Things to Do in Del Mar: 13 Local Picks (2026)

The best things to do in Del Mar cluster within a few blocks of the sand: spread out on the beach below Powerhouse Park, walk the village along Camino Del Mar, and in summer catch the horses at the racetrack up the road. After 25 years of driving up the coast for a beach day, this is the town we send visitors to when they want San Diego’s upscale beach village without the theme-park crowds. Del Mar is small (about 1.7 square miles and under 4,000 residents), walkable, and genuinely pretty. Here is how we spend a day here, what to skip, and where to leave the car so you are not circling on a race-day Saturday.

The short answer: Start on Del Mar City Beach below Powerhouse Park and Seagrove Park, walk the village and Del Mar Plaza for the ocean-view decks, and hike Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve just to the south. In summer, add a day at the Del Mar racetrack (take the COASTER to Solana Beach and the free shuttle to skip parking). Bring the dog to North Beach after Labor Day, eat on the sand at Poseidon or Jake’s, and park north near 25th Street to dodge the village parking crunch.

Del Mar at a glance

Spot	What it is	Where	Cost
Del Mar City Beach	Wide sandy beach, lifeguards, 15th St reef break	Foot of 15th St, below Powerhouse Park	Free; paid parking
Powerhouse & Seagrove Park	Bluff-top oceanfront lawns, playground, picnics	1658 Coast Blvd / 15th St at Coast Blvd	Free
Del Mar racetrack	Seaside horse racing, summer + fall meets	2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd (Fairgrounds)	Paid; confirm gate price
Del Mar Village & Plaza	Walkable shops, ocean-view dining decks	Camino Del Mar; Plaza at 1555 Camino Del Mar	Free to stroll
Torrey Pines State Reserve	Coastal hiking, rare pines, bluffs, beach	12600 N Torrey Pines Rd (just south)	Free walk-in; ~$10 to $25 to park
North Beach (Dog Beach)	Seasonal off-leash dog beach	North of 29th St to Solana Beach line	Free; paid parking

1. Spread out on Del Mar City Beach

Del Mar City Beach is the wide, sandy, family-friendly stretch below the bluff-top parks at the foot of 15th Street, and it is free. The main lifeguard tower, restrooms, and showers sit at 17th Street, and the 15th Street reef break is the town’s signature surf spot, a rare rocky reef in an otherwise sandy coast that pulls in longboarders on a clean morning. The sand is soft and the swimming is gentle, which is why we bring out-of-town family here over rockier beaches to the south.

• Where: Along Coast Boulevard, below Powerhouse Park, with the main tower at 17th Street.
• Best time: Early morning for parking and calm surf, or golden hour for the light. September and October are often the warmest, clearest weeks of the year.
• The local move: Skip the packed 15th to 17th Street core. Park up north near 25th to 29th Street, where the neighborhood streets are free, and walk down to a quieter patch of sand.

2. Picnic on the bluff at Powerhouse Park and Seagrove Park

Powerhouse Park and the adjoining Seagrove Park are the grassy oceanfront lawns perched on the bluff right above the beach at 15th Street, and they might be the best free seat in town. There is a playground, picnic tables, an outdoor shower, and an unobstructed view of the water that makes this a prime spot to watch for dolphins or catch a sunset. The restored Powerhouse building itself is a 1928 city power station that now hosts weddings and community events.

• Where: Powerhouse Park at 1658 Coast Boulevard; Seagrove Park at the west end of 15th Street.
• Best time: Powerhouse Park is open 24 hours; Seagrove runs 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Come at sunset with a blanket.
• The local move: Grab a sandwich in the village and eat it up here on the lawn instead of paying for a rail-side view table. The view is the same and it costs nothing.

3. Watch the horses at the Del Mar racetrack

The Del Mar racetrack, home of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, is the town’s most famous thing to do, a seaside horse-racing track that Bing Crosby and friends opened in 1937 and still runs to the anthem “Where the Turf Meets the Surf.” It sits at the Del Mar Fairgrounds at 2260 Jimmy Durante Boulevard. The summer meet for 2026 runs Friday, July 17 through Labor Day, Monday, September 7, with racing Thursday through Sunday, and the fall “Bing Crosby” meet runs November 6 to 29. The $1 million Pacific Classic lands August 22.

• Where: Del Mar Fairgrounds, 2260 Jimmy Durante Boulevard, off Via de la Valle.
• Best time: Weekdays are cheaper and calmer than opening weekend. Fridays bring the free Four O’Clock Fridays concert on the infield after the last race, included with admission.
• The local move: Take the COASTER train to the Solana Beach station and ride the free shuttle to the gate. It skips the race-day parking mess entirely. General admission has run around $10 in recent years with kids 17 and under free, but confirm the current gate price on dmtc.com before you go.

