San Diego & Coronado Island, 2016

Hotel del Coronado

Built in 1888, the Hotel del Coronado became one of California’s most beloved seaside destinations, with its Queen Anne architecture, wedding cake trim and famous red roof turrets. The resort community increased its popularity with the rise of Tent City, a large summertime campground that sprung up at the foot of The Del and grew to encompass over 1,000 tents. Recreation included swimming facilities, carnival booths, a Ferris Wheel, aquaplaning, sailing and numerous activities for the entire family. Tent City remains a fond memory for some residents of Coronado and vacationers worldwide who visited the peninsula between 1900 and 1939.

Coronado is linked to San Diego by the San Diego–Coronado Bay Bridge. Named after Los Coronados, a group of Mexican offshore islands, it developed around the ornate Hotel del Coronado (completed 1888; a national historic landmark) as a residential beach resort.