The Coronado Bay Bridge, built in 1969, links Coronado to San Diego, but the village retains a small town flavor. Coronado is also linked to the mainland by the Silver Strand, several miles of narrow sandy beaches and a highway to the south connecting to Imperial Beach, with the ocean to the west and the bay to the east. If you stay in Coronado you may find it a bit inconvenient to visit the major attractions, all across the bay and 15-20 minutes away. Downtown San Diego is a business and shopping center. San Diego's unique shopping mall, Horton Plaza Center , is in the heart of downtown.
Balboa Park is on the northwestern edge of downtown.
Shops and galleries of every variety are scattered throughout the 21-block district. Very near the San Diego airport. There are several excellent large hotels and good restaurants here. A great place for a bay-side walk or jog. Most of these hotels are acceptable.