Spectacular Attractions
OB invites you to visit and enjoy in our beaches, pier & boardwalk, outdoor activities, nature & parks, sights & landmarks. Need a place to stay? Check out our directory for lodging in Ocean Beach San Diego!
OB Farmers Market
Wednesday, November 13, 2024 - 4:00pmEvery Wednesday 4-8 pm on the 4900 block of Newport Ave. between Cable and Bacon Streets in Ocean Beach. The Ocean Beach Farmers Market will look a bit different. Think of it as a fresh-air grocery store with a focus on fresh fruits, vegetables, spreads, baked goods, honey, kombucha, flowers, and more! There will be a handful of artisan food vendors who will provide to-go food, which you may take home to enjoy.
OB Pier and Tide Pools
The Ocean Beach Municipal Pier, one of the most visited landmarks in San Diego County, was officially christened and introduced to eager San Diegans on July 2, 1966. Over 7,000 of San Diego's then 600,000 residents showed up to celebrate the opening, including local politicians Mayor Frank Curran and California Governor Edmund G. "Pat" Brown who had the honor of cutting the ribbon. Pier Closure 1/5/2023 - “Due to high winds, high tides, and huge waves, the OB Pier has been closed. We are hoping to hear from the Mayor’s office about the repair schedule.” The OB pier sustained significant damage from yesterday’s swell (photos below). Damage begins at light post 6 and extends to the cafe. The pier will remain closed until further notice.
OB Self-Guided Historic Walk
Our new Historic Walking Tour brochure is now online for all to enjoy! Many of the buildings you will find in the Ocean Beach Historic Tour originated early 1900’s and during the Resort Days of the 1920’s. Ocean Beach initially happened in spring 1887 when entrepreneurs William H. 'Billy' Carlson and Frank J. Higgins bought 600 acres of Pueblo lots (the area of coastland divided by the Yankees in 1846) and named their new acquisition Ocean Beach.
Murals of OB
Long before the advent of online social networking, people were connecting through community art and, in the process, giving neighborhoods a sense of history and identity. In Ocean Beach, community murals located on buildings around the neighborhood capture the essence of the seaside town. Defining and engaging, mural themes range from surfing to cars and flag-waiving Americana.
Newport Avenue Beach
Newport Avenue Beach is the most popular beach in Ocean Beach, San Diego, for surfers and people who want to enjoy the sights or hang out. While a parking lot is available for beachgoers, it is often full, and parking can be somewhat problematic. This beach is top-rated among photographers as there is a wide variety of objects to shoot. This beach also offers the only surfer’s area around. Hundreds of surfers flock to this beach daily for their chance to catch the next “big one.”
Ocean Beach Tile Project
Own a piece of history on Newport Ave! Ocean Beach Newport Avenue Tile Project. Purchase a 6-inch square ceramic tile personalized with your own special message. Tiles are guaranteed for the life of the Ocean Beach MainStreet Association. Our current tiles are sand colored and text is engraved in all capital letters. Letters are filled in with dark grout at installation.
North Ocean Beach
The Northside of Ocean Beach, centered on Voltaire Avenue, offers a number of great local eateries, taverns, coffee-shops, stores and other mom and pop type shops for your enjoyment. With a more laid-back vibe, North OB is home to lots of local gems, including the beautiful and pet-friendly Ocean Villa Inn.
Robb Athletic Field
Located along the San Diego River, Robb Field Athletic Field is a great place for the entire family to enjoy the day. Complete with an Adult Fitness Club, two lighted outdoor basketball courts, eight softball fields (one lighted), five unlighted multipurpose fields, twelve lighted tennis courts, four lighted outdoor handball courts, one tennis practice wall, one sand tiny tot playground area, picnic area, permanent rugby goals, portable soccer goals, skateboard park, one meeting room, recycle bins and much more. Robb Field also offers the City's first Skateboard Park which opened in 2000.
Dusty Rhodes Park
Located between Nimitz Blvd. and Sunset Cliffs Blvd., Dusty Rhodes park is a great place for the entire family to enjoy the day. Mr. and Mrs. Rhodes intended this land as a place for family and friends can gather to enjoy a nice day on the grass. Here you will find no structures, courts or designated fields for predetermined activities. Instead, you are simply welcome to enjoy the great outdoors, fly a kite or watch your children play at the playground. The gazebo may be used for birthday parties and family events as well and is located near the restrooms for your convenience.
Dog Beach
The Original Dog Beach In San Diego, CA is nationally famous and one of the first official leash-free beaches in the United States. It is a landmark in the community of Ocean Beach at the end of I-8 at the mouth of the San Diego River. Dog Beach is a special place where people and pets, beach lovers and surfers celebrate the spirit of Ocean Beach, California, one of southern California's last true beach towns.
Voltaire Street Beach
Down the hill from Point Loma you will find Voltaire Street dead-ending into the beach parking lot where most beachgoers congregate. This is where you will find Voltaire Street Beach. Not only does this street give you direct access to one of the area’s most popular beaches, but Voltaire is also lined with a slew of bars, restaurants, stores and other mom and pop type shops for your enjoyment. This beach is popular amongst visitors as it is not nearly as busy or crowded as Mission or Pacific Beach. Voltaire Street Beach is also a local hotspot where one can find a parking spot and hit the sand for a few hours. There is also a large grassy area with picnic tables for visitors to enjoy as well.
Long Branch Avenue Beach
Long Branch Avenue is a residential street that dead ends into what is known as Long Branch Avenue Beach. This beach is popular amongst visitors as it is well equipped with several volleyball posts. While the posts are in place, you will need to provide your own net if you plan on getting a game going. Since there are multiple posts in place it is very easy to get a couple games going at once. The Ocean Beach Recreation Center also runs a beach volleyball league which attracts both players and spectators to the volleyball area on weekends.
Brighton Avenue Beach
If you are able to find parking on a busy day, Brighton Avenue is a great street for entering the beach. Brighton Avenue is a residential street that comes to an end at the beach. The Brighton Avenue Beach in Ocean Beach is located at the end of the Voltaire Street parking lot close to the shower and bathroom building. This beach is accessible from the parking lot or from the streets that dead-end into this beach. This area of the beach is a popular spot for volleyball enthusiasts. There are several sets of posts already set-up and waiting for your group to bring their own net to get a game going. This is an awesome beach if you are the type of person that just likes to come prepared, find a great spot and spend the entire day on the beach with family and friends.
Cape May Avenue Beach
Cape May Avenue Beach has a great location, but it is one of the more quieter streets. The Cape May Avenue Beach in Ocean Beach sits directly in the middle of the long stretch of beach from Dog Beach to Newport Avenue. Since this beach is a further distance from the major parking lots around Newport Avenue and Voltaire Street, this beach is often less crowded on peak days. While Cape May Avenue Beach itself is one of the widest, this beach is used less often than those north and south of it.
Saratoga Park
The Saratoga Avenue beach in Ocean Beach, San Diego is part of the stretch of beach that is most popular for boogie boarders, body surfers and people hanging out on the large grassy area adjacent to the beach and the lifeguard station parking lot. The grassy area is known as Saratoga Park. Most notable about this beach is that it seems to be the ideal location for parking, food, showers, lifeguards, Newport Avenue and the ocean.
Saratoga Avenue Beach
Saratoga Avenue is a family friendly stretch of beach between the more chaotic areas of Newport Avenue Beach and Voltaire Street Beach. The Saratoga Avenue Beach is the stretch of beach that is most popular with boogie boarders, bodysurfers and people that just want to lounge around on the large grassy area adjacent to the lifeguard station parking lot. This beach is one of the more popular spots as it seems to be the ideal location for parking, food, showers, lifeguards, Newport Avenue and the ocean.
Santa Monica Avenue Beach
Situated in a split residential and commercial neighborhood and only a block north of the ever popular Newport Avenue is the Santa Monica Avenue Beach. The Santa Monica Avenue Beach is located right on the line between the surfer-only area and the swimming only area of this stretch of beach. This is a popular beach amongst visitors because of the ammenities that it has to offer. Those visitors are eager to take advantage of the quick parking, bathrooms, showers, the lifeguard station and a nice grassy area to enjoy picnics. People visit this beach for many different reasons and the mix of personalities to mingle with is just an added bonus. Due to its ease of access, on any given day you will find a variety of people enjoying the beach.
Niagara Avenue Beach
Located at the base of the San Diego Fishing Pier is Niagara Avenue Beach. This beach is particularly popular as visitors can examine ocean life up-close at the tide-pools. Niagara Avenue Beach is located just south of the Newport Avenue Beach and is marked by its landmark, the Ocean Beach Pier. Niagara is the first street that connects with Catalina Boulevard.
Sunset Cliffs Natural Park
Dedicated in 1983, Sunset Cliffs Natural Park is a 68-acre City of San Diego regional park which extends 1½ miles along the Point Loma peninsula's western shoreline. This unique coastal environment features expansive ocean views, dramatic cliff formations and caves, a fascinating intertidal area, and native coastal sage scrub habitat, which provides connectivity to the adjacent Point Loma Ecological Reserve. Sunset Cliffs has long served as an attraction for San Diego residents as well as national and international visitors.
Cabrillo National Monument
Climbing out of his boat and onto shore in 1542, Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo stepped into history as the first European to set foot on what is now the West Coast of the United States. In addition to telling the story of 16th century exploration, the park is home to a wealth of cultural and natural resources. Join us and embark on your own Voyage of Discovery.
Point Loma Lighthouse
Located on the military base at the southern tip of Sunset Cliffs Natural Park, the Old Point Loma Lighthouse (built in 1855) served as a beacon for sailors for centuries, and today serves as a link to our past. The Old Point Loma Lighthouse stood watch over the entrance to San Diego Bay for 36 years. At dusk on November 15, 1855, the light keeper climbed the winding stairs and lit the light for the first time. What seemed to be a good location 422 feet above sea level, however, had a serious flaw. Fog and low clouds often obscured the light. On March 23, 1891, the light was extinguished and the keeper moved to a new lighthouse location closer to the water at the tip of the Point.
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