The Pearl Hotel

Worth getting out of bed for

Borrow a bike from the hotel and get cruising – you’re perfectly placed for all manner of trails. Beginners should take the smooth path that curves all the way from Shelter Island past the marinas and restaurants over to America’s Cup Harbour, while more seasoned cyclists can pedal it out from Catalina Boulevard up to Cabrillo National Monument – either way, you’ll be rewarded with postcard worthy views. While you’re in the neighbourhood, fulfil your cultural quota with a mooch around Liberty Station’s Art District or catch a show at Humphreys Half Moon Inn. A little further north, La Jolla is a quaint seaside village brimming with Mediterranean charm. Among its residents, you’ll find friendly groups of seals and sea lions who like to gather by the cove and plenty of arty types, too, including the surreal illustrator Dr Suess, whose cats in hats can be seen adorning the walls on Legend’s Gallery. Those looking to splash a little cash can do so in the village’s indie boutiques, while more serious spenders should look south to Fashion Valley’s designer promenade. For a taste of local life, don’t miss Little Italy’s Mercato Farmers’ Market where live music and straight-out-the-ocean seafood makes for a fine lunchtime pitstop.

Local restaurants

Get a taste of the old country at Little Italy’s Pummaro, where no-fuss, wood-fired pizzas are primed the Neapolitan way. For dinner with a view, you can’t do much better than waterfront Island Prime, an upscale steak restaurant with sweeping views across the San Diego skyline. Chef Deborah Scott’s surf-and-turf dinner menu features dishes like Shrimp caviar and angel hair, American wagyu and fillet mignons topped with king crab, wild mushrooms, blue cheese and a side of sea-salt mashed potatoes.

Local cafés

Liberty Station’s Fig Tree Cafe is a firm favorite among Point Loma locals with beachy interiors, palm-flanked terrace seating and a menu of buttery pancakes, breakfast burritos, heaped-up sandwiches and indulgent french toast (with cinnamon raisins, fresh berries or fig jam and ricotta toppings, no less). For more health-conscious fare head to Northside Shack, an unpretentious vegan cafe where stacked acai bowls and fresh fruit smoothies double up as Pantone colour charts.

Local bars

Shelter Island’s The Wine Pub does exactly what it says on the tin; head here for hand-selected wines, craft beer and great company, pooches and all. For throw-back decor, waterfront cocktails – and the most reliable hangover remedy in town – head to Club Marina, Point Loma’s oldest dive bar where the Bloody Mary’s come loaded with a little bit of everything.