Biking Coronado: 5-mile Island Loop
Coronado is an independent city set across the bay from downtown San Diego. This is one of the best places for biking in the region. This is a 5-mile bike ride that goes around the heart of the “island.”
Coronado is an independent city of about 20,000 that is right by downtown San Diego and the airport. The city is pretty much an island, except for the small strip of land that connects the city to Imperial Beach 10 miles to the south. Most people come to Coronado by crossing the iconic San Diego-Coronado bridge which was built in 1967. There is also a ferry directly connecting downtown San Diego to Coronado.
Despite being next to the downtown of one of America’s largest cities, Coronado is a relatively quiet place. This is a resort town with a long history as a navy base. There are several bike rides we like to do in Coronado. Our most popular is the 5-mile loop around the main part of the island.
We usually start the bike ride from the parking lot right under the Coronado bridge. However, if you want to rent a bike the best place to start is at Ferry Landing or in downtown Coronado across from the Hotel del Coronado. Both places have bike rental options. Note the Go San Diego Pass can include Coronado bike rentals. Go here for in formation on that pass.
The one thing about biking Coronado is that the loop route has about half of the route on a dedicated bike trail. The rest involves riding on the road. The good news is these roads are very wide and have limited traffic.
We start in Tidelands Park by the San Diego-Coronado Bridge and go counterclockwise around the island. Tidelands Park is on San Diego Bay across from downtown. It has a small beach, picnic tables and a playground. This is a popular place to launch a kayak or paddleboard. It is part of the Port of San Diego.
The bike trail runs right along the waterfront. Immediately you will pass under the Coronado Bridge and ride along the golf course. At Glorietta Blvd. the bike path ends, and you will ride along the road along Glorietta Bay. This is a wide road with a large bike lane and traffic is limited.
At the intersection of Glorietta Blvd and Pomona Avenue there is a cross walk that leads to another dedicated bike trail on the left side of the road. This is the start of the longer Silver Strand trail that goes 8 miles to Imperial Beach.
For this loop the bike trail goes a short distance to the main intersection with Orange Ave and Silver Strand Blvd. This is directly across from the famous Hotel del Coronado.
This is the busiest section of the route as the trail goes to the right up Orange Avenue pass the Hotel del. You can ride your bike in the street or walk it along the sidewalk 2 blocks up to the intersection with Orange Avenue and Dana Place.
At Dana Place you will turn left and cross Orange Avenue towards the north end of the Hotel del Coronado. This takes you directly to Coronado Beach. This is one of the most highly rated beaches in the United States and has the largest open sand area in San Diego.
Dana Place becomes Ocean Blvd. This is the busiest area of the ride, especially on a sunny day when people flock to the beach. The route goes along the Ocean Blvd about 4 blocks before turning on the less crowded Alameda Blvd.
Ocean Blvd does not have a dedicated bike lane. If you are uncomfortable riding on the road, you can make a right onto Flora Avenue off Dana Place, directly across from the Hotel del parking lot. This is a suburban area with little traffic.
If you take Flora Avenue you will do a quick dog leg and come to Star Park Circle. In this circle is the former house of L. Frank Baum, author of The Wizard of Oz. Flora continues another block to a 6-way intersection. Here Tolita Avenue heads to the left. Tolita ends two blocks down at Alameda where a right turn gets you back on the official loop.
Our route did not do the detour but went the short distance down Ocean Blvd to where Alameda bears off to the right. Alameda is a wide street with limited traffic. Alameda goes past some stately homes before meeting up with the North Island Naval Air Station at Fourth and Third St. The huge Naval Air Station actually takes up about 2/3 of the main part of Coronado.
Alameda ends at First St along the San Diego Bay. Make a right on First and head along the bay to Centennial Park and Ferry Landing. Ferry Landing is directly across from downtown San Diego. The area is home to shops and restaurants and has a small beach area.
Ferry Landing is a great place to start the bike ride if you need to rent a bike. This is also where the dedicated bike trail starts again. Right from the landing the Bayshore Bikeway starts. The Bikeway runs a short distance along the bay past the Marriot Resort and back to Tideland Park.
This short bike ride is a great way to see Coronado. However, it is only part of a full 20-mile biking Coronado tour we like to do. The full tour adds the 7.5-mile Silver Strand Bikeway to Imperial Beach (15 miles there and back).
Silver Strand Bikeway is a wonderful dedicated bike path. If you do not wish to ride in the street you can start from Ferry Landing and ride as far down Silver Strand as you like.
For those that want a longer ride there is a 24-mile loop around San Diego Bay. From downtown San Diego you need to take the Coronado Ferry to Ferry Landing to complete the loop. The issue with this longer ride is that it requires some riding on the road for about 7 miles in the busy areas of Chula Vista, National City and downtown San Diego. There are plans to develop a continuous bike path and you can find information about the project here.
Biking Coronado is one of San Diego’s best outdoor activities. The weather makes this perfect for anytime of the year.
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