Chula Vista is a lovely city on the coast of California in San Diego County. There are lots of things to see and do in Chula Vista, including beautiful parks by the bay, interesting museums, and family-friendly sites.
1. Third Avenue Village
Guest Information:
The town is open all the time. Off of Third Avenue, there are free parking garages.
Third Avenue Village in downtown Chula Vista is a charming area with small shops, art galleries, brewpubs, bars, and restaurants serving local food. Along the pedestrian-friendly road, old storefronts have been turned into stylish shops that sell gifts, clothes, used books, and other things. In the area, you can find tasting rooms for small breweries like Chula Vista Brewery and Novo Brazil Brewing. Cafes like Yogurtland, Coffee Bean, and Black Crown Coffee are great places to relax and get a drink.
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Every Friday night, the village really comes to life when the street closes to traffic for the Third Avenue Village Farmers’ Market. There is street food, live music, and arts and crafts. The town is great for taking a stroll, window shopping, or having a nice dinner because it is easy to get around on foot and has unique shops.
Location: Third Avenue Village is located in downtown Chula Vista, California.
History: When this pedestrian village opened in the 1990s, it turned Third Avenue into a lively area with restaurants, shops, theater, public spaces, and homes.
What to Expect: You can shop, eat, drink, make beer, buy desserts, see live music, walk down Third Avenue, and go to special events.
2. Aquatica San Diego Waterpark
Guest Information:
When it’s open, Aquatica is open. You can buy tickets online ahead of time. There is paid parking on-site.
Families can spend all day at Aquatica San Diego’s huge water park, which has rides, slides, lazy rivers, and splash areas. The Loggerhead Lane lazy river and the Taumata Racer, a high-speed competition slide, are two of the best parts. Big Surf, one of the world’s biggest saltwater pools, is in the park. Waves can be up to three feet high.
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There are small slides, fountains, and bubble jets for kids to enjoy at Walkabout Waters. There are many food choices, from snacks and salads to burgers and pizzas, so you can eat something between swimming. Aquatica San Diego is always a hit when people come to Chula Vista because it has fun things for people of all ages.
History: It first opened in 1997 as White Water Canyon. In 2020, it was remodeled and renamed Aquatica San Diego, with new slides, features, and facilities.
Location: Aquatica San Diego is a water park located in Chula Vista, CA.
3. Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center
Guest Information:
The center isn’t usually open to the public, but sometimes it is for events.
Chula Vista is a great place to see top-level sports events because it is home to one of the best Olympic and Paralympic Training Centers in the country. The campus is huge—155 acres—and has state-of-the-art sports buildings where athletes train for track and field, soccer, cycling, rowing, and other sports.
On certain days, people can go on guided walking walks of the training center to get a look at the state-of-the-art facilities from the inside. The center also holds public events, such as the Paralympic Sport Club Open House and Nitro Athletics meets. People who love sports and are in Chula Vista must see world-class athletes train and fight.
Location: The Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center is located adjacent to the Olympic Training Center.
History: When it opened in 2014, this 155,000-square-foot, cutting-edge training center gave athletes and events new places to hold in.
What to Hope for:
For top athletes, the training center has an indoor track and field arena, sports courts, a sports medicine clinic, and areas for sports performance and recovery.
4. Living Coast Discovery Center
Guest Information:
The Discovery Center is open every day, though the hours change with the seasons. There are entry fees. There is parking on-site.
At the Living Coast Discovery Center, you can get close to the different ecosystems of San Diego Bay. This hands-on museum is in the protected Sweetwater Marsh National Wildlife Refuge. It has interactive displays, walking walks, and opportunities to get close to animals that live in coastal areas.
A touch tank with sharks and rays, a turtle lagoon, an aviary, and a looping walk that winds through coastal sage scrub and salt marsh are some of the best parts. Staff and volunteers who know a lot about the local plants and animals give useful information.
Location: In Chula Vista, the Living Coast Discovery Center is in the Sweetwater Marsh National Wildlife Refuge.
History and Significance: The Living Coast Discovery Center has been around since 1982 and uses hands-on exhibits and outdoor activities that focus on coastal areas to encourage people to protect them.
