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Belmont ParkvsMission San Diego de Alcala
Both are rated highly by those who travel for a living. On balance, Mission San Diego de Alcala scores significantly higher than Belmont Park. Mission San Diego de Alcala comes in at #7 in San Diego with praise from 6 sources including Frommer's, Afar Magazine and Fodor's.
Belmont Park
Lonely Planet
Fodor's
Afar Magazine
Where
Condé Nast Traveler
U.S. News & World Report
Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure
Frommer's
3146 Mission Boulevard, San Diego, CA 92109
From $0/night
Lonely Planet "This old-style family amusement park at the southern end of Mission Beach has been here since 1925." Full review
Fodor's "The once-abandoned amusement park between the bay and Mission Beach Boardwalk is now a shopping, dining, and recreation complex." Full review
Afar Magazine "Belmont Park is right on Mission Beach and is a little amusement park with a wooden roller coaster." Full review
Where "Located right on Mission Beach, Belmont Park offers nostalgic summertime fun and modern entertainment for the whole family." Full review
Condé Nast Traveler "Amusement parks can be kitschy, indulgent, and a little cheesy—at Belmont Park, we embrace it. " Full review
U.S. News & World Report19.0
"A trip to San Diego is not complete without a visit to beachfront amusement park and boardwalk Belmont Park." Full review
Travel + Leisure "Go back in time to an old-style beachside amusement park with rides, arcades, and views of the Pacific"
San Diego Travel Guide
February 23, 2021
Travel + Leisure "This vintage amusement park features bumper cars, a carousel, and other classic attractions as well as shops, restaurants, and snacks"
22 Fun Things to Do in San Diego With Kids
February 21, 2023
Frommer's "There are a variety of carnie-style rides at Belmont Park, but something more unique awaits next door at the Wave House." Full review
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Note: As of this writing Belmont Park has declared bankruptcy over a lease dispute with the city.
Mission San Diego de Alcala Fodor's Lonely Planet
Michelin Guide Afar Magazine Where Afar Magazine Condé Nast Traveler Frommer's
10818 San Diego Mission Road, San Diego, CA 92108
From $0/night
Fodor's "It's hard to imagine how remote California's earliest mission once must have been; these days, it's accessible by major freeways (I–15 and I–8) and by the San Diego Trolley." Full review
Lonely Planet "Although the site of the first California mission was on Presidio Hill, in 1774 Padre Junípero Serra moved it about 7 miles upriver to this location, closer to water and more arable land." Full review
Michelin Guide 1 Star
"California's first mission, with its gleaming white stucco façade and distinctive five-bell campanario." Full review
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Note the 18C painting of St. Didacus, rescued from the fire of 1775, and the hand-carved wooden statues
Afar Magazine "Mission San Diego is the very first Mission built in what is now the state of California and was built in 1769." Full review
Where "Founded by Father Junípero Serra in 1769, Mission San Diego de Alcala has served as a historic monument and a working Catholic parish." Full review
Afar Magazine "An active parish of the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego, Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcalá remains a tranquil place of worship and reflection." Full review
Condé Nast Traveler "Services still happen daily in this mission dating to 1769." Full review
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Make sure to spend some time in the gardens, which are filled with palms, flowers, and succulents.
Frommer's "Known as "the King of Missions," the San Luis Rey is the largest of California's missions and one of its most beautiful." Full review
