Chula Vista, CA Road Trips

1 Living Coast Discovery Center, 1000 Gunpowder Point Drive (parking lot is at the west end of E Street, across I-5 from the E Street Transit Center/Trolley station; once in the parking lot, wait for shuttle to take you through the marsh to the center), ☏ +1 619-409-5900. Daily 10AM-5PM. Situated in the midst of the marshes of the South Bay and something of a hidden gem is this fun nature center with lots of interactive exhibits on animals native to the San Diego Bay. Highlights include an aquarium with sharks and sea turtles, a touchpool with rays, an aviary where you can view shorebirds, and some birds of prey. Short trails lead out from the nature center through the marsh to the shores of the bay, where you can view some of the local wildlife. $14 adults, $9 seniors/students/youth, military 50% off, free for children 3 and under. 2 Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center, 2800 Olympic Parkway, ☏ +1 619-656-1500. Self-guided tour M-Sa daylight hrs. Visitor center/store M-F 9AM-5PM. Guided tours M-F 9:30AM-3:30PM. Training center for Olympic athletes. Tours available. Free for self-guided tour of central path and visitor center. Tours $10-45/ person ($45 tour includes buffet lunch). (updated Feb 2026) 3 North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre. An amphitheater that is even larger than the Hollywood Bowl. (updated Aug 2019)

While a majority of activities can be found in the city of San Diego, there are still several things for visitors to do. Since Chula Vista is surrounded by Silver Strand, it has only a harbor and no beaches. However many boaters and recreational fishers find this to be an interesting area to boat and fish. There is a boat launching ramp located at the J Street Marina Park, off the J Street I-5 offramp. The ramp has a large parking lot for vehicles with trailers, picnic facilities and restrooms. Care should be taken navigating in the adjacent areas of San Diego Bay as there are extremely shallow shoal areas. Refer to a current navigational chart prior to leaving the ramp area. Nearby is South Bay Anchorage, which is free to use, but a permit is required (permits can be obtained from the Shelter Island Harbor Police Office in Point Loma). In the vicinity are several parks and bike trails. In the east is Coors Amphitheater and Knott's Soak City, both in the Otay Valley. The redevelopment of the area occurred in 1997-8 and his since been a popular place for locals and visitors. 1 Sesame Place San Diego (formerly Knott's Soak City), 2052 Entertainment Circle, ☏ +1 619 222-4732. Water Park (updated Jul 2017) 2 Sky Zone San Diego. 3 American Legion Post 434, 47 5th Ave, ☏ +1 619-422-9309. A veterans service organization with a cantina. (updated Nov 2025) 4 Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2111, 299 I St, ☏ +1 619-422-1262. A veterans service organization with a cantina. (updated Nov 2025) 5 Fleet Reserve Association Branch 61, 299 I St, ☏ +1 619-422-1262.

1 Aqui Es Texcoco, 520 Broadway 5 & 6, ☏ +1 619-427 4045. F-Su 8AM-9PM; M-Th 9AM-9PM. Mexican restaurant featured on National Geographic, Travel Channel, and NPR. 2 Tacos El Gordo, 556 Broadway, ☏ +1 619-271-7222. Family-owned counter-serve restaurant with Tijuana-style food. (updated Aug 2019) 3 Joe & Ernie's Pizza, 2295 Otay Lakes Rd, ☏ +1 619-240-7980. Affordable local pizza of great quality. Their best offer is the combo meal, which includes two slices of pizza and a fountain drink. For students K-12, the combo is $6, and for adults, $8. They are also known for a wide selection of flavors. They offer takeout, dine-in, and local delivery. (updated Jul 2022) 4 Jochi Resto Grill, 289 E Orange Ave, ☏ +1 619-426-7804. 8:30AM-7:30PM. Filipino point-point joint. (updated Nov 2025) 5 Otay Mandarin Chinese Restaurant, 945-A Otay Lakes Rd (across the street, and east of Southwestern College main campus), ☏ +1 619-656-8080. Tu - Su 11AM-8:45PM. Family-owned Chinese restaurant, locally acclaimed for their salt & pepper chicken wings. (updated Nov 2025) 6 Lolita's Mexican Food (Lolita's), 413 Telegraph Canyon Rd, ☏ +1 619-585-0232. The original location of the Lolita's Mexican Food chain, a family-owned Mexican taco shop chain, one of four in Chula Vista (Bonita location is within the Chula Vista city limits), and five in San Diego County. One of the claimants of the creation of the California burrito. (updated Nov 2025) 7 El Patio, 410 Broadway, ☏ +1 619-422-9745. Mexican cuisine restaurant, open since 1954. (updated Nov 2025) 8 La Bella Pizza Garden, 373 3rd Ave.

1 Dock's Cocktail Lounge (formerly Dock's Dutch Lunch), 317 Third Avenue, ☏ +1 619-422-1566. 10AM-2AM. Established in 1933. (updated Jan 2026) 2 Silver Dollar (formerly Owl Buffet), ☏ +1 619-934-0555. Su 10AM-2AM, Tu-Sa 2PM-2AM, M closed. Established in 1934. (updated Jan 2026)

1 Best Western Chula Vista/Otay Valley Hotel, 4450 Main St, ☏ +1 619-422-2600. 2 Motel 6 San Diego - Chula Vista, 745 E St, ☏ +1 619-422-4200, fax: +1 619 585-8944. 3 Hercor Hotel. Relatively inexpensive "urban boutique"-style hotel, just a block from the light rail station (updated Aug 2019) 4 The Rambler Motel. (updated Aug 2019) 5 San Diego Metro KOA, 111 North 2nd Avenue, toll-free: +1-800-562-9877. Campground with numerous tent and RV sites available with 50 Max Amp full service hookups. Amenities include wi-fi, a pool/hot tub open year round, kitchen facilities, dog park, and a game room. (updated Jan 2020) 6 Gaylord Pacific Resort & Convention Center, 1000 H St, ☏ +1 619-310-9800. (updated Nov 2025)

Chula Vista is accessible by car through Interstate 5, Interstate 805, Highway 125, and Highway 905. The nearest major airports are San Diego International Airport (SAN) and Tijuana International Airport (TIJ). The San Diego Trolley Blue Line serves Southern San Diego County, running between Downtown San Diego down to the US-Mexico Border. Chula Vista has three trolley stations: Bayfront/E Street, H Street, and Palomar Street. Private boats can dock at the local Chula Vista Marina.

Metropolitan Transit System runs several bus routes around Chula Vista, most of them connecting to at least one of the Chula Vista trolley stations.