The Bahia Resort in San Diego has all the advantages of its mid-century vintage -– a pick-of-the-litter location on Mission Bay, its own private beach, and lush, mature tropical landscaping that gives it a secluded, Hawaiian island atmosphere. Since it’s been continually renovated and upgraded since it was built in the 1950s, its accommodations and amenities are fresh and modern. Families will find it an excellent place to headquarter to visit this sunny, attraction-packed town.
The Lay of the Land
Commanding a 13-acre peninsula on Mission Bay, the Bahia’s guest rooms flank both sides of the long narrow spit of land. In the middle are gardens, lawns, a gazebo, tennis courts, a swimming pool complex, shuffle board courts and a sweet little meandering pool that has resident ducks paddling about.
The Bahia shares the peninsula with a small state park on one side that offers good fishing and fire rings that can be great fun for a beachfront BBQ. On the other side of the peninsula, the beach is for Bahia guests only, with shady cabanas and a watersports desk that can set up all kinds of activities, such as stand-up paddle boarding, sailboat and motor boat rentals, kayaking and more. Bikes and skates can be rented on the property as well.
The swimming pool has a Moorish palace feel with its wide white stucco arches, tall, shady palm trees, tropical flowers and an amply sized wading area for toddlers. The whirlpool spa can accommodate up to 30 people and there is a café/grill open in season and a video game room with all vintages of games – from old fashioned and traditional to modern.
The Bahia Belle Paddle Steamer
Special family-oriented rides on an old fashioned turn-of-the-century Mississippi-style sternwheeler are scheduled every night of the summer and on weekends in the spring and fall. The resort shares the boat with its sister resort, The Catamaran, and the boat connects the two via a 30-minute ride across the bay. The Bahia’s dock is just steps from the restaurant and gift shop. Special family hours from 6:30-9:30pm are free for guests. In the summer, nearby Seaworld has a fireworks show that you can watch from the boat.
The Bahia’s Permanent Residents
Gracie and Billy, the resort’s two blind harbor seals, were rescued by SeaWorld, and the Bahia now permanently houses them in space and comfort in their own private pools. A marine veterinarian takes expert care of them, and guests can watch them eat twice a day — at 9:00am and 2:00pm — but you can wander along the boardwalks surrounding their pools to watch them swim (and nap!) anytime you want.
Value Added Features at Bahia Resort
The tennis courts and tennis equipment are free of charge, as is the shuffle board and fitness room. Children’s activities, such as crafts and games, take place in-season in a big tent next to the pool compound and are free to guests. An excellent restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, and kids under 5 eat free from the buffet with a paying adult. There’s also an attractive cocktail lounge.
Most importantly, the resort fee covers parking, the shady cabanas on the private beach -– it’s first-come first-served and much more. Wi-fi is complimentary.
Bahia Resort Guest Rooms
All rooms have a patio or balcony and mini fridge, but some studios and suites have full kitchenettes offering a bit more space and the ability to cook. Many other rooms have a wet bar with a sink, microwave and mini frig. Rollaway beds can be added depending on availability, and suites have fold-out couches in the living room and either a king or two queen beds in the bedroom.
A Short Walk Away
Mission Beach on the Pacific Ocean is a five-minute walk away and is flanked by a 3-mile-long boardwalk that is great for a stroll or a bike ride. Belmont Park is also a five-minute walk away, and it features old-fashioned amusement park fun with an historic wooden roller coaster, wave machines, all kinds of other rides, carnival games and cotton candy snacks. You’ll also find plenty of low-cost family friendly eateries, like pizza parlors, taquerias, casual cafes, Chinese restaurants, bakeries, and ice cream parlors in the nearby neighborhood.
Trip Planning Details for a Bahia Resort Family Beach Vacation near San Diego
The Bahia Resort Hotel (858/488-0551) is located at 998 West Mission Bay Drive, San Diego, CA 92109. Summer is the high season here, with discounts available in spring and late August (after local school start). Family packages that include local attractions are available. Room rates vary considerably throughout the rest of the year; standard hotel rooms range from $149-$279; studios (rooms with kitchens) are $199-$400; one-bedroom suites without kitchens are $299-$500; one-bedroom suites with kitchens are $315-$650.
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Good to know as I have a daughter at 10 YOD and she loves skiing very much.
Seems there are lots of fun for kids in Las Vegas. I have never though about a such thing there. It will be a good option to consider for our next family holiday. Thank you.
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Very nice day. We don’t have it in Vietnam 🙁
Amazing hotels. I love eco-resort with nature style instead of modern hotels.
Good to read this before I prepare my family trip in the summer.
Good to know this. Thank you for sharing. I will consider this for my children.
Thank you for these tips on how to plan a family safari! I’d like to be able to take my whole family and show them the beauty of Africa. But it always seemed so daunting to plan a whole trip that everyone would enjoy. I mean there’s always the age differences, and differences in interest as well to think about. Just thinking of ensuring that everything goes well planned is stressing me out. That’s why I turned to the internet in search of tips! Definitely will use your tips on how to choose a safari.
