March in San Diego
Desert wildflowers, gray whales heading north, and the first warm beach days.
66°F / 53°F
Mild and mostly dry, with highs near 66 on the coast and cool mornings around 53. March is the tail of the rainy season, so you can still catch a passing storm, but most days are sunny by afternoon. The marine layer starts showing up some mornings before the heavier May and June gloom sets in. Inland and in the desert it runs warmer, often in the 70s or 80s at Anza-Borrego.
March is the month San Diego turns green and the desert turns gold. After a wet winter, the Anza-Borrego wildflower bloom usually peaks this month, the Carlsbad Flower Fields open their ranunculus rows, and gray whales pass the coast on their way north. Spring break fills the beaches, the Latino Film Festival takes over theaters, and St. Patrick's Day brings a parade to the Balboa Park area. This guide covers what is actually worth your time in San Diego in March.
What's Happening in March
March is one of the busiest months on the local calendar, with film, parades, and the start of spring outdoor season.
San Diego Latino Film Festival
The San Diego Latino Film Festival runs for about two weeks in mid-March, centered at the AMC theaters in Mission Valley. It screens features, documentaries, and shorts from Latin America, Spain, and the United States.
Beyond the screenings, the festival hosts the GabaCine after-parties with music, food, and filmmaker Q and A sessions. Tickets sell per film or as a festival pass.
Buy tickets for popular feature screenings in advance. The opening and closing night films and the GabaCine parties fill up first, while weekday afternoon shorts blocks usually have walk-up seats.
St. Patrick's Day Parade and Festival
San Diego's St. Patrick's Day Parade steps off near Balboa Park, usually on the Saturday closest to March 17. The route runs along Sixth Avenue past the park, followed by an Irish festival in the park itself with live music, dancing, food, and vendors.
The festival is family friendly during the day. Hillcrest and the bars along Fifth Avenue in the Gaslamp get rowdier into the evening.
Parking around Balboa Park is gone early on parade morning. Take the trolley or rideshare, or park in a Hillcrest lot and walk down. The free park lots off Park Boulevard fill before 9am.
Ocean Beach Kite Festival
The Ocean Beach Kite Festival happens in early March at the foot of Newport Avenue and on the beach by the pier. It has run for decades and includes kite-making workshops, a kite-decorating contest for kids, and a parade down to the sand where everyone flies what they built.
The afternoon ocean breeze in OB makes for reliable flying conditions. The event is free and put on by the Ocean Beach Kiwanis.
Newport Avenue parking is hopeless during the festival. Park up the hill in the residential streets above Sunset Cliffs Boulevard and walk down, or come by bike.
Padres Spring Training and Opening Day buildup
By late March the Padres are wrapping spring training in Arizona and the city starts pointing toward Opening Day at Petco Park, which typically lands in late March or early April. Downtown bars and the East Village fill with fans as the season nears.
If you want to catch the team before the home opener, the final spring games in the Peoria, Arizona area run through the month.
Single-game tickets for the home opener go fast. The Park at the Park lawn behind center field is the cheapest way into Petco once the season starts, and kids run the bases on most Sundays.
Beaches and the Outdoors
Trails are green and the beaches are still quiet on weekdays before the summer rush.
Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve
Torrey Pines sits between La Jolla and Del Mar and is at its best in March, when winter rain keeps the bluffs green and the rare Torrey pines stand over sandstone canyons. The Guy Fleming Trail is a flat loop with ocean overlooks, while the Razor Point and Beach Trail routes drop toward Flat Rock and the sand below.
From the bluff trails you can often spot gray whales spouting offshore as they migrate north this month.
The main lot fills by mid-morning on weekends. Park for free along North Torrey Pines Road near the beach and walk up the entrance road, which doubles as a paved warm-up climb.
Cowles Mountain
Cowles Mountain in Mission Trails Regional Park is the highest point in the city of San Diego at 1,593 feet. The standard route from the Golfcrest Drive trailhead is about 3 miles round trip with steady switchbacks and a wide summit view from downtown to the ocean.
March is prime hiking weather here. The hillsides are green, the wildflowers are starting, and temperatures stay comfortable before the summer heat makes the exposed trail brutal.
Go early or near sunset to beat both the crowds and the sun, since there is no shade on the climb. The Golfcrest lot fills fast on weekend mornings, so the Big Rock Park side entrance is a quieter start.