4. Bring the dog to North Beach

Del Mar’s North Beach, the stretch from 29th Street up to the Solana Beach line, is one of the county’s beloved off-leash dog beaches, but the rules are seasonal and worth getting right. From the day after Labor Day through June 15, dogs run off-leash under voice control on North Beach. In peak summer, June 16 through Labor Day, off-leash is allowed only from dawn to 8 a.m. and dogs must be leashed the rest of the day, and the central beach bans dogs altogether. For 2026, the full off-leash season resumes Tuesday, September 8.

• Where: North Beach, along Coast Boulevard north of 29th Street.
• Best time: After Labor Day, when the all-day off-leash season opens back up and the summer crowds thin.
• The local move: Leashes cap at 6 feet, your dog needs a current license on the collar, and fines start at $285, so keep the dog leashed until you reach the North Beach zone. If you are chasing off-leash sand around the county, see our roundup of the best dog beaches in San Diego.

5. Stroll and shop the Del Mar Village and Del Mar Plaza

The Del Mar Village is the walkable heart of town along Camino Del Mar, a tidy few blocks of boutiques, cafes, and restaurants with almost no chain-store feel. The anchor is Del Mar Plaza at 1555 Camino Del Mar, a three-level open-air center famous for its tiered ocean-view dining decks. It is the classic “park once and wander” stretch.

• Where: Camino Del Mar between roughly 13th and 15th Streets; the Plaza at 1555 Camino Del Mar.
• Best time: Late afternoon into evening, when the light is best over the water.
• The local move: The Plaza’s third-floor Ocean View Deck has free live music most evenings, Thursday through Sunday from spring into November. Go up for a drink and the view rather than paying a premium for a table right at the railing.

6. Eat on the sand at Poseidon or Jake’s

For the toes-in-the-sand meal, Del Mar has two ocean-front restaurants sitting right on the beach next to each other on Coast Boulevard. Poseidon on the Beach (1670 Coast Boulevard) has been serving seafood and cocktails from a big beachfront patio since 1968, and Jake’s Del Mar (1660 Coast Boulevard) next door has done New American on the sand since 1981. Both are pricier splurges, but the setting is the point.

• Where: Poseidon at 1670 Coast Boulevard; Jake’s at 1660 Coast Boulevard, both on the sand below the village.
• Best time: Sunset, with a reservation. Weekend brunch at Jake’s is a local tradition.
• The local move: If you just want the view and not the full dinner bill, come for a drink and an appetizer on the patio at off-peak hours rather than a peak-Saturday dinner reservation.

7. Hike Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve

Just south of Del Mar, Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve is the coastal hiking gem of the North County coast: short bluff-top trails winding through the rare Torrey pine, sandstone canyons, and ocean overlooks, plus a wide state beach below. The reserve is open every day, with the gate opening around 7:15 a.m. and closing at sunset. It borders Del Mar at the south end, so it pairs naturally with a beach morning.

• Where: 12600 North Torrey Pines Road, at the south edge of Del Mar.
• Best time: Early morning to beat both the crowds and the peak parking price, since fees run higher on weekends.
• The local move: Vehicle day-use parking is demand-based, roughly $10 to $25. To skip the fee entirely, park on the street or in Del Mar and walk in along the beach at low tide. For more trails at this level, see our guide to the best easy hikes in San Diego.

8. Go to the San Diego County Fair

Each summer the Del Mar Fairgrounds hosts the San Diego County Fair, the region’s big June-into-July fair with rides, concerts, fried everything, and livestock barns. For 2026 it runs June 10 through July 5, closed most Mondays and Tuesdays, with the theme “Once Upon a Fair.” Admission runs $17 to $20 in advance depending on the day. The fair wraps up right before the summer race meet opens, so the fairgrounds runs one big event straight into the next.

• Where: Del Mar Fairgrounds, 2260 Jimmy Durante Boulevard.
• Best time: A weekday afternoon or evening, when the ride lines are shortest.
• The local move: Buy tickets in advance online to save a few dollars over the gate, and use the same COASTER-plus-shuttle trick to avoid the parking crush.

9. Grab an ocean-view drink at L’Auberge Del Mar

L’Auberge Del Mar, at 1540 Camino Del Mar, is the landmark village resort, a full-service oceanfront hotel steps from the beach and the Plaza. You do not need to be a guest to enjoy the best of it. The Living Room lounge is a genuine local hangout for a drink and live music, and Spa L’Auberge takes non-guest appointments in its seaside cottage.

• Where: 1540 Camino Del Mar, at the top of the village.
• Best time: Late afternoon on the terrace for the ocean light, or evening for live music in the Living Room.
• The local move: Order a drink at the Living Room or on the terrace for the resort’s ocean view without the room rate. For a coastal overnight, browse local hotels and lodging in our directory.

10. Shop Flower Hill Promenade

On the inland side of town near Interstate 5 and Via de la Valle, Flower Hill Promenade (2720 Via de la Valle) is Del Mar’s other shopping and dining center, an open-air spread of around 40 specialty shops and restaurants anchored by a Whole Foods Market and a movie theater. It is where locals run errands, catch a film, and grab groceries, and it is a good rainy-day or too-hot-for-the-beach backup.

