The Embarcadero

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Back to San DiegoThe Embarcadero Walking Tour

The Embarcadero

Start: The Maritime Museum, at Harbor Drive and Ash Street.

Finish: The Convention Center, at Harbor Drive and Fifth Avenue.

Time: 1 1/2 hours, not including museum and shopping stops.

Best Times: Weekday mornings (when it's less crowded and easier to park).

Worst Times: Weekends, especially in the afternoon, when the Maritime Museum and Seaport Village are crowded; also when cruise ships are in port (days vary).

San Diego's colorful Embarcadero, or waterfront, cradles a bevy of seagoing vessels -- frigates, ferries, yachts, cruise ships, a merchant vessel, an aircraft carrier, and even a Soviet submarine. You'll also find the equally colorful Seaport Village, a shopping and dining center with a nautical theme. It's not all about the water, though -- you'll also find the two downtown wings of the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, including a spectacular new annex.

Start at the:

1. Maritime Museum

It's located at Harbor Drive at Ash Street. Making up part of the floating museum is the magnificent Star of India, the world's oldest merchant ship still afloat, built in 1863 as the Euterpe. The ship, whose billowing sails are a familiar sight along Harbor Drive, once carried cargo to India and immigrants to New Zealand, and it braved the Arctic ice in Alaska to work in the salmon industry. Another component of the museum is the 1898 ferry Berkeley, built to operate between San Francisco and Oakland. In service through 1958, it carried survivors to safety 24 hours a day for 4 days after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. You can also check out the HMS Surprise, which had a star turn in the film Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World; a Soviet-era B-39 attack submarine; the Californian, a replica of a 19th-century revenue cutter; the Medea, a 1904 steam yacht; and the Pilot, which served as San Diego Bay's official pilot boat for 82 years.

From this vantage point, you get a fine view of the:

2. County Administration Center

This place was built in 1936 with funds from the Works Progress Administration, and was dedicated in 1938 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The 23-foot-high granite sculpture in front, Guardian of Water, was completed by Donal Hord -- San Diego's most notable sculptor -- in 1939. It represents a stoic woman shouldering a water jug. The building is even more impressive from the other side because of the carefully tended gardens; it's well worth the effort and extra few minutes to walk around to Pacific Highway for a look. On weekdays, the building is open from 8am to 5pm; there are restrooms and a cafeteria inside.

Take A Break -- The cafeteria on the fourth floor of the County Administration Center (tel. 619/515-4258) has lovely harbor views; it serves breakfast and lunch weekdays from 7am to 2:30pm. The salads, panini, and burgers are all modestly priced. If you can't pass up the chance to have some seafood, return to the waterfront to Anthony's Fishette (tel. 619/232-5105), a simple eatery with a simply marvelous location. It serves fish-and-chips, shrimp, and other snacks alfresco.

Continue south along the Embarcadero. The large carnival-colored building on your right is the:

3. San Diego Cruise Ship Terminal

Located on the B Street Pier, it has a large nautical clock at the entrance. The flag-decorated terminal's interior is light and airy. Inside, you'll also find a snack bar and gift shop.

Farther along is the location for the:

4. Harbor Cruises

They depart from sunup to sundown on tours of San Diego's harbor; ticket booths are right on the water.

A little farther south, near the Broadway Pier, is the:

5. Coronado Ferry

It makes hourly trips between San Diego and Coronado. Buy tickets from the Harbor Excursion booth -- you can make the round-trip in about 50 minutes.

To your left as you look up Broadway, you'll see the two gold mission-style towers of the:

6. Santa Fe Depot

This mosaic-draped railroad station was built in 1915 and provides one of the city's best examples of Spanish Colonial Revival style. It's only 1 1/2 blocks away, so walk over and look inside at the vaulted ceiling, wooden benches, and walls covered in striking green-and-gold tiles. A scale model of the aircraft carrier USS Midway is on display inside.

Continue to the north end of the station were you will find the:

7. Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego

What was once the station's baggage building is now the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego's dynamic new space. Designed by the architect responsible for the Warhol museum in Pittsburgh and the Picasso museum in Spain, this is one of the city's new cultural flagships. The original downtown annex is across the street.

Heading back south on Harbor Drive, you'll stroll through a small tree- and bench-lined park and suddenly encounter the:

8. USS Midway

This aircraft carrier had a 47-year military history that started 1 week after the Japanese surrender of WWII in 1945. By the time the Midway was decommissioned in 1991, more than 225,000 men had served aboard. The carrier is now a naval museum, telling the story of life onboard the ship, of the wars she fought, and of the records she set. (Midway was tasked with setting new standards throughout much of her career.)

South of the Midway, at Pier 11, is the:

9. U.S. Air Carrier Memorial

Erected in 1993, this compact black granite obelisk honors the nation's carriers and crews. It stands on the site of the old Navy fleet landing, where thousands of servicemen boarded ships over the years.

Continue along the walkway to:

10. Tuna Harbor

This is where the commercial fishing boats congregate. San Diego's tuna fleet, with about 100 boats, was once the world's largest.

Take A Break -- The red building on the peninsula to your right houses the Fish Market (tel. 619/232-3474), a market and casual restaurant, and its upscale counterpart, Top of the Market (tel. 619/234-4867), just upstairs. A meal here is fresh off the boat. Both serve lunch and dinner, and the Fish Market has a children's menu and an oyster and sushi bar. It's acceptable to drop in just for a drink and to savor the mighty view. Prices are moderate downstairs, expensive upstairs. For dessert or coffee, go inside Seaport Village to Upstart Crow (tel. 619/232-4855), a bookstore and coffeehouse.

Keep walking south, where you can meander along the winding pathways of:

11. Seaport Village

This outdoor area contains a myriad of shops and restaurants. The carousel is pure nostalgia. Charles Looff of Coney Island carved the animals out of poplar in 1895. Kids love to spin on this classic ride. You will no doubt notice the official symbol of Seaport Village: a 45-foot-high detailed replica of the famous Mukilteo Lighthouse of Everett, Washington.

From Seaport Village, continue your waterfront walk southeast to the:

12. Manchester Grand Hyatt, Marriott San Diego Hotel & Marina

Adjacent to Embarcadero Marina Park, which is well used by San Diegans for strolling and jogging, these four towers contain the city's two big convention hotels. The waterfront provides a view of the San Diego-Coronado Bay Bridge. A concession at the marina office rents boats by the hour at reasonable rates and arranges diving, water-skiing, and fishing outings.

The waterfront walkway continues to the:

13. Convention Center

This building is another striking piece of architecture hugging the city's waterfront. When it was first completed in late 1989, its presence on the waterfront was a major factor in the revitalization of downtown San Diego. It was later enlarged to an even more imposing size, to less acclaim.

To access the Gaslamp Quarter or San Diego Trolley, you'll need to head back to Seaport Village or cut through the lobbies of the Hyatt or Marriott hotels.

Winding Down -- There's no better place in San Diego for a sunset than the Top of the Hyatt (tel. 619/232-1234), a 40th-floor lounge with sweeping views of the city and harbor. It's located in the eastern tower of the Manchester Grand Hyatt and opens at 3pm daily. Scheduled to open in fall 2007 is a branch of the popular Pacific Rim-fusion eatery Roy's. You'll find it on the marina side of the Marriott Hotel, perched above the Embarcadero action.