If you have only limited time, take the Coronado Bay Ferry from downtown to Coronado and a shuttle bus to the beach along Ocean Boulevard. Coronado s gently rolling waves are perfect for swimming. A rubber pathway runs from the sidewalk toward the water, giving wheelchair users access to the beach. Ocean Beach is a funky, hippie holdover and surfers hangout. North of Ocean Beach is Mission Beach , popular with t he beach-volleyball crowd.
Mission Beach is also good for surfing, swimming, boogie boarding and people watching.
You may want to avoid Mission Beach on weekends the crowds of college students can get rowdy. To reach Mission Beach from downtown, take I-5 north to Grand Avenue, west to Mission Boulevard, then left on Mission. If you walk north on the boardwalk from Mission Beach, you ll find yourself on Pacific Beach , where the crowds thin out a bit and the scene is more peaceful except at night, when Pacific Beach s nightclubs attract hordes. You ll see a mostly young crowd on P.B., enjoying fine swimming and sunning. La Jolla has a series of beaches, including Windansea , the best surfing spot in San Diego County.