Very good tips. We all should follow these tips for a safe road trip. Thanks for the great help.
Thankyou Mr Ralph S for giving precise information on the overland.
i will be travelling for the 1st time from adelaide to melbourne this month end. it will be of grt help.
Soon I’ll be planning a trip to Dubai. Thanks for the information about what’s worth visiting.
Hello Lansdell family! This is a great place for a long weekend of outdoors exploration and a beautiful park. In late May, a new business is opening = https://www.floattheriver.net/ = which will run float trips on inner tubes on portions of the river. I asked some locals and they suggested that after biking and hiking and riding the train, your kids might enjoy day trips to nearby Canton, Akron or Cleveland. Each has lots of Metroparks (the public system of urban parks) and museums, etc to do and see. With some planning, all your days can be as full of variety as you would like. We hope you have a wonderful trip.
How did you get around the Darien Gap?
Very good
Thank you for sharing these warm and touching thoughts of yours! I’ve only been the Belarus once, but I wish I read it before going, something in my experience would definitely be different then. I did use some advise – from the telegram channel for foreigners https://t.me/Belanews but I guess your opinion would be great to consider and embrace too.
Thanks for all the info. We are planning on going in August, and are trying to find a nature-centered vacation for our family of 4, kids ages 7 and 4. We are from Southern Ontario, Canada and we came across this national park. Would you recommend this place for 3-4 days? Is there enough to do (hiking, train rides, exploring etc)? Somewhere else? We also looked at the Smoky Mountains but its about a 11-12 hours vs the 5-6 hours to Cuyohoga. Any advice would be helpful.
That place is really amazing. I want to spend my vacations on this beautiful place. Thanks for sharing this nice information.
I've been there last year. If someone is looking for a nice hotel I can highly recommend to take a look at the Hotel Rappen Rothenburg ob der Tauber.
Such a good information.Nice work.Very useful for us.
The gardens of Suzhou are absolutely beautiful and something that you don’t want to miss while you are there.
Traveling with your children in s Suzhou is super easy and safe. My family had a lot of fun and the kids really enjoyed there time there. One thing they really loved was going down all of the canals. Here is some great information on all the beautiful canals that you can explore.
It looks like a beautiful experience. Turkey is a wonderful country -and the fact that it’s not that expensive compared to other countries makes a visit there even more tempting. Thanks for sharing.
good tips, safety comes first so that our trip may be remembered as a happy memoir when we went to see and explore new places and have fun. and not as a terrifying night in the ER. god bless you all , be safe
Thanks for your insight for your fantastic posting. I’m glad I have taken the time to see this.
Great tips for road trips!
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Being visiting is one of the best experiences of my life. Being there and enjoying every bit of time is wonderful. Personally, my best experience is an underground aquarium and desert safari. One visited Dubai must go for these two activities.
Would love this for our family!
We’ve always wanted to go and now they are old enough to enjoy it.
Thanks so much for doing this!
The beaches, the weather, the food, the attractions and the activities- everything was perfect.
I think parents should focus more on preparing or educating their children about the proper etiquette and behaviors before the flight to avoid being a nuisance to others. I don’t know much about kids but as a first-time mom, that’s what I will do.
Hi,
You have explained the timeshare information for Spain country very well.Share more blogs which will we helpful for people like us in future.
Thanks
Seeking for your positive reply.
Hi,
I would like to travel out of the US with my son. I understand that I would need his father to sign and notarize a letter. He had not been a stand up dad to take care of his responsibilities so he left and I can’t find him. What can I do in a situation like that to travel with my son?
happy you enjoyed the story. This park is in Ohio where the climate can be capricious! It’s hottest between late April and November, however even April has the danger of some snow. In case you’re enjoying the great outdoors with children, the most secure wager is June to August, since it’s hotter and there’s little downpour. Make the most of your trek.
Wonderfully informative article!
I want to go travel with kids but I was not decided where we go. Your post is helpful for me. Thanks for sharing.
Tenerife is SO stunning! I love this volcanic landscape, sometimes you feel like you traveled to the Moon. This place has it all – great views, pleasant weather, awesome food, wine and laid-back people. Thanks for sharing ideas, I’ll use some of them on my next trip 🙂
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I automatically think the word “gumbling” when I heard Las Vegas. I never knew that Las Vegas has something to offer for youngsters. Will bring my children here soon.
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There is no Doubt, Dubai is most popular destination among tourists from across the world and have gained high popularity in last decade. If you are in Dubai and dhow go for dhow cruise, there is some thing missing on your list. There are Dubai dhow cruise, Musandam Dibba dhow cruise and Khasab Musandam dhow cruise. Try some of them and you will love.
Istanbul layover tour is a great service to use the best of your time in Istanbul Airport. However if you like to have a private attention and flexibility, you can check private tour services of ISTANBUL LAYOVER TOURS. They are offering the layover tours from Istanbul International Airport.
Great article! Wanted for Christmas again. Do you know anything about this place ? It is very interesting to know the opinions. How much advance it is necessary to book a hotel and various entertainment before the holidays?