What to hope for: In indoor and outdoor displays that show different coastal habitats, you can see sharks, rays, turtles, birds, plants, and more. You should go to camps, events, and programs.
5. Otay Valley Regional Park
Guest Information:
The park is open every day from dawn until dusk. No fees to get in. There are parking lots, bathrooms, and information boards all over the place.
A secret gem in Chula Vista and all of San Diego County, Otay Valley Regional Park is over 8,500 acres big. The big park looks out for fragile places like riparian forests, freshwater ponds, and coastal sage scrub. Over 27 miles of trails can be used for different activities. People can hike, run, ride bikes, or ride horses through beautiful places full of native plants and animals.
Lower Otay Lake, where you can fish and boat, and the famous Otay Valley Railroad Trail are two well-known places. But because it covers so much land, this urban wilderness haven has many quiet spots and trails that are hard to reach. Otay Valley Regional Park has a lot of outdoor activities for people who love nature, from short walks to day-long trips.
Location: Otay Valley Regional Park spans Chula Vista and San Diego, California.
History and Significance: This big regional park has been around since 1967 and protects natural landscapes and habitats. One of the last riparian woods in San Diego that is still whole.
What to hope for: Over 20 miles of tracks let you walk, ride a bike, or ride a horse. In its many habitats, you can fish, have a picnic, and watch wildlife. Seasonal interpretive events are available.
6. San Diego South Bay Fish and Game Preserve
Guest Information:
The park is open every day from dawn until dusk. There is free parking and entry on-site. Leashed dogs are welcome.
This protected marsh area in southern Chula Vista is run by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. It is home to migratory birds and other coastal wildlife. A lot of birds, like egrets, herons, ducks, shorebirds, and more, come to the freshwater lakes and saltwater beach together. Along the preserve is a short nature walk with signs that explain things. This is a great place to watch birds.
The preserve’s main goal is to protect sensitive environments, but catch-and-release fishing is allowed on certain days and times. Dogs on leashes are also allowed on the walk. The South Bay Wildlife Preserve is right across the highway and adds to the protected marsh area. Together, these parks offer nature lovers a peaceful place to see wildlife right in the middle of Chula Vista.
Location: The San Diego South Bay Fish and Game Preserve is located in Imperial Beach, California.
History: This 8-acre marshland preserve provides protected habitat for many migratory bird species.
What to hope for: The nature walks and birdwatching platforms are great places to see both migratory and resident bird species in the salt marsh. Signs with meanings explain the environment.
7. Olympic Training Center Lake
Guest Information:
The lake is not open to the public. You can see it while walking around the nearby Olympic Training Center.
This peaceful lake in eastern Chula Vista was built so that rowing events could practice before the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles. It is now open for fun activities. The 2,000-meter-long lake has grassy places along its edges that are great for relaxing and having a picnic. People can take paddleboards, kayaks, pedal boats, and aqua bikes to use on the water.
With a permit, you can also fish, and there are places set aside for swimming. From time to time, there are special events like holiday boat parades and music by the lake. The famous Olympic Training Center Lake is a great place to spend a few hours or a whole day because it is easy to get to and has lots of fun things to do with your family.
Location: The Olympic Training Center Lake is located in Chula Vista, adjacent to the Olympic Training Center facilities.
History: This man-made lake opened in 1997 so that Olympic swimmers could train there. It was used for the Olympic Trials in Sydney in 2000.
What to Expect: Olympians in rowing, canoeing/kayaking, and swimming have trained and competed at the lake. It’s not open for general use for fun.
8. Mount San Miguel Park
Guest Information:
The park is open every day from dawn until dusk. There is free parking provided.
This nature park is in the rolling San Miguel Mountains in the eastern part of Chula Vista. It has rough hiking trails with great views. To get to the top of the 1,150-foot mountain, the paths are very steep and go through coastal sage scrub, sycamore groves, and chaparral. People who walk to the top can see San Diego Bay, the skyline of downtown San Diego, the Coronado Islands in Mexico, and more.
The trails offer beautiful views of the coast even if you don’t make it to the top. There are picnic tables all over the park where you can relax and eat your lunch. Mount San Miguel Park is one of the best places to go hiking because it is so high up and has such beautiful views.
