PARK YOURSELF IN SAN DIEGO

If you have time to visit only one place in the city, you can’t go wrong by making it Balboa Park.

This 485-hectare wonderland, also known as the Smithsonian of the West, ranks among the world’s most spectacular urban parks and is one of the oldest in the United States.

Balboa Park is vast, but you can make the most of limited time by heading to the park’s Laurel Street/El Prado western entrance that’s a 3km stroll north-east of the cruise terminal (go via Bankers Hill, where descending aeroplanes almost give you a blow-dry). Cross the Cabrillo Bridge, built in 1915, to reach the ornamental California Tower and nearby Spreckels Organ Pavilion, home to the world’s largest pipe organ (free concerts are held every Sunday at 2pm). The Old Cactus Garden, planted in 1935, is a good turnaround point as you can return to El Prado via the shaded Palm Canyon Trail.

Those with more time on their hands can explore park institutions such as the new Comic-Con Museum (the final exhibits will open in July), the San Diego Museum of Art and the Mingei International Museum, home to folk art, craft and design. North of the park is Breakfast & Bubbles, a pink-dipped eatery serving all-day Champagne breakfasts.

Fans of large-scale murals can head south-east of the cruise terminal, through the city’s historic Gaslamp Quarter, to reach Chicano Park. Here, the Coronado Bridge’s footings are painted with more than 80 powerful images that reflect the proud Mexican-American heritage of the Barrio Logan neighbourhood.

Fancy a short overwater jaunt? Board the Flagship ferry to reach Coronado, the peninsula that’s home to the vast naval station you pass when cruising out of San Diego. The sailaway also offers a fine view of the Hotel del Coronado. The Del, as it’s known, is a grand Victorian-era turreted hotel that’s been frequented by presidents, celebrities – and the odd ghost.