2 Days at Paradise Point San Diego: A Dreamy Weekend Island Getaway

A stay at the Paradise Point San Diego resort really makes you forget that you’re even in the city.

San Diego has no shortage of great places to stay, but Paradise Point Resort & Spa on Mission Bay is in a category of its own. This AAA Four-Diamond (2011) destination is situated on a 44-acre private island surrounded by water on all sides. It’s the kind of place that makes you feel like you’ve genuinely escaped — even though you’re just 15 minutes from downtown San Diego.

I spent a two-day weekend here, and it truly felt like a tropical getaway (without going too far from home). Here’s everything you need to know about Paradise Point San Diego, from the room we stayed in, to the food we had, and to our adventures on and beyond the resort grounds.

About Paradise Point Resort & Spa

Paradise Point San Diego is tucked away on its own island, called Vacation Isle, within the Mission Bay — only connected to the mainland by a single causeway. The 44-acre resort has a distinctly tropical island feