Monday, May 21, 2012

Coronado, CA: The Best Beach in California

coronado beach
Coronado Beach is the number one beach in the 22th annual Top 10 Beach List, produced by coastal expert Dr. Stephen P. Leatherman, a professor at Florida International University.

Coronado Beach in San Diego is a 1.5 mile long, wide sandy beach set against the backdrop of the iconic Hotel del Coronado with its peaked red roof and classic Victorian architecture. The beach is popular for swimmers, surfers, sunbathers and beachcombers. The beach is very flat, making it great for skim boarding and walking, and the sand has a silvery sheen because of the presence of mica. Families arrive in the morning, toting umbrellas, beach towels and picnic coolers for an all-day stay. A great team of lifeguards stands watch.

Coronado is a quaint small town combined with sophisticated luxury and the wonderful Mediterranean climate. The best way to get around town is by bicycling on the relatively flat, milelong city of Coronado. A scenic way to reach Coronado is by pedestrian ferry or water taxi from downtown San Diego.

Hotel del Coronado, with its iconic red roof and white construction, is a popular beachfront luxury hotel, and one of the few surviving examples of an American architectural genre: the wooden Victorian beach resort. It is one of the oldest and largest all-wooden buildings in California and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1977, and is a designated California Historical Landmark. The "Del" received a Four Diamond rating from the American Automobile Association, and was once listed by USA Today as one of the "Top 10 Resorts In The World".

The most popular annual event in Coronado is the July 4 parade. Coronado Independence Day activities kick off with a 15k Run/Walk at dawn. The day includes a rough-water swim at North Beach, the famous two-hour parade along Orange Avenue, Art-in-the-Park, a concert in Spreckels Park, and culminates with spectacular fireworks over Glorietta Bay.

One of the most popular annual events in this city is the Coronado Flower Show, held usually on the third weekend in April. Since 1925, thousands of visitors have flocked here to see the largest flower show held under tents in the West. Exhibits are placed inside tents surrounding a central gazebo, which becomes the stage for continuous entertainment, announcements and trophy presentations.

Every July, the Coronado Island Sports Fiesta features a combination of competitive races, dives, rough-water swim and other events.

Also, the Superfrog Triathlon event is held each year in September.

As “Dr. Beach” (www.DrBeach.org), Leatherman has selected the annual Top 10 Beaches since 1991. Fifty criteria are used to evaluate beaches, which include water and sand quality as well as safety and environmental management. Dr. Leatherman is an internationally known coastal scientist who has published 16 books with the recent release of Field Guide to the Water’s Edge (National Geographic, Washington, DC, 288 pages; www.nationalgeographic.com/books) and hundreds of scientific articles about storm impacts, coastal erosion and ways to improve beach health and safety. A new website (www.Beachfinder.org) has been developed to help you find other great American beaches.

Contact Elevation Travel for discounted hotel rates: http://www.goelevationtravel.com

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