San Diego travel will treat you to beautiful sunny weather almost any time of year. The city likes to boast that it has more sunny days than any other city in the United States, and it is hard to disprove that claim. The only time that is not the best time to go to San Diego for gorgeous weather is from about mid-May through June. This is the time that the locals call either "May Grey" or June Gloom." But if you don't care about baking in the sun with temperatures hovering in the 80s and 90s, this is a time when you will find fewer crowds on the area's many beaches. Therefore, when to go to San Diego depends more on your convenience than it does on the weather. In fact, you may be surprised to learn that a best time to go to San Diego for its miles of beautiful beaches is actually in October, when there are fewer crowds and the weather is generally warm and beautifully sunny.

Virtually all the attractions for which most people travel to San Diego are open year-round, including the prestigious San Diego Zoo, Seaworld (pictured), the city's many museums, and the colorful neighborhoods such as Little Italy and the Gaslamp Quarter. One of the few attractions that is seasonal is the Carlsbad Flower Fields located in the town of the same name about 30 miles north of the city. Here are 50 acres of magnificent flowers that come into glorious bloom in the spring, and the attraction is only open from about mid-March to mid-May. San Diego travel at this time of year will not only reveal these fields of colorful cultivated blossoms, but will also treat you to the rugged hills that surround the city carpeted with wildflowers—especially the state's lovely California poppies.

The best time to go to San Diego for special events can also be almost any time of year. There are festivals and concerts and other gala celebrations that occur in every month. The city limits sprawl south all the way to the Mexican border, and San Diego has a large population of Mexicans and Hispanics from other parts of Central and South America. When to go to San Diego for events can often include the month of May if you are interested in Hispanic history and events. Cinco de Mayo happens on the fifth of May and celebrates the Mexican army's defeat of French forces at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. This fiesta is held over three days in the Old Town with parades, piñatas, and music. Dio de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is also gaily celebrated in the streets on November first and second, coinciding with the Catholic All Saints' Day. Perhaps the richest ethnic festivals are those held in Little Italy. There is the February mask and costume competition inspired by the similar event in Venice; the May Festivale Siciliano celebrating Sicily, the ancestral home of many of the residents; and the Little Italy Festa held in October.

San Diego Map

Don't rule out San Diego travel over the Christmas holiday period. While there is no snow here and no frigid temperatures, the various communities go all out for celebrations. This is the sailing capital of the West Coast, rivaling Newport in Rhode Island, and there is a wonderful floating Parade of Lights in the bay on two Sundays before Christmas with small yachts, historic tall ships, funky houseboats, and sleek cabin cruisers participating. Beginning at 5:30 in the evening, flotillas of gaily lit boats gather at the marinas north of Point Loma and make their way around Coronado Island, skirting the airport, past the Maritime Museum, and ending at the Embarcadero. Christmas is also when to go to San Diego for December Night in Balboa Park with children's amusements, a lavish poinsettia display, concerts, performances of the Nutcracker, art exhibitions, and strolling carolers.