on outdoor athletics: for instance, you can combine your running event with music at their annual Suzuki Rock N’ Roll Marathon each June, doing the 26.2 mile course which begins in Balboa Park, passes through the historic Gaslamp Quarter, scenic Highway 163, San Diego’s beach and bay communities and finishes along the palm-lined avenues of the former Naval Training Center—all while you groove to the rhythms of some 26 bands at entertainment centers positioned at each mile of the course.

If you want to let someone else who is expert with both the terrain and water take care of all the details and maximize your day, then you could not do better than an outfit like Hike Bike Kayak San Diego, which picks you up, chauffeurs you from one location to the next, lays on a gourmet lunch, and takes care of all the logistics while you generally get to focus on the fun. This includes the best views and locations of the bays, mountains, and other San Diegans from world-class triathletes to local marathoners enjoying the same trails as you on a late spring afternoon. A typical half-day outing may combine some kayaking out on Mission Bay, followed by a few hours of hiking in the paths that twist around on the cliffside areas of Torrey Pines State Reserve. A brisk day out on the countercurrents of even a sheltered bay like Mission will provide you with a quite powerful upper body workout as you propel your kayak out and back over the course of an hour and a half or so, while the ascent up to Torrey Pines State Reserve and its rolling paths will remind you of leg muscles you may have forgotten existed. Verdict? You definitely feel incredible for days afterward and perhaps seriously consider how you could move to San Diego and live by the water forever.