San Diego

San Diego is California's most relaxed and liveable large city — a sun-drenched city of excellent beaches, a beautifully preserved historic Gaslamp Quarter, the finest zoo in the world, excellent Mexican food (it sits 30 kilometres from the border at Tijuana) and a permanent climate of around 21°C that has made it a destination of continuous appeal for visitors and residents alike. The San Diego Zoo in Balboa Park is universally regarded as the world's finest — its 100-acre setting in a canyon, the quality and range of its collection and its conservation breeding programmes are exceptional. Balboa Park itself, a vast cultural park, also contains 17 museums, performing arts venues and botanical gardens. Old Town San Diego, where California's first European settlement was established in 1769, is a pleasant historic district with Mexican restaurants and crafts. The Gaslamp Quarter is the Victorian commercial centre converted into a district of restaurants and bars. La Jolla Cove, a natural marine reserve, is excellent for snorkelling with leopard sharks and seals. The beaches — Mission Beach, Pacific Beach, Ocean Beach — cater to every water sports preference. The USS Midway Museum (a retired aircraft carrier) is excellent for families. Tijuana, just across the US-Mexico border (accessible by trolley), is excellent for street tacos and the bustling Avenida Revolución. Craft beer has become a major San Diego identity point — the brewery scene is excellent.