Oceanside's Outdoor Attractions

Covering more than 41 square miles of beautiful southern California real estate, Oceanside is happily located in North San Diego County. This great city offers many of the fabulous attractions of its more famous southern neighbor in a much more relaxed, easy going and small-town type of environment. In Oceanside, there are no mega malls or gigantic fitness clubs, Toronto, LA and New York have got those covered!

Oceanside is located along the Pacific Coast Highway, known also as Highway 101 or simply Coast highway. As a coastal community, it comes as no surprise that the main attractions in Oceanside are found, you guessed it, by the ocean side! Here are just a few of the many must-see attractions in this amazing coastal community.

Oceanside Pier: This could be called Oceanside's most memorable landmark, as well as one of the most popular hangouts. The pier was constructed in the later part of the 1890s by Melchoir Pieper, using the lumber that had been thankfully salvaged from the wharf located at Wisconsin Street after it was destroyed in a storm, similar to the recycled building materials used in the Annex Toronto. Since then the pier has undergone many facelifts and upgrades, most recently having been totally rebuilt in 1987. Today Oceanside's pier is a very popular attraction for both visitors and locals, offering superb fishing, a great view of the vast Pacific Ocean, as well as a little bit of intriguing Oceanside history.

Oceanside Harbor: Situated at the northernmost point of Oceanside's 3.5 sprawling miles of white sandy beaches, the Oceanside Harbor and Harbor Village is a ideal places to idle away a day or two. With numerous private boat docks, visitors will be greeted with a beautiful view of the Pacific Ocean over the colorful bobbing sails and cabins of the many yachts, houseboats, and sport fishing ships owned by boaters ranging from Oakville dentists to Dallas ranchers! The adjoining Oceanside Harbor Beach offers many fire rings, sandy volleyball courts complete with nets, covered grills for cooking, picnic tables, and of course, great big waves. The Harbor Village itself offers numerous activities for locals and visitors, including shopping, sporting and sightseeing./p>

Harbor shopping and restaurants: Visit the many shops of the strip to get the best nautical trinkets and souvenirs, the latest in beach attire, as well as Oceanside-themed mementos and giftware. These and many more items are on display throughout the many shops at Oceanside Harbor Village. If all of the shopping works up an appetite, check out the numerous village coffee shops and restaurants, which serve everything from Italian food, to fish & chips and (of course) seafood as well as delicious hot javas.

Boating: Many facilities and top-of-the-line amenities await the avid sailor as well as the greenest boaters at the Oceanside Harbor. With over 50 guest slips for visitors and a launch ramp, fueling station, laundry facilities, and more, the Oceanside Harbor offers a more than ideal point from which to travel out into the blue Pacific. The local Oceanside Yacht Club promotes various local sailing activities for both members and visiting guests, and even runs events where you could win a car or a free deep sea diving expedition!

Water-sports: Kayaking and jet ski rentals are available year round courtesy of Boat Rentals of America (life jackets are included with each rental). On top of this, charter boat rentals and surfing can be found in Oceanside Harbor Village as easily as researching Netmotion online!

There are clearly a never ending list of outdoor activities and attractions in this seaside community, the best way to find out what you like best is to go out and explore the many sides to the community of Oceanside.