Oceanside is a Southern California city offering something for everyone. Check out our 72-hour guide to O'side featuring the city's top highlights.
Credit: Visit Oceanside
Oceanside is a city on the beautiful Southern California coast with San Diego just 40 minutes to the south and L.A. 90 minutes to the north. With temperatures hovering at a near constant 22c and 3.5 miles of unspoiled, palm-fringed beaches, it’s an ideal year-round destination. This classic Southern Californian beach community is an established magnet for surfers, but it’s now making a name for itself as a hotspot for foodies, culture lovers, outdoor enthusiasts and families.
Oceanside is where historical landmarks meet surf and skate culture, a world-class culinary scene combines international flavours with farm-to-table fare and local artists capture its energetic spirit through street art. As a recognised California Cultural District, the city is a hub of innovation whilst staying true to its SoCal roots. Whatever you do here, you can always guarantee an experience that’s authentically O’side.
With a city brimming with so much to see and do, we’ve narrowed down some of our favourite Oceanside activities into a three-day itinerary to give you a taste of the action. Here’s how to spend 72 hours in Oceanside, Southern California.
Day 1: Discover O’riginal art and culture
Morning: Mission San Luis Rey
Kick off your first day with one of the best things to do in Oceanside; a visit to Mission San Luis Rey (below). The national historic landmark was founded in 1798 and offers a glimpse into Southern California’s Spanish colonial past. Nicknamed the ‘King of Missions,’ it’s the largest of California’s 21 missions and is a prime example of Spanish colonial architecture with Moorish influences.
You can reflect on its history on a guided or self-guided tour, enjoy quiet reflection in its beautiful gardens and look out for California’s oldest pepper tree. In the evenings, it’s a popular venue for classical music concerts by candlelight.
Credit: Visit Oceanside
Lunch: San Luis Rey Bakery and Restaurant
Once you’ve worked up an appetite, grab a bite to eat at San Luis Rey Bakery and Restaurant. This cheerful establishment is just a 3-minute walk from the mission and serves up authentic Mexican fare. Afterwards, you may just be tempted by its delicious array of cakes displayed behind the counter.
Afternoon: Downtown museums
Catch a ride or hop on a 20-minute bus back to Downtown Oceanside for an afternoon of art and surf town heritage. Your first stop is the Oceanside Museum of Art which brings this Southern California community to life in its collection of contemporary landscape paintings, sculptures and photography.
Just a 6-minute stroll down the road, you’ll come to the California Surf Museum which documents the history of surfing culture in Oceanside. Learn about the evolution of surfing through impressive displays of historic surfboards and surf memorabilia, as well as exhibits about surfing pioneers.
Credit: Valle, Oceanside
Dinner: Valle (above)
Celebrate the end of your first day in Oceanside with dinner at Valle. Located in Mission Pacific Hotel, this restaurant has recently been awarded a Michelin star for its homage to Baja cuisine. The contemporary Mexican kitchen is helmed by Executive Chef Roberto Alcocer.
Day 2: Eat and drink around the city
Morning: O’side Sips Trail
Day two in Oceanside is all about experiencing the best of the city’s flourishing food and drink scene, starting with tea and coffee. Artisanal coffee houses are a way of life in this city and you can find them on almost every block.
The O’side Sips Trail is an interactive way to explore some of the city’s best drinking venues. It’s free to sign up, plus you can win prizes and exclusive discounts. Use it throughout your trip starting with morning coffees and ending with evening cocktails.
Worthy craft coffee shops mentioned on the trail include Banana Dang Coffee, Communal Coffee, Jitters Coffee Pub and Pier View Coffee Co. For tea, check out Bliss Tea & Treats with its artisan brews and delectable snacks.
As you make your way around downtown, keep an eye out for its striking collection of murals and street art. Visit Oceanside has created a free map which you can use to plan your self-guided mural walk.
Revolution Roasters, South Oceanside
Lunch: Tacos and pies
Keep it casual for lunch with award-winning beer and tacos at Craft Coast Beer & Tacos. The brewery had the ingenious idea to set up a taco stand on-site and it’s a popular place to go for authentic, Baja-style street food. Meat and vegetarian options are available, alongside nachos and a taco bowl. We ate here on our recent trip to O'side and the tacos are to die for.
For dessert, take a three-minute walk around the block to Top Gun House. This historic Oceanside landmark was a film location in the Hollywood blockbuster Top Gun, and today is home to the scrumptious HIGH-pie. Think fried hand pies on sticks filled with fruit and ice cream.
Afternoon: Craft beverages and tasting rooms
In the afternoon, it’s back on the O’Side Sips Trail with some craft beer and wine tastings. From Japanese-style lagers to hoppy IPAs, innovative craft breweries are cropping up all over the city, making it an exciting place to be for beer connoisseurs.
Must-try beverages include the Sweet Ride Bohemian-style Pilsner from Bagby Beer Company and the Rye Dawn Brown Ale from Breakwater Brewing Co. Both drinks have some prestigious awards under their belts.