Location: Mount San Miguel Park is located in Chula Vista, California.
History: On Mount San Miguel, in this 40-acre park, you can see the remains of a military lookout post from World War II.
What to hope for: Follow the trails to the ruins at the top and enjoy the views. There are also playgrounds, picnic places, and basketball courts in the park, which is filled with native plants.
9. South Bay Drive-In Theater
Seeing a movie outside at the South Bay Drive-In Theater is a nostalgic and truly Southern Californian thing to do. This old-school drive-in looks and feels like it’s from the 1950s and 1960s, but it has current features like digital projection and FM stereo sound.
The drive-in has five screens that can fit up to 1,500 cars, so there are lots of movies to choose from every night. Power outlets let you use inflatable pillows or charge your phone. There is a lunch bar with all the usual drive-in foods, like hot dogs, popcorn, and candy. South Bay Drive-In is a one-of-a-kind place to visit because of the classic feel of the place under the stars.
10. Bonita Cove at Rohr Park
Guest Information:
The landing and trails are open every day from dawn until dusk. At Rohr Park, you can park your car.
Bonita Cove at Rohr Park is one of the most beautiful natural areas in Chula Vista. It is a wetland place where people can explore. There is a freshwater marsh in the cove that is home to many kinds of birds, reptiles, mammals, and natural plants. There are well-kept walking tracks that go through the marsh and along the shore, which are great places to see wildlife.
There are benches in strategic places where you can rest and enjoy the peaceful views and wildlife. There are also grassy spots and picnic tables in the park that are great for a quiet picnic. Nature fans should go to Bonita Cove to see the wide range of birds and other animals that live there, as well as the peaceful natural setting.
Location: Bonita Cove at Rohr Park is located in Chula Vista, California near the Sweetwater Marsh.
History: You can use this park to get to Bonita Cove, where you can launch kayaks, stand up paddleboards, and small boats to explore the Sweetwater Marsh wildlife area.
What to hope for: You can launch your own non-motorized boat or go on a kayak tour of the marsh with a guide to see birds and other animals. Shoreline paths also give you a chance to see wildlife.
11. Chula Vista Nature Center
Guest Information:
The Nature Center is open every day from 9 am to 5 pm. There are entry fees. There is parking on-site.
The Chula Vista Nature Center is a great place for families to learn about the world. This museum and aquarium complex lets you interact with the coastal plants, animals, and environments of Southern California. In the aquarium’s live tidal touch pools, people can interact with turtles, sharks, octopuses, and other animals up close.
Outside, people can walk along lush garden paths that go through reconstructed coastal sage scrub and riparian habitats. The Nature Center also has events and programs that teach people, like guided walks to watch birds. Going outside in Chula Vista can take hours because there is so much to see, do, and learn.
History: This environment center has been around since 1987 and is run by volunteers. Its goals are to teach, protect, and rehabilitate wildlife.
What to hope for: There are natural displays with native reptiles and birds of prey. Along coastal sage scrub and marsh trails, you can walk. Go to events and groups that teach you.
12. Veterans Memorial Park
Guest Information:
The park is open every day from dawn until dusk. There is free parking on-site.
A number of thoughtful memorials and tributes are set up in this waterfront park in western Chula Vista to honor the heroes who have served our country. A memorial wall with the names of more than 400 local soldiers is the park’s main attraction. Others honor survivors of Pearl Harbor, Medal of Honor winners, POWs and MIAs, and more. There are signs that explain what each monument means.
Along the park’s walking path along the water, there are benches where you can sit and think while looking out over San Diego Bay. Every year on Memorial Day and Veterans Day, events are held in the park. Veterans Memorial Park is an important place to visit any time of the year because of its beautiful bayfront setting and moving memorials.
Location: Veterans Memorial Park is located in Chula Vista, California.
History: This park, which opened in 1998, is a tribute to the service of Chula Vista soldiers. On the memorial wall are names of more than 400 local soldiers.
What to hope for: The park has a memorial wall and plaza, walking paths, picnic places with views of downtown, and events happen there from time to time. People can pay their respects, think, or just enjoy the open green area.