Top 10 Free Things To Do and Attractions in Rancho San Diego

"For a complete change of scenery, Balboa Park is an unusual park right in the city center. It was actually built for one of those old-timey expositions but the city loved it so much they made it permanent. In addition to the museums, there’s also a Botanical Garden and several beautiful gardens, like this moorish styled one below."

"Day 1: Balboa Park, San Diego Zoo, Downtown & The Gaslamp District [Skip to Page] Day 2: Old Town, The Midway & Coronado [Skip to Page]"

"Parts of this three-mile stretch of beach located just south of Del Mar lie below beautiful bluffs and winding hiking trails. Lifeguards usually staff the north end of the beach, which is where the bathrooms and showers also sit. Nice swaths of sand mark the beach, which is a favorite with families, boogie boarders, and sunbathers."

"Torrey Pines State Beach in San Diego, California, USA.|© Chad McDermott / Alamy Stock Photo. Coastal California at its very finest, the Torrey Pines State Beach feels like a hidden gem. Hike the trails to get there and take in the panoramic views of the ocean in front of you."

"With dark sand and a rocky shoreline, you’ll get a great dramatic landscape to photograph at Torrey Pines State Beach!"

"Within Old Town don’t miss Casa de Estudillo, which is one of the few original buildings (many are reproductions), Whaley House and Museum, which is believed to be haunted and Junípero Serra Museum, literally the place where California began. You can get more information here."

"Built in 1825 to house one of San Diego’s earliest families, the building is reputed to be haunted by the ghosts of prior residents."

"Silver Strand State Beach is made up of beaches lining both the Pacific Ocean and San Diego Bay. The beaches are connected by pedestrian tunnels under the busy street. Popular activities include camping, swimming, surfing, boating, water-skiing, volleyball, and picnicking."

"The Cravory is a San Diego-based cookie-only bakery known for unique and delicious flavor creations. Their first flagship cookie shop is open in Point Loma but they also sell cookies at various San Diego Farmers' Markets and via an online retail shop where cookies can be ordered by the dozen or in monthly subscriptions shipped freshly baked directly to your door. The Cravory has 11 signature cookie flavors including Red Velvet and Ultimate Chocolate Chip, as well as six new seasonal cookies created each month."

"Cravory Cookies has stolen many hearts around town not only for their fresh-baked creations and changing seasonal flavors, but for their eye-catching colors. These are practically the perfect cookie with a soft gooey center and a crisp surface, making for the most memorable bite you’ll ever have. You can often find these gourmet cookies all over town at many local restaurants and coffee shops that have partnered up to sell them."

"Monello serves cuisine inspired by the contemporary street food of Milan, including appetizers, handcrafted pastas, pizzas, and meat and seafood entrees. House specialties include veal ravioli and butternut squash gnocchi, and Tuesdays and Wednesdays bring the opportunity to try a specialty pasta or risotto dish cooked in a 40-pound half wheel of cheese. Happy hour is held every day of the week between 4 p.m."

"Monello, located next to another favorite, Bencotto, is a modern Italian restaurant. One of the best spots in the Little Italy neighborhood, it specializes in reasonably priced pizzas, pastas, and entrées and serves unbeatable cocktails. Customers enjoy this quiet and quaint space, and rave about Monello’s tasty brunch and complimentary snacks during happy hour."

"The First San Diego Courthouse, rebuilt in 1992, was originally the town hall. Constructed by the Mormon Battalion, the first brick building in San Diego became the courthouse when the city was incorporated in 1850. It also served as a school, church and polling place."

"The Wells Fargo Museum, located inside the Colorado House, features one of the company’s original 1867 Concord stagecoaches. The recreated and historically-furnished former hotel also houses actual historic telegraph machines and a variety of other memorabilia related to the banking and transportation company. Photo Courtesy of Historic Old Town Community Foundation"