Sunset Cliffs Natural Park
Sunset Cliffs runs along the western edge of Point Loma below Ocean Beach. The bluff-top path gives you tide pools, sea caves, and some of the best sunset views in the county. March tides expose more of the rocky shelf, good for tide pooling at low tide.
The cliffs are eroding and unstable, so stay back from the crumbling edges and use the marked stairways down to the water.
Park along Sunset Cliffs Boulevard south of Ladera Street, where it is free and quieter. Check a tide chart and aim for a low tide for the best tide pools near the Cabrillo end.
Mission Bay and the spring-break beaches
Mission Bay, Pacific Beach, and Mission Beach pick up energy over spring break in mid to late March. The Mission Bay paths are flat and good for biking or skating, and the bayside beaches stay calmer than the open ocean for families.
The water is still cold, usually low 60s, so most people stick to the sand and the boardwalk unless they have a wetsuit.
The boardwalk between Mission Beach and Pacific Beach is packed on warm spring-break afternoons. Rent bikes near Belmont Park early, and park inland on the Mission Bay side where lots are free and easier to find.
Where to Eat and Drink
Spring produce shows up at the markets and the patios are warm enough to sit outside again.
Little Italy and the Saturday Mercato
Little Italy is the densest restaurant neighborhood in the city, and the Saturday Mercato along Date Street is the best farmers market in San Diego. March brings early spring produce, citrus, strawberries, and flowers, alongside prepared food stalls.
After the market, the surrounding blocks have Pappalecco for gelato and espresso, and Ironside Fish and Oyster for raw bar and seafood.
The Mercato runs Saturday mornings on Date Street and is busiest from 10am on. Come right at the start for parking in the nearby garages and the shortest lines at the produce stalls.
Convoy District
Convoy Street in Kearny Mesa is San Diego's main Asian dining corridor, packed with Korean barbecue, Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese, and dessert spots in a few strip-mall miles. It is a year-round destination but a good rainy-March pick when you want to be indoors.
Look for Korean barbecue along Convoy, hand-pulled noodles, and late-night dessert cafes that stay open well past most of the city.
Weekend dinner waits at the popular barbecue spots run long. Put your name in, then walk to a nearby bakery or boba shop while you wait, since the plazas are close together.
Barrio Logan and Mercado del Barrio
Barrio Logan along Logan Avenue and around Chicano Park is the heart of San Diego's Mexican-American food scene. Las Cuatro Milpas has served handmade tortillas and rolled tacos for generations, with a line out the door most mornings.
The neighborhood also has Salud for tacos and a strong coffee and brewery scene. Chicano Park's murals under the Coronado Bridge are worth a walk after lunch.
Las Cuatro Milpas is cash and closes in the early afternoon, so go for an early lunch. The line moves faster than it looks and is part of the experience.
North Park breweries and dining
North Park along 30th Street is the center of San Diego's craft beer and casual dining scene. You can walk between breweries, taco shops, and patios in a few blocks. March evenings are mild enough to sit outside again.
Hamilton's Tavern is a longtime beer bar, and the 30th Street corridor links a string of taprooms and restaurants without needing to drive.
Park once on a side street off 30th and do the rest on foot, since circling for spots near the bars wastes time. Many breweries are family and dog friendly until the evening.
Family and Kids
Spring break and warming weather make March a good month for the parks and animal attractions.
Balboa Park museums
Balboa Park holds more than a dozen museums along El Prado, including the Fleet Science Center, the Natural History Museum, and the Model Railroad Museum, which kids love. March weather is ideal for combining indoor museums with time in the gardens and on the lawns.
Resident free Tuesdays rotate different museums into free admission each week of the month for San Diego County residents with ID.
Check which museums are free on a given Tuesday before you go, since the schedule rotates weekly. The free park trams loop the grounds and save little legs from the long walk between the Prado and Spanish Village.
San Diego Zoo and Safari Park
The San Diego Zoo in Balboa Park and the Safari Park in Escondido are both more pleasant in March than in the summer heat. Cooler weather keeps the animals active, and spring break brings extra hours and crowds in the second half of the month.
The Safari Park's wildflowers and the Africa tram are a good complement to the desert bloom happening nearby.
Go early. Both parks are busiest from late morning through midday, and the animals are most active in the cool first hours. The zoo's guided bus tour is the fastest way to see the layout with younger kids.
