Coronado Beach
Coronado, CA
Wide, flat sand with a view of the historic Hotel del Coronado, gentle waves that make it a favorite for families, and a naturally sparkly shoreline from mica flecks in the sand.
Calm, wide sand near the Hotel del Coronado is great for families, but free parking vanishes by late morning and the crowd grows with it.
How we score beachesFree street parking gets scarce by late morning, and the lots near the Hotel del Coronado fill first.
Leashed dogs are allowed on Coronado Beach only before 9am and after 4pm (Nov-Mar) or after 6pm (Apr-Oct), outside of those hours dogs are prohibited except at the separate off-leash Dog Beach area.
San Diego's marine layer keeps May and June overcast more mornings than not, a pattern locals call June gloom. By September the fog lifts for good and the water finally reaches a swimmable upper 60s to low 70s.
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