The San Diego Traveler

The Best Places for San Diegans in Love

by Carole A. Lane on February 14th, 2007

There’s just nothing more romantic than the ocean, and San Diegans are fortunate to have over seventy miles of coastline to enjoy every day of the year.  Whether you’re watching the waves crash, or floating along in a gently rocking boat; day or night, the ocean is San Diego’s single most romantic venue, and there are nearly endless ways to enjoy it for couples in love.

The Beach

If you’re on a budget, take a walk along the beach, hand-in-hand at sunset.  Have a talk, have a smooch, or just sit on the sand together and cuddle.  I’d also recommend nude sunbathing at Black’s Beach, but it’s much too cold for that.

Mount Soledad offers a romantic view from more than 800 feet above the ocean, and Cabrillo National Monument places you 400 feet above the bay.

How about surprising your sweetheart with a oceanfront picnic?  Some of the beaches have fire pits, allowing you to combine the two most romantic settings imaginable - the waves and a fireplace.  What more could you want?

Dining Along the Shore

If you have some money to spend, there are restaurants all along the coast with beautiful ocean views.  A couple of my favorites, sitting right  next to each other on the beach, are The Beach House and Charlie’s By the Sea, in Cardiff.  Other excellent choices are Top of the Cove in La Jolla, The Marine Room in La Jolla Shores, 1500 Ocean and Sheerwater at the Hotel del Coronado.

Of course, Valentine’s Day isn’t the easiest time get a table, so you might want to postpone a Valentine’s dinner to another evening if you don’t want to wait.  If you are determined to celebrate at a restaurant tonight, regardless of the crowds, play a romantic game together while you’re waiting:

1. Kiss each time a name is called ahead of yours
2. Make up love stories about the other people you see waiting
3. Ask to see a copy of the menu while you wait, and figure out how many ways you can get sexy later with the foods listed (remember 9 1/2 Weeks?) 

On the Water

A bit (to a lot) pricier, but extremely memorable in a “will you marry me” sort of way are sunset harbor cruises, dinner cruises, and yacht cruises (offered by Hornblower Cruises and San Diego Harbor Excursions, among others).  Bring a blanket, your favorite beverage, and the one you love, and you’ll find all the romance you can handle.

Get a Room! If you’ve already reached your boiling point, and need some alone time together, get a room!   There are hotels up and down the coast where you can hear the waves lapping at the shore just outside, while you enjoy each other inside.  Among these, La Jolla Shores Hotel, the Lodge at Torrey Pines, the Hotel del Coronado, L’Auberge Del Mar Resort and Spa, and the Catamaran Resort Hotel in San Diego.

I hope that you have a happy  Valentine’s Day, however you decide to spend it.  Even if you don’t get the chance to see the ocean today, just remember that any day can be filled with romance here in San Diego.

Additional inspirations can be found at San Diego-Romantics.com.

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