Conveniently located on the Pacific Ocean in north county San Diego, the Village of Carlsbad offers a multitude of sights and sounds ready for you to explore. Carlsbad's unique blend of museums, art galleries and outdoor concerts combined with incredible beaches and awesome ocean sunsets, make it a vacationer's paradise. This article focuses on the six things every visitor MUST do when visiting this village that locals call "Paradise By The Sea."
1. One of the most beautiful sites on the West Coast, Carlsbad's famous Flower Fields are transformed into fifty acres of visual splendor each spring from March through early May, framed by the magnificent vistas of the sparkling Pacific ocean. Children can run around and blow off steam while adults linger and enjoy the quiet on the color-filled hillside overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
2. The 610-acre Batiquitos Lagoon is one of SoCal's few remaining tidal wetlands. Interpretive signs along the trails assist visitors with identifying the many species of birds and wildlife that call the lagoon home. A stroll along the two miles of nature trails from the Visitor's Center takes you by nesting sites of red-wing blackbirds and through rookeries of great blue herons, great egrets, black-crowned night herons and snowy egrets.
3. If you have kids, don't miss Legoland. This unique theme park provides a very pleasant experience for both children AND parents. The park is clean, pleasantly landscaped and alive with color. Adults enjoy "Miniland" where entire city skylines are recreated with Legos. Attractive cafs with reasonable prices offer tasty yet healthy choices for hungry kids (try the apple fries). Lines to ride the attractions are short compared to Disneyland, especially first thing in the morning.
4. Downtown Carlsbad has the charm of a European village. Its wide tree-lined streets and sidewalks make it a great place for walking and exploring. Visitors will find cute boutiques, rare antique shops, unusual gift stores, delightful restaurants and cafes, picturesque hotels, stunning art galleries, quaint pubs and architecturally significant historic homes. A well-known landmark is the Alt Karlsbad House, site of the first mineral water spa in Carlsbad, built in the 1880s.
5. The Carlsbad Farmer's Market in the Village is a fun and lively bazaar. Visitors and locals alike flock here to buy local fruits and vegetables and other unique and hard-to-find products. The market is open every Wednesday and Saturday afternoon and is located on Roosevelt between Grand and Carlsbad Village Drive.
6. Agua Hedionda Lagoon is an important Ecological Reserve managed by the California Department of Fish and Game. Trails along the Lagoon lead from the Discovery Center which offers unique exhibits about the lagoon with a focus on the Native Americans who once inhabited the area. The Center affords spectacular views overlooking the surrounding lagoon and Pacific Ocean in the distance. Visitors may walk through the garden containing more than 800 native plants and displays chock full of information about Agua Hedionda Lagoon and its native plants and animals.
1. One of the most beautiful sites on the West Coast, Carlsbad's famous Flower Fields are transformed into fifty acres of visual splendor each spring from March through early May, framed by the magnificent vistas of the sparkling Pacific ocean. Children can run around and blow off steam while adults linger and enjoy the quiet on the color-filled hillside overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
2. The 610-acre Batiquitos Lagoon is one of SoCal's few remaining tidal wetlands. Interpretive signs along the trails assist visitors with identifying the many species of birds and wildlife that call the lagoon home. A stroll along the two miles of nature trails from the Visitor's Center takes you by nesting sites of red-wing blackbirds and through rookeries of great blue herons, great egrets, black-crowned night herons and snowy egrets.
3. If you have kids, don't miss Legoland. This unique theme park provides a very pleasant experience for both children AND parents. The park is clean, pleasantly landscaped and alive with color. Adults enjoy "Miniland" where entire city skylines are recreated with Legos. Attractive cafs with reasonable prices offer tasty yet healthy choices for hungry kids (try the apple fries). Lines to ride the attractions are short compared to Disneyland, especially first thing in the morning.
4. Downtown Carlsbad has the charm of a European village. Its wide tree-lined streets and sidewalks make it a great place for walking and exploring. Visitors will find cute boutiques, rare antique shops, unusual gift stores, delightful restaurants and cafes, picturesque hotels, stunning art galleries, quaint pubs and architecturally significant historic homes. A well-known landmark is the Alt Karlsbad House, site of the first mineral water spa in Carlsbad, built in the 1880s.
5. The Carlsbad Farmer's Market in the Village is a fun and lively bazaar. Visitors and locals alike flock here to buy local fruits and vegetables and other unique and hard-to-find products. The market is open every Wednesday and Saturday afternoon and is located on Roosevelt between Grand and Carlsbad Village Drive.
6. Agua Hedionda Lagoon is an important Ecological Reserve managed by the California Department of Fish and Game. Trails along the Lagoon lead from the Discovery Center which offers unique exhibits about the lagoon with a focus on the Native Americans who once inhabited the area. The Center affords spectacular views overlooking the surrounding lagoon and Pacific Ocean in the distance. Visitors may walk through the garden containing more than 800 native plants and displays chock full of information about Agua Hedionda Lagoon and its native plants and animals.
About the Author:
Terry Hunefeld retired in 2007 from his job as a CEO to pursue his passion of sailing the Pacific Ocean to observe seabirds and mammals. Terry and his wife purchased and now operate a romantic 4-suite Bed and Breakfast Inn near San Diego, California. For more information visit: Carlsbad Bed and Breakfasts or Hotels in Carlsbad California.
