A coastal neighbourhood with one-of-a-kind shops, waterfront restaurants and even a historic carousel with over 100 years of history, Seaport Village is surprisingly quaint and non-commercialised for a popular tourist attraction in downtown San Diego. During the daytime, it is a sunny and bustling place, great for an afternoon out with friends shopping for unique items and cute souvenirs. Once nighttime falls, it exudes a laid-back charm and romantic vibe that makes it suitable for couples to enjoy some quiet time together along the waterfront. Read on to check out the most interesting shops to visit and activities to do in Seaport Village!
1. Try out the hand-carved carousel that has a rich history
Re-live your childhood days by riding on the intricately carved horses built by master wood carver Charles Looff, who manufactured over 50 carousels. Carved in 1895, the Charles I.D. Looff Carousel at Seaport Village features 54 animals and 2 horse-drawn chariots. Possibly because it was meant for the enjoyment of adults back then, these hand-carved animals are built a lot higher than the usual carousels in amusement parks and they also move a lot faster than what you would expect from a carousel, making it surprisingly fun for an adult. Each ride costs 3 USD.
2. Get a taste of the spiciest hot sauce from all over the world
Once you step into Hot Licks, you will be greeted with shelves and shelves stocked full of hot sauces from all over the world. Selling everything spicy, it is eye-opening to see the myriad of hot sauces, ranging from mild spiciness to extremely hot, some of which are so fiery that you even need to sign a waiver prior to purchase! Right smack in the middle of the store is a table with samples of the different types of sauces for the brave to try out. Even though Hot Licks has since expanded to two other retail stores in the Southern California area, the flagship store in Seaport Village remains the only store in San Diego, therefore, a trip there is not to be missed!
3. Grab a nostalgic wooden toy
Specialising in wooden products, stepping into Apple Box Toy makes you feel like you have stepped back in time, when all the only options were hand-painted train toys and wooden swords to play with during your childhood. Dedicated to selling only wooden items, the products range from toothbrush holders, toy chests to room décor, all of which you probably couldn’t find in a typical mass production toy store.
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4. Take a trip down memory lane with memorabilia from the past
Aptly named American Nostalgia, the store sells items like old-school candies, retro licence plates and memorabilia of famous people that will bring you on a trip down memory lane. It even sells one-of-a-kind American dollar bills with the face of the president replaced by famous stars with some adhesive technology. Before you think these are counterfeit notes or some sort of a joke, these notes are actually legal to use!
5. Dance to live music at the Headquarters at Seaport
Just a short walk away from Seaport Village is the new Headquarters at Seaport which is housed in the former headquarters to the San Diego Police Department. This lifestyle centre has an array of shops and restaurants, however, the most eye-catching scene is locals dancing along to live spanish music played in the concourse. Feel free to join in the dancing!
Go in the evening to enjoy both daytime and nighttime waterfront views
Unless you really love the sun, the scorching heat might get unbearable after a while. I would suggest going to Seaport Village during the evening when the sun isn’t so strong and you get to see the transformation of the quaint village when dusk falls. As there are many restaurants along the waterfront, you could also sit down for a nice dinner while enjoying the sunset view.
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