The city's beach areas (La Jolla, home of the Birch Aquarium at Scripps and a famed scuba diving area, and the seaside towns of Ocean Beach, Pacific Beach and Mission Beach) provide all the sunbathing and swimming that visitors could need.

Coronado (the tip of a long land spit just west of Downtown) also has several famous beaches, including the Silver Strand State Beach. The historic Hotel Del Coronado, north of the Strand, has been a favourite filming location for many years and is worth a visit.

The Downtown area is home to the historic Gaslamp Quarter, with wildly popular bars and restaurants in 19th-century Victorian mansions and saloons.

The lush Balboa Park a few blocks north of Downtown is home to more than 15 museums and the world-famous San Diego Zoo. Old Town, California's 18th-century birthplace, is located just north of Downtown and contains the majestic Presidio (Fort), which overlooks San Diego Bay amid spacious manicured lawns.

Some visitors consider SeaWorld, in San Diego's popular Mission Bay area, to be one of the city's key attractions, thanks to its heavily promoted orca shows, nightly fireworks and amusement rides.

Northeast of Downtown is the Wild Animal Park, a larger, unique version of the San Diego Zoo. Outlying parks like the Mission Trails Regional Park (again northeast of Downtown) are a nature-lover's paradise.

South of Downtown is Mexico, with the quirky curio shops and classic border town ambience of Tijuana.

International Visitor Information Center
1040 1/3 West Broadway (at Harbor Drive)
Tel: (619) 236 1212.
Website: www.sandiego.org
Opening hours: Daily 0900-1700 (Jun-Aug), Thurs-Tues 0900-1600 (Sep-May).

The Southern California Value Pass allows admission to both SeaWorld San Diego and Universal Studios Hollywood, within a 14-day period. You can buy the pass at either attraction or on their websites.

The Two-Park Ticket includes a ‘deluxe' admission to San Diego Zoo (with a narrated bus tour and aerial tram tour) and a Wild Animal Park general admission. The ticket, which is available for purchase at either establishment, must be used within five days.

The San Diego 3-for-1 Ticket entitles holders to five consecutive days at San Diego Zoo, San Diego Wild Animal Park and SeaWorld San Diego. It can be bought at any of these attractions or on their websites.

The Passport to Balboa Park Pass provides access to 13 of the museums within Balboa Park. The pass lasts seven days and can be purchased from the House of Hospitality, within the park.