The gorgeous seacoast of Sunset Cliffs

Love it or hate it, Valentine’s Day is here again: a time to gaze into your special someone’s eyes across dancing candlelight—or, conversely, a time to mutter about commercialization and sing the virtues of singlehood.

Well, today at Check In we’re proudly siding with the romantics as we sift out some of the most inspiring locales and activities in San Diego for those going a-courtin’—or marking a passion measured in decades.

Date Nights Out on the Town

We probably don’t need to tell you that San Diego’s dining and nightlife scenes can more than hold their own with any other city, and that makes Downtown one great big date-night playground. An old-school-style romantic meal at a Little Italy trattoria, a sushi smorgasbord in the Gaslamp Quarter, an only-in-San-Diego California burrito in Mission Valley, a fresh-as-can-be seafood feast in La Jolla: A shared meal stokes the fires of love like nobody’s business, and you’ve got some of the best restaurants in America at your service for the purpose. (And hey, don’t forget Currant American Brasserie!)

Then there are all the world-class microbreweries, the wine bars spotlighting Southern Californian vineyards among their wide-ranging offerings, the craft distilleries—lots of places to kick off the evening properly with a tasting or two.

Live entertainment? Try a show at the Casbah, the Belly Up Tavern, or another of San Diego’s many music clubs, or perhaps a performance at the San Diego Civic Theatre, or maybe some laughs at American Comedy Co. or the Mad House Comedy Club…

And speaking of clubs, San Diego lays claim to some of the country’s hottest nightclubs, plus an endless variety of bars and lounges. Look no further than the Gaslamp Quarter—blissfully accessible by foot or public transit from the Sofia Hotel—for some of the richest options in that department.

Sublime Scenery

In San Diego, the bright of day doesn’t dampen the mood: not with the kind of mountains-to-ocean backdrop we boast.  Try a hand-in-hand stroll along the scarp and sands of La Jolla Cove, relishing together the evening majesty on tap from the aptly named Sunset Cliffs on the Point Loma Peninsula, or admiring the San Diego skyline from Coronado’s eastern waterfront.

Feasting on San Diego scenery with one another’s one thing: How about getting out in it? Indulge in an on-the-water date in San Diego Bay with a sailboat cruise, or go the whole Venice “City of Love” route via a (wine-enhanced) gondola ride. Maybe some tandem kayaking or two-by-two stand-up paddleboardingv off La Jolla? Or saddle up a pair of bicycles and pedal the 24 stunning miles of the Bayshore Bikeway between Downtown and Coronado, throwing a picnic in there somewhere along the way.

Well, needless to say, we could go on and on when it comes to sketching out San Diego’s amorous geography. Make a romantic escape to the Sofia Hotel, and we’ll be sure to steer you in the right direction.

Meanwhile, however you choose to celebrate, here’s a very happy Valentine’s Day from all of us at the Sofia!