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I hike to Razor Point. From where I am, I can see wide sandy beaches hugging a coastline that stretches for miles, running all the way to the bright lights of Los Angeles in the north and to the blissful beaches of Baja California to the south. Everything is framed by the ocean, the perfect hue of deep blue, with the mid-morning sun sparkling off the water. I’m in Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve, northern San Diego, and it’s breathtaking.
This summer the city of San Diego celebrates its 250th anniversary. It was founded on July 16, 1769, when Spanish settler Father Junipero Serra opened the Mission of San Diego de Alcala in the village of Kasa’aay — now Presidio Park in San Diego Old Town. The ancient site was home to the indigenous Kumeyaay Nation, who had inhabited the region for around 12,000 years.
Anniversary events include a special celebration in Presidio Park, with free entertainment, cultural speakers, food stalls and the raising of the new Kumeyaay Native American Flag.
While San Diego might not be as well known as LA or San Francisco, this once quiet military town has grown in the past 15 years around a booming biotechnology industry. Its proximity to Mexico — border town Tijuana is just 20 miles away — means there is a thriving Latino community and a banging Mexican food scene.
With my hike done, I drive to George’s at the Cove for lunch, in the stylish La Jolla neighbourhood. As I arrive, the heavens open and there’s a downpour. I sit in the corner of the dining room, my seat overlooking the grey ocean, now barely visible. It’s a good thing the food is spectacular: Cali-Baja food is a fusion of light Californian cuisine and punchy Mexican flavours. I devour a bowl of corvina ceviche, a soft white fish flecked with red onion and coriander, then polish off a plate of spicy yellowtail tacos. Both are divine.
After lunch the rain subsides, so I take full advantage and walk from my hotel, Andaz San Diego in the Gaslamp Quarter, to Balboa Park, San Diego’s answer to Central Park and where most of the city museums and galleries are found.
Later, I head to North Park for a drink — a hipster neighbourhood with neat rows of beautiful houses, cracking local restaurants and plenty of microbreweries. At Mike Hess Brewing I meet tasting-room manager Steve Devlin: craft beer is big in San Diego and Devlin explains that when this brewery was founded eight years ago it was one of 33 in town. Now there are about 160. I try the taster board, a selection of five ales including Hess’s Solis brew, a lovely light IPA with a crisp, fruity aftertaste. Then I move on to Hillcrest Brewers, which claims to be the world’s first gay brewery. Very chilled, nothing camp or fabulous. Until I open the menu. Perle Necklace is a pale ale that promises to be citrusy and floral; Crotch Rocket is malty. I order a drink and tuck into a Ribbed For Your Pleasure pizza.
The next day is a sunny Saturday and I ride a Jump Bike (San Diego’s answer to the Boris Bike) to Little Italy. It’s split into two; the southern part hosts pasta restaurants and delis where Tony Soprano would have loved to loiter with a double espresso. After that, it morphs into slick restaurants, independent coffee shops and wicked homeware stores. I park up outside James Coffee Co on India Street — a warehouse with a coffee shop, barber’s and designer sunglasses store — and order a long black before heading to the weekend farmers’ market that runs along Date Street. It’s packed with fabulous stalls selling everything from fresh juices to shucked oysters.
The Jump Bikes are handy so I ride one down to Barrio Logan, the main Hispanic area, and stop at Chicano Park. The pillars of the freeway built above the park are vividly painted, each one depicting historical events, cultural struggles and famous figures including Che Guevara and Frida Kahlo. There’s a group of kids playing basketball and a few well-toned men practising backflips to an urban soundtrack.
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Nearby is one of the most famous taquerias in the city, Salud! It’s very rock ’n’ roll, with music blaring out, mad murals on the walls and tattoo-covered servers wearing beanies. I sink into a plate of spicy shrimp tacos then polish off two al pastor pork tacos that have a wonderfully tart flavour from the pineapple used to marinate the meat.
I’d been promised a slice of San Diego nightlife so I glam up and get ready to meet a friend. We eat at Herb & Wood, a cracking restaurant in Little Italy where the dining room is roaring at 7.30pm. Everyone eats very early in this city. After dinner, it’s on to Raised by Wolves, a hidden speakeasy in a whisky shop at a nearby shopping mall. We take a seat next to a fireplace and the whole floor revolves so that we are now facing a riotous crowd tucking into negronis.
The next morning I head to Mission Beach, a short drive from the centre, and park next to a brilliantly tacky theme park with precarious rollercoasters zooming over the fencing. Rollerbladers and joggers cruise past; there’s a Baywatch-style beach to one side, gorgeous houses on the other. I walk along the path, salty air clearing my head. It’s easy to see how those early settlers were so enamoured by this mellow corner of the West Coast. It’s enchanting. San Diego may not be as glitzy as LA or San Francisco but this is a city in its stride — and it’s high time we celebrated it.
Details: San Diego
Rooms at the Pantai Inn (pantai.com) from £227 per night. Rooms at the Andaz San Diego (andazsandiego.com) from £225 a night. British Airways (ba.com) flies from London from £733 return.
Rental cars can be picked up from San Diego Airport and start at £31.95 per day. rentalcars.com/