Why San Diego Is a Great Destination for Digital Nomads
North Park, San Diego
San Diego is one of the most beautiful parts of California (it’s where I lived for eight years!) and makes a great destination for digital nomads, too. The more I travel, the more I meet other digital nomads who have made SD their home base for a few months, whether it is to escape snowy winters or to learn how to surf. There truly are endless things to do in San Diego. With year-round mild weather giving sun and blue skies for a majority of the year, San Diego offers plenty to do both indoors and outdoors year-round. This makes taking work breaks outside so nice.
Digital Nomad Days in PB
Pacific Beach
If it is your first time in San Diego, you’ll want to experience time at the beach! Pacific Beach (“PB”) has a bunch of coffee shops and outdoor cafes to work from during the day. PB is a very popular area for visitors new to San Diego, though there are a ton of locals there too so it doesn’t feel overly touristy, which is a great balance.
My personal favorite coffee shop to work from is Better Buzz Coffee (there are three locations in PB and additional throughout the city), though I also love Palmy’s and Armonia Cafe. When you want to take a quick break in PB, I recommend going for a walk along Crystal Pier for beautiful views or up and down Garnet Avenue, the main shopping + restaurant street.
Things to Do in Your Free Time in San Diego
Hotel del Coronado
Like I wrote above, there is so much to do and so many unique neighborhoods to check out! Be sure to plan time to explore the city during your time in San Diego.
Whether you hang out at the beach, get drinks at a trendy spot in Little Italy, check out the food and bar scene in North Park, explore the museums at Balboa Park, catch a Padres baseball game at Petco Park, admire the coastal views and visit the seals in La Jolla, go golfing at Torrey Pines, or take a day trip for some hiking or mountain activities, there is no shortage of things to do.
That said, San Diego has a vibrant health and wellness scene. There are a number of gyms, fitness studios, pilates studios, the PB run club, and wellness pop-up events happening all the time.
Getting Around San Diego
North of Crystal Pier in Pacific Beach
What you hear about Southern California is true: you will probably need a car to get around. While there are some public transportation options throughout the city, it’s usually not very practical due to how the city is laid out.
Ridesharing options like Uber or Lyft can be an easy solution for quick rides, though if you are with a group, visiting for a corporate event, a bachelor or bachelorette party (very common in San Diego!), a birthday party, or other planned group trip, this is where private transportation (for example, something like MIB Transportation) can come in handy.
Even if you want to get a group together to go wine tasting in Temecula, for example, planning a private group transfer can be really helpful! I have a number of friends who will plan big group outings for special events and book some sort of a private transportation to make things easy and organized.
Enjoy your visit to San Diego as a digital nomad! Be sure to make the most of it and soak up every moment in this beautiful corner of the US.