Walking Tour: The Embarcadero

Start: The Maritime Museum, Harbor Drive and Ash Street.

Finish: The Convention Center, Harbor Drive and Fifth Avenue.

Time: 1 1/2 hours, not including museum and shopping stops.

Best Times: Weekday mornings (when it's less crowded and easier to park.)

Worst Times: Weekends, especially in the afternoon, when the Maritime Museum and Seaport Village are crowded; also when cruise ships are in port (days vary).

San Diego's colorful Embarcadero, or waterfront, cradles a bevy of seagoing vessels--frigates, ferries, paddle-wheelers, yachts, cruise ships, and even a merchant vessel. You'll also find equally colorful Seaport Village, a shopping and dining center with a nautical theme.

Start at the:

1. Maritime Museum

It's located at Harbor Drive at Ash Street. Making up part of the floating museum is the magnificent Star of India, the world's oldest merchant ship still afloat, built in 1863 as the Euterpe. The ship, whose billowing sails are a familiar sight along Harbor Drive, once carried cargo to India and immigrants to New Zealand, and it braved the Arctic ice in Alaska to work in the salmon industry. Another component of the Maritime Museum is the ferry Berkeley, built in 1898 to operate between San Francisco and Oakland. In service through 1958, it carried survivors to safety 24 hours a day for 4 days after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. The Medea, the third and smallest display in the floating museum, is a steam yacht. One ticket gets you onto all three boats.

From this vantage point, you get a fine view of the:

2. County Administration Center

This building was built in 1936 with funds from the Works Progress Administration, and was dedicated in 1938 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The 23-foot-high granite sculpture in front, Guardian of Water, was completed by Donal Hord--San Diego's most notable sculptor--in 1939. It represents a pioneer woman shouldering a water jug. The building is even more impressive from the other side because of the carefully tended gardens; it's well worth the effort and extra few minutes to walk around to Pacific Highway for a look. On weekdays the building is open from 8am to 5pm; there are restrooms and a cafeteria inside.

Take a Break

The cafeteria on the fourth floor of the County Administration Center (tel. 619/515-4258) has lovely harbor views; it's open weekdays until 3:35pm. If you can't pass up the chance to have some seafood, return to the waterfront to Anthony's Fishette (tel. 619/232-5105), the simplest entity in the Anthony's clan of seafood houses, which serves fish and chips, shrimp, and other snacks alfresco. Next door is the Star of the Sea restaurant (tel. 619/232-7408), one of the city's finest seafood restaurants; it's open for dinner only.

Continue south along the Embarcadero. The large carnival-colored building on your right is the:

3. San Diego Cruise Ship Terminal

Located on the B Street Pier, it has a large nautical clock at the entrance. Totally renovated in 1985, the flag-decorated terminal's interior is light and airy. Inside, you'll also find a snack bar and gift shop.

Farther along is the location for the:

4. Harbor cruises

They depart from sunup to sundown on tours of San Diego's harbor; ticket booths are right on the water.

A little farther south, near the Broadway Pier, is the:

5. Coronado Ferry

It makes hourly trips between San Diego and Coronado. Buy tickets from the Harbor Excursion booth--you can make the round-trip in about 50 minutes.

To your left as you look up Broadway, you'll see the two gold mission-style towers of the:

6. Santa Fe Depot

This mosaic-draped railroad station was built in 1915, and provides one of the city's best examples of Mission Revival style. It's only 1 1/2 blocks away, so walk up and look inside at the vaulted ceiling, wooden benches, and walls covered in striking green-and-gold tiles. A scale model of the aircraft carrier USS Midway is on display inside.

Continuing south on Harbor Drive, you'll stroll through a small tree- and bench-lined:

7. Waterfront park

South of that, at Pier 11, is the:

8. U.S. Air Carrier Memorial

Erected in 1993, it's a compact black granite obelisk that honors the nation's carriers and crews. It stands on the site of the old navy fleet landing, where thousands of servicemen boarded ships over the years.

Continue along the walkway to:

9. Tuna Harbor

This is where the commercial fishing boats congregate. San Diego's tuna fleet, with about 100 boats, is one of the world's largest.

Take a Break

The red building to your right houses the Fish Market (tel. 619/232-FISH), a market and casual restaurant, and its upscale counterpart, Top of the Market (tel. 619/234-4TOP), just upstairs. You can be assured that a meal here is fresh off the boat. Both serve lunch and dinner, and the Fish Market has a children's menu and an oyster and sushi bar. It's acceptable to drop in just for a drink and to savor the view, which is mighty. Prices are moderate to expensive. If you prefer something quick and cheap, save yourself a walk and stop in at casual Anthony's Fishette (tel. 619/232-5105). A cousin of the one you passed earlier, it's just outside Seaport Village. For dessert or coffee, go inside Seaport Village to Upstart Crow (tel. 619/232-4855), a bookstore and coffeehouse, and sip cappuccino in the company of your favorite authors.

Keep walking south, where you can meander along the winding pathways of:

10. Seaport Village

It contains a myriad of shops and restaurants. The Broadway Flying Horses Carousel is pure nostalgia. Charles Looff, of Coney Island, carved the animals out of poplar in 1890. The merry-go-round was originally installed at Coney Island and later moved to Salisbury, Massachusetts. Seaport Village bought it in the 1970s and spent more than 2 years restoring it to its original splendor--the horses even have real horsehair tails. If you decide to take a twirl, pick your mount from the 40 horses, 3 goats, and 3 Saint Bernard dogs. This carousel comes complete with the elusive brass ring.

As you stroll farther, you will no doubt notice the official symbol of Seaport Village. The 45-foot-high detailed replica of the famous Mukilteo Lighthouse of Everett, Washington, towers above the other buildings.

From Seaport Village, continue your waterfront walk south to the:

11. Marriott San Diego Hotel & Marina

Adjacent to Embarcadero Marina Park, which is well used by San Diegans for strolling and jogging, it provides a terrific view of the Coronado Bridge. A concession at the marina office rents boats by the hour at reasonable rates and arranges diving, water-skiing, and fishing outings. The impressive hotel resembles an ocean liner.

The waterfront walkway continues to the:

12. Convention Center

This building is another striking piece of architecture hugging the city's waterfront. When it was first completed in late 1989, its presence on the waterfront was a major factor in the revitalization of downtown San Diego. Recently, it was enlarged to an even more imposing size, to less acclaim.

Winding Down

The Marriott's waterfront bar, the Yacht Club (tel. 619/234-1500), looks out onto the marina and the bay beyond. It's a choice spot for watching the sunset (you might want to plan your walking tour so the end coincides with it). You can get drinks, appetizers, and light fare here, and if you linger into the evening, there's likely to be live music and dancing.