Located in Point Loma, the Carbrillo National Monument is a great spot to take memorable pictures of the downtown area as well as Coronado Beach. The park is open 365 days a year from 9:00 am to 5:15 pm, and the entrance fee is $5 per car, which is good for entrance to the national park for the following 6 days. In addition to a great lookout point for amazing San Diego pictures, the park also offers tide pools, a two-mile walking trail through a coastal forest, a visitors center and the original lighthouse structure and keeper’s quarters for San Diego’s first lighthouse.

A walk through the inter-tidal zone is a must for anyone who visits this recreation area. During the winter months is the best time to go and see all types of marine life - in the mornings during low tide; the park also has staff on duty throughout the day during the months from November-February. A walk through the lighthouse and keepers’ quarters is also a memorable experience, you can really get a feel for what this area was like during the 1880s when it was starting to become a busy port city. The Cabrillo Monument also offer various exhibits and educational movies within the visitors center, but we did our own self-guided walking tour and did not go to these other areas - mostly because they were so crowded by school children taking field trips.

My advice - go to the tide pools in the early morning, maybe do a tour of the lighthouse and surrounding area if it is not too crowded, and return close to sunset to spend time at the scenic overlook snapping photos - this is going to be your best time to get a clear shot. I would go in the visitors center to pick up pamphlets to do your own reading, but do not waste your time with the films or exhibits, unless you have small children, as this area is geared toward school age visitors. If you want to possibly do some whale watching (Gray Whales) you will have to go between January and February, and make sure to take a pair of binoculars as they can be pretty far off the coast while migrating from Mexico.