San Diego Bay Never Looked So Good
The San Diego County Bicycle Coalition's recommended route along the San Diego Bay is a 24-mile bicycle circuit, which includes about 13 miles of car-free bicycle paths. The rest of the route consists of on-street sections designated as either bicycle lanes or bicycle routes.
Starting Downtown take Flagship's Coronado Ferry across San Diego Bay and start your ride upon docking at the Coronado Ferry Landing. The Bikeway makes its way through Coronado, along the Silver Strand, through the communities of Imperial Beach and Chula Vista and back into Downtown San Diego. The ride will take you through the quaint town of Coronado and past the historic Hotel del Coronado Hotel, built in 1888, which has played host to presidents, celebrities and royalty for over 120 years. You'll also ride past the U.S. Naval Amphibious Base (where the Navy SEALs train). Continuing on the path, you'll trek past Silver Strand State Beach, a beautiful stretch of coast; and the San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge, a 3,900-acre wetland that is home to many endangered and migratory birds.
The continuous, paved portion of the rail-trail ends at the south end of San Diego Bay at Main Street in Chula Vista. Bike lanes along streets with light traffic connect to another portion of trail near the S. Bay Freeway and over the Sweetwater River, connecting to the Sweetwater Bikeway. To complete the 24-mile loop around the bay, the trail links with on-street bike lanes and bike routes through Chula Vista, National City and downtown San Diego. Rather than complete the 24-mile circuit, families might want to loop back on the same path at Imperial Beach to avoid the on-street bike lanes.
Don't want to hassle bringing a bike on your trip? There are many bike rental shops in and around Downtown and Coronado. Search for "bike rentals" on this site or on the route map below to find your preference.