Things to Do in Coronado

Perhaps with the exception of a high-school prom, The Gondola Company can put almost any romantic event on the water. Its vessels ferry passengers across the canals of the Coronado Cays on several types of cruises, all of which spark a romantic ambiance with Italian music and BYOB amenities. The classic 50-minute Pasaporto jaunts depart for relaxing voyages day and night. As an optional add-on, a live mandolin or violin player can tag along to strum charming, traditional melodies.

The gondoliers do not exclusively transport small groups; they also pilot Venetian caorlinas, larger boats that can accommodate up to 14 people during family-style celebrations. For even grander gatherings, a fleet cruise dispatches as many as six separate gondolas, which can smoothly support entire wedding parties atop the water. Other specialized cruises treat passengers to more than scenic views and the melancholy mating croons of wild sturgeons. On a wine-tasting cruise, a sommelier lectures on a flight of six libations. Alternatively, a Voga massage cruise lays two beds inside the boat, permitting massage therapists to coax tension from couples' torsos and limbs as they skim along the canal surface.

Where You Want to Be Tours was launched as a walking-tour company in 2003 and since then has offered tours of San Diego that take locals and visitors to spots such as Balboa Park and the shores of La Jolla. Most adventures last more than two hours, so tourists have plenty of time to stop and sightsee or fold obsolete guidebooks into three-corner hats that will shade their eyes from the sun. Today, the company has expanded its offerings with bike tours of locations such as Pacific Beach and Mission Bay and urban scavenger hunts, which present a hands-on approach to urban exploration, turning tour routes into racecourses and throwing in physical challenges, including Frisbee-throwing contests.

Staff members at Rick's Rent-A-Boat outfit water-riders with the necessary safety equipment before sending them off for a ride on a professionally maintained jet ski, kayak, or boat. During excursions, riders safely glide over the ripples and spray of San Diego Bay's coastal waters atop a Kawasaki or Honda jet ski, kayak, or Triton ski boat. Sporting a provided life vest and drawing on operating instructions included with each rental, riders cruise atop their seafaring stallions, skimming over foamy waves and leading schools of local fish in a Hamlet lecture. Depending on Mother Nature's mood, guests can make waves 8 a.m.–8 p.m. every day of the week.

Creative clients brush layers of vibrant, nontoxic paint onto a wide selection of pieces at Daydreams Ceramic Café. The wood- and earth-tone-accented shop, with a feel akin to a rustic winery, lines shelves with blank bowls, vases, mugs, and figurines. After a creative slathering, staff members glaze each piece and fire it in in the café's 2,000-degree kiln for up to two days, rendering it glossy and safe for food, microwaves, dishwashers, and teething pets. The café charges no studio fee for its visiting artists and allows them to return as many times as necessary to complete their masterworks—features which may have helped it to snag a 2011 Best Arts & Crafts award from CityVoter.

Leaving the bustle of the 805 freeway, visitors to Sweetwater Farms are swiftly transported to a pastoral scene alive with the sound of hoof clopping and constant horse-centric activity. The riding school has been tutoring riders in English-, Western-, and trail-riding styles since 1985, with programs that range from beginning horsemanship to hosting full-fledged hunter/jumper shows. Trail rides saddle guests atop steady, gentle dude-ranch horses or rehabilitated mechanical bulls for tours through nature, and horse camps immerse young riders in the world of horses to build riding skills, as well as confidence and responsibility. In addition to welcoming guests to their programs, Sweetwater Farms also boards and sells horses.

Though most art studios operate in a set brick-and-mortar locale, Paint and Palate floats to a rotating cache of locations, celebrating creative ingenuity with cuisine and libations available for purchase. Each painting session pivots on a different theme, whether participants invent their own take on a Picasso classic while snacking on bruschetta, perfect soft, Monet-like brush strokes next to a glass of wine, or stack up thick layers in the style of Van Gogh as they listen to constructive criticism from the voices in their heads. Paint and Palate also sets itself apart by donating 10 percent of its proceeds to local charities that address the needs of children and the elderly.