• Where: 2720 Via de la Valle, just east of I-5.
• Best time: Anytime; it is the practical, everyday side of Del Mar.
• The local move: Flower Hill runs its own farmers market on Saturday mornings, separate from the city’s market downtown, so you can hit one or the other depending on which end of town you are in.

11. Shop the Saturday farmers market

The Del Mar Farmers Market is the certified Saturday market that sets up at the Del Mar Civic Center, 1050 Camino Del Mar, from noon to 4 p.m. year-round. It runs to produce, eggs, local seafood, baked goods, honey, prepared food, and crafts, with free garage parking right there at the Civic Center. It is a low-key, genuinely local scene and an easy add-on to a village walk.

• Where: Del Mar Civic Center, 1050 Camino Del Mar (lower outdoor lot).
• Best time: Saturday, noon to 4 p.m.
• The local move: Park in the Civic Center garage (it is free and open 24/7) and do the market plus a village stroll in one stop, since the exterior spaces there fill for the market.

12. Walk the coast toward Torrey Pines

The beach walk south from Del Mar toward Torrey Pines is one of the prettier flat coastal walks in the county, running below the tall, banded sandstone bluffs with the water on one side. Time it for low tide, because at high tide some stretches have no dry sand to pass. It is a quiet, wide-open stretch once you get past the village beach.

• Where: Head south along the sand from the 15th Street beach toward Torrey Pines State Beach.
• Best time: A low-tide morning. Check a tide chart before you commit to the full walk.
• The local move: Stay on the beach and off the railroad tracks on top of the bluff. That single active rail line carries the COASTER, Amtrak, and freight, the bluffs are eroding, and crossing the tracks is illegal trespassing that has killed pedestrians here. There is no legal beach-level crossing along the bluff face, so use the official beach access points only.

13. Eat like a local in the village

Beyond the beachfront splurges, the village has a solid lineup of everyday local tables. En Fuego Cantina and Grill (1342 Camino Del Mar) is the go-to for Mexican and margaritas on the patio. Il Fornaio, up in Del Mar Plaza, does wood-fired Italian with fire-lit ocean-view patios. Sbicca (215 15th Street) is the New American and wine spot, Americana is the popular brunch, Del Mar Rendezvous handles the Asian craving, and Board and Brew is the cheap, beloved sandwich stop.

A couple of currency notes, because the village is mid-turnover in 2026. The decades-old Bully’s Del Mar prime-rib institution has closed and its site is being redeveloped into a Hillstone Honor Bar, so cross Bully’s off any older list and check whether Honor Bar has opened. Prepkitchen Del Mar has also closed, and the longtime ocean-view Pacifica Del Mar in the Plaza announced it is closing, so do not build a plan around it. Hours move around here, so call ahead. For more local tables around the county, see our guide to kid-friendly restaurants in San Diego and browse the restaurant listings in our directory.

The trap to skip

The trap is timing, and it is the same one every summer. Do not roll into the 15th Street village core at noon on a race-day or fair-day Saturday expecting to find beach parking, because you will spend 30 minutes circling while the central beach bans dogs and the meters are all taken. Either come early and park north in the free neighborhood streets near 25th to 29th Street, or leave the car and take the COASTER to Solana Beach with the free shuttle. For the ocean-view-drink experience without the parking fight, use the Del Mar Plaza’s free Ocean View Deck or L’Auberge’s Living Room instead of hunting for a table right on the sand.

Getting there and parking

Del Mar sits about 20 miles up the coast from downtown San Diego, a 25 to 35 minute drive on Interstate 5 depending on traffic. Take I-5 to Via de la Valle for the north end, the fairgrounds, and Flower Hill, or Del Mar Heights Road for the south end, then head west to Camino Del Mar (old Highway 101). Del Mar has no train station of its own, so the nearest rail stop is Solana Beach, about two miles north, on the COASTER and Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner.

Parking is the only genuinely tricky part. Free parking does exist if you time it: the Civic Center garage at 1050 Camino Del Mar is free 24/7, and the neighborhood streets north of the village (roughly 22nd to 29th Street) are free with no time limit. The beach lots and village meters near 15th Street fill by late morning on summer weekends. The move locals make is to park once, early, in a free spot and then walk, rather than feeding a meter all day.

For more San Diego coast days, see our guides to things to do in Encinitas up the road, things to do in La Jolla just south, and things to do in Coronado. If you want to turn Del Mar into a bigger loop, our roundup of day trips from San Diego maps out the whole North County coast, and you can browse local tours, rentals, and recreation in our directory. Hours, prices, race dates, and closures move around, so when a detail really matters, confirm it with the venue before you go. Everything here was current as we wrote it in September 2026.