¡Viva El Mariachi! Festival — 13 Jul 2008 (annual)

Del Mar Fairgrounds Activity Center

California has a huge Latin population and each year San Diego commemorates this special link with a celebration of the world-famous Mexican music, mariachi, at the Del Mar Fairgrounds Activity Center.

World Championship Over-The-Line Tournament — 12 - 13 Jul 2008 (various dates)

Fiesta Island on Mission Bay

San Diego's original beach softball event, the World Championship Over-The-Line Tournament takes place every year at Fiesta Island on Mission Bay.

Courtesy of Old Mission Beach Athletic Club

Festival of the Bells — 11 - 13 Jul 2008 (annual)

Mission San Diego de Alcala

The founding of California's first mission is commemorated at this annual festival. Live music, tours of the historic Mission San Diego de Alcala itself, food, games and Llama rides reinforce the mission's place at the heart of the community.

The blessing of the bells in front of the Mission San Diego de Alcala

San Diego Zoo — Daily

San Diego Zoo

Located in beautiful Balboa Park, the 100-acre San Diego Zoo was founded in 1916 with an original collection of 50 animals. Now, less than a century later, it cares for more than 4,000 animals from 800 different species, while its plant collection includes more than 6,500 species - making it one of the finest zoos in the world.

Giant Panda at San Diego Zoo

Hotel del Coronado — Daily

Hotel del Coronado

With a spectacular beachfront location on Coronado Island in San Diego, the Hotel del Coronado is one of America's most beautiful beach resorts. The hotel was built in 1888 and offers visitors modern luxury in an enchanting Victorian atmosphere. Facilties include eight restaurants and a state-of-the-art spa. There are seasonal activity programmes for children and teenagers.

A view of the Hotel del Coronado

San Diego Aircraft Carrier Museum — Daily

San Diego Aircraft Carrier Museum

The San Diego Aircraft Carrier Museum is located onboard the USS Midway, the longest-serving aircraft carrier in U.S. Navy history. The ship's 47 years of service stretches from the end of World War II until the liberation of Kuwait in 1991. A self-guided audio tour takes visitors through 40 exhibits and 21 restored aircraft, with access to all areas including the flight deck and the island superstructure. There are also interactive exhibits and flight simulators as well as story-telling from Midway veterans.

The mighty USS Midway steams on

Balboa Park — Daily

Balboa Park

Balboa Park is world-famous and home to 15 museums, arts and international culture associations and the popular San Diego Zoo. This makes it one of the nation's largest cultural and entertainment complexes, visited by over 12 million people each year.

Balboa Park at Twilight and the California Tower of the Museum of Man. Photo by Joanne DiBona, courtesy of Balboa Park

SeaWorld — Daily

SeaWorld

A gigantic adventure marine park, SeaWorld San Diego provides fantastic family entertainment. It offers sea lion and killer whale shows, close-ups with dolphins, penguins and sharks, screamingly good rides and water coasters.

Shamu & Baby Shamu

Mission San Diego de Alcala — Daily

Mission San Diego de Alcala

The Mission San Diego de Alcala was founded in 1769 and was the first church in California. The present building was completed in 1813. Originally the Mission and the Spanish fort were located on the hill above Old Town San Diego, but the Mission soon moved to its present location, five miles up the San Diego River. Today it is head of an active Catholic Parish in the Diocese of San Diego.

Mission San Diego de Alcala

Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego — Daily; not Wed

Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego

The Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego is a leading institution with a permanent collection of more than 3000 works created after 1950. The collection is particulary strong in Minimalism and Pop art, conceptual art, installations, Latin American art and works from California and the Tijuana region. The museum has another branch in nearby La Jolla and is also set to expand, with new gallery space directly opposite the existing site due to open in 2007.

Museum of Contemporary Art, La Jolla