San Diego winters are perfect for outdoor wellness
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Soak in the winter sunsets at the beach on Coronado Island. Photo: Kate Murphy/Axios
Summer is tourist season, fall is locals summer, but it's our relatively warm winters that prove San Diego is a prime destination year-round.
Why it matters: We're calling this Wellness Winter, the ideal time to make a staycation or friend's visit to San Diego into a personal wellness retreat.
State of play: When our editors came to visit in early December, they wanted a better sense of what life here looks like, so we chose activities that were both active and restorative, from the coast to the mountains.
- Sunny days with temperatures in the 70s offered them a nice escape from the cold.
- Our managing editor Hadley kept saying, "this is like a wellness retreat."
Here's what we put on the itinerary:
⛰️ Hike Cowles Mountain
- The 3-mile out-and-back, dog-friendly trail in Mission Trails has somewhat steep switchback paths and about 900 feet of elevation gain.
- The 360-degree view from the highest point in San Diego and placards identifying major landmarks also help put our city and its surroundings in perspective.
🌅 Take the ferry to Coronado, and then walk to the Hotel Del Coronado.
- Shop and admire the ocean views along the way.
- Then grab a drink (or do some ice skating if it's in season) at the hotel.
- Put your feet in the sand and catch the sunset (which are best in the winter months) on the beach.
- Maybe top it off with a cold plunge in the ocean.
🧘🏻♀️ Relieve stress with outdoor yoga at Sunset Cliffs
- The ocean sounds are a natural soundtrack to a relaxing, gentle yoga session.
- You can also find free beachside yoga classes at Palisades Park in Pacific Beach.
🐟 Eat fresh and healthy with San Diego's seafood restaurants and cute cafes.
- Try the ceviche at Crudo, frittata at Little Lion Cafe and a smoothie or acai bowl at Kuma.
🏃🏻 Stunning stat: We did Cowles and Coronado on the same day, and our editor Geoff hit 22,000 steps on his watch.
💭 Hadley's thought bubble: Great weather. Easily accessible airport. Walkable central neighborhoods. Plus, we spent most of our time outside.
- I almost forgot I was technically there for work.
These didn't fit into the visit, but they'd be great additions:
🍅 Visit one of the daily farmers markets and make dinner with fresh veggies, fish, meats, cheese and other goods from local vendors.
🪷 Stroll through the Self-Realization Fellowship Meditation Gardens in Encinitas or the Japanese Friendship Garden in Balboa Park.
🧖🏼♀️ Book spa treatments at the Four Moons in Encinitas or the luxurious Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa, if you're feeling bougie.
What are your favorite wellness activities in San Diego? Let us know at [email protected].