If you’re more interested in the vine, O’side also has its fair share of wineries. Beach House Winery serves award-winning wines in its tasting room. Coomber Craft Wines is a family-friendly tasting room that allows you to bring your own food. For something unique, Golden Coast Mead Oceanside Tasting Room is the first meadery in Southern California.
Non-drinker? Head to Roots Craft Juice for a selection of juices like you’ve never tasted before. Vegan snacks and organic kombucha can also be found at Living Tea Brewing Co.
Credit: Visit Oceanside
If you happen to be in Oceanside on a Thursday evening, check out Sunset Market (above). The weekly family-friendly event has gourmet street food vendors serving up international cuisine, delicious snacks and sweet treats alongside artisan craft stalls.
Dinner: Wrench & Rodent Seabasstropub or The Plot
Spend the evening in South O with dinner at Wrench & Rodent. The self-proclaimed ‘Seabasstropub’ has an inventive sushi and seafood menu made from local and responsibly sourced fresh fish.
Alternatively, head to The Plot, an award-winning zero-waste, vegan restaurant. Both restaurants were co-founded by Chef Davin Waite who was honoured by the California Travel Association with its 2022 Sustainability Advocate Award.
Day 3: Choose your outdoor adventure
Morning: O’side Harbor
Day three of your trip to Oceanside is flexible with an active and outdoor theme. For water-based activities, O’side Harbor is the place to go. You’ll find the likes of whale watching, deep-sea fishing, sailing, kayaking and SUP paddleboarding. Don’t forget to take a moment to admire the harbor’s enchanting New England-inspired lighthouse.
Credit: Visit Oceanside
Go cycling
For inland adventures, Oceanside has a number of cycle routes ranging from easy to challenging. Spend a leisurely morning cycling around Oceanside Harbor or from downtown to Mission San Luis Rey. Alternatively, make a day of it and explore the SoCal coastline. Use Biking Around O’side to find your route. You can also find places to hire e-bikes and push bikes for the whole family.
Lunch: Oceanside Harbor Village
Watch the world go by as you dine at one of a handful of eateries in Oceanside Harbor Village. Stratford at the Harbor is a popular spot for breakfast and lunch with beautiful views from the patio. Afterwards, treat yourself to an ice cream at Nana and Pop Pop’s Sweet Shop.
Afternoon: Hit the beach
Time to relax with an afternoon at the beach. You’ve earned it! Oceanside has 3.5 miles of sandy beach so you’re spoiled for choice when it comes to finding a place to lay down your towel.
Credit: Visit Oceanside
One of the original California surf towns, Oceanside is a prime spot to catch some waves. Some of the best beaches for surfing are Pier View, Harbor and Buccaneer. Plenty of surf schools offer lessons and board hires to visitors of all levels. Other beach activities include volleyball, body boarding and picnics.
Play golf
Swap sand for the fairways at Goat Hill Park. The coastal golf course was named one of the top five short courses in the country. It’s laid-back, and accessible to any experience level. For little golfers, there’s also a three-hole kids’ course called the Playground where families can play a round for free.
Spa session
End your trip with some pampering at Sunny Spa & Beauty Lounge at The Seabird Resort, where massages, facials and beauty treatments will leave you feeling rejuvenated in time for your departure.
Dinner: Dija Mara
For your final dinner in Oceanside, reserve a table at the Michelin-recognised and Bib Gourmand award winning Dija Mara. The Balinese restaurant combines Southeast Asian flavours with Western flair to create a menu you’ll be thinking about long after you return home.
Where to stay
The Seabird Resort
For a beachside retreat that captures the laid-back mood of Southern California, head to The Seabird Resort - Destination by Hyatt. The breezy, four-star hotel offers rooms with private balconies, a swimming pool, beach access and farm-to-table dining concepts. It was voted No.2 Best Hotel Spa by readers of USA Today for its Sunny Spa & Beauty Lounge where holistic treatments promise to leave you with the ‘SoCal Glow.’
The Seabird Resort
Mission Pacific Hotel
Mission Pacific Hotel - JDV by Hyatt was voted the No.1 Hotel in San Diego in the Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards 2022. The four-star hotel invites you to admire sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean from your private balcony. You can also find art exhibitions, the Michelin-starred Valle restaurant, a rooftop pool bar and Top Gun House here.
Mission Pacific Hotel
The Brick Hotel
The Brick Hotel is a boutique 10-bedroom historic hotel, sandwiched between a restaurant and a rooftop cocktail bar. The downtown hotel offers a home-away-from-home with stylish sleeping spaces and private balconies. If you’re looking for a space to spread out during your visit, you can also find a collection of seaview villas and bungalows.
Credit: The Brick Hotel
Summary
Oceanside is a laid-back beach community which invites you to holiday your way. Whether it’s flopping down on the beach, hitting the fairways, searching for street art or wining and dining, Oceanside allows you to be unapologetically you. This 72-hour Oceanside itinerary gives you a little taste of this vibrant city.
If you’re excited about Oceanside, looking to add it to your California program and would like to discuss any product, content or training requirements you might have, then contact us at info@rocketlondon.co.uk. Alternatively, check out www.visitoceanside.org
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