Birch Aquarium at Scripps
The Birch Aquarium sits on the bluffs above La Jolla Shores as the public face of Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Tide pool tanks, a kelp forest, and seahorse exhibits make it a manageable indoor stop for families on a rainy March day.
The outdoor Tide Pool Plaza has wide ocean views and is a good spot to talk about the gray whale migration happening offshore this month.
It is small enough to see in a couple of hours, so pair it with the beach at La Jolla Shores just downhill. Buy tickets online to skip the line on busy spring-break days.
Carlsbad Flower Fields
The Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch open in early March and run through May, with about 50 acres of ranunculus blooming in rainbow stripes on a hillside above the coast. It is a classic spring family outing with wagon rides, a sweet pea maze, and a small playground.
Early March can be hit or miss on full bloom, but the rows usually peak from mid-March into April.
Mornings have softer light and fewer people for photos. Weekday visits beat the weekend crush, and the fields are right off Interstate 5 at Palomar Airport Road, an easy stop on the way to or from Carlsbad.
Wildflowers and Whale Watching
March is the overlap of two of the region's best natural events: the desert bloom inland and the gray whale migration offshore.
Anza-Borrego Desert wildflower bloom
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, about two hours east of San Diego, can put on a spectacular wildflower bloom that usually peaks in March after a wet winter. Sand verbena, desert lilies, and dune primrose carpet the desert floor, with ocotillo and cactus flowers adding color along the trails.
The bloom is unpredictable and varies wildly year to year. Some springs deliver a rare super bloom, others are sparse, so check current conditions before driving out.
The town of Borrego Springs and the state park visitor center post a wildflower hotline and updates each spring. Go early in the day, bring more water than you think you need, and check the Henderson Canyon Road and DiGiorgio Road areas, which often bloom first.
Gray whale watching
Gray whales pass San Diego in March on their northbound migration back to Alaska, often closer to shore than on the southbound leg, sometimes with calves alongside. Whale watching boats leave daily from the harbor downtown and from Mission Bay.
You can also watch from land at the Cabrillo National Monument overlook on Point Loma or the bluffs at Torrey Pines and Sunset Cliffs.
Most outfitters guarantee a sighting or a free return trip. Morning trips usually have calmer water. If you would rather watch for free, the Cabrillo whale overlook has a sheltered building and interpretive signs.
Cabrillo National Monument
Cabrillo National Monument on the tip of Point Loma combines history, tide pools, and one of the best whale-watching overlooks in the county. The old Point Loma Lighthouse and the views across the bay to downtown make it worth the drive on their own.
March low tides open up the rocky tide pools on the ocean side, where you can find anemones, crabs, and the occasional octopus.
The tide pool area has its own entrance and parking lower on the point. Check a tide chart and aim for a low tide, and bring the national parks pass if you have one, since entry is per vehicle.
Day Trips and Nearby
March is a good window for the desert and the backcountry before the heat arrives.
Julian
Julian is a former gold-mining town in the Cuyamaca Mountains about an hour northeast of San Diego, best known for its apple pie. In March the surrounding oak woodlands are green and the air is cool at 4,000 feet.
The drive out passes through the backcountry, and you can combine Julian with hikes in Cuyamaca Rancho State Park or a stop at the Volcan Mountain preserve.
The main pie shops draw weekend lines by late morning. Go on a weekday or arrive early, and gas up before you head into the mountains since stations are sparse out there.
Temecula wine country
Temecula's wine country sits about an hour north of San Diego off Interstate 15, with dozens of wineries along Rancho California Road. March vines are budding and the rolling hills are green, with mild weather for patio tastings.
Weekends bring crowds and hot-air balloon launches at dawn over the valley.
Tasting rooms get busy on weekend afternoons. Start mid-morning at the far end of Rancho California Road and work back toward the freeway, and bring a designated driver or book a tour van.
Coronado
Coronado is a short drive over the bridge or a ferry ride from downtown. The wide beach in front of the Hotel del Coronado is one of the best in the county, and Orange Avenue has walkable shops and restaurants.
March keeps the beach quiet on weekdays, and the flat bayside path is good for biking with the downtown skyline across the water.
Skip the bridge traffic and take the ferry from the Broadway Pier downtown, then rent bikes on the Coronado side. Beach parking near the Hotel del fills early on warm weekends.