How to Feel like a Local when Visiting San Diego

When in San Diego, do as the San Diegans do! Oftentimes, living like a local during your travels will be the most authentic way to experience a place and come home with the best memories. To do so in San Diego you’ll be keeping active, getting your fair share of sunshine, and eating & drinking very well (aka the perfect recipe for happiness).

Drink Craft Beer

This is number one. People in San Diego are very into craft beer. That may mean visiting breweries, but if time doesn’t allow, all bars have local brews on tap so be sure to ask your server for a recommendation! If you decide to check out some breweries, we’ve come to love Ballast Point, Stone, Pizza Port, Green Flash, and Belching Beaver. There are sooooo many breweries in San Diego; you’ll surely be able to find one close by even if you can’t make it to any of our favorites.

Eat Fish Tacos

The proximity to Mexico and the ocean seems to have a huge influence on the food scene here. You cannot visit San Diego without trying fish tacos, and if you eat them every day I wouldn’t blame you! I already wrote this post with specific recommendations, so check it out before picking a lunch or dinner spot!

Go to the Beach and Get Your Surf On

San Diego has a huge surfing culture, so you’ll definitely be able to admire surfers whenever you hit the beach. If you’re up to try yourself, be sure to check the conditions and maybe sign up for a lesson! Even if you don’t go surfing, no trip to San Diego would be complete without lots of beach time. All the beaches have their own vibes, so try to experience more than one. Ocean Beach is more hippy, Pacific Beach is more party, North County beaches are more chill. We live in Solana Beach and I wrote this post about all the reasons I absolutely love it. If surfing isn’t your thing but you still want to get on the water, you could also SUP on Mission Bay or go on a catamaran booze cruise!!

Take A Hike

Between surfing and hiking and all the other outdoor activities accessible here, San Diegans are definitely an active group. Since moving here in 2015, hiking has become one of my favorite things to do. The scenery is so beautiful and getting out in nature works wonders. Read this post to see which hikes I recommend! If you have a car, Cedar Creek Falls and Iron Mountain are also great options, but they are about a 45 minute drive to get to.

Eat A Breakfast Burrito

Rudy’s in Solana Beach makes our favorite breakfast burrito, and it’s cheap! This has become one of our local go-tos. You can’t go wrong with Mexican food in San Diego.

Support a Local Team

San Diego is home to the Padres (MLB baseball team) and the Gulls (D-league hockey team), and with USD and SDSU there are always tons of college sports to go to! What better way to feel like a local than to be a fan for one of our teams. We have a blast whenever we go to Petco Park to see the Padres–it’s such a nice stadium in a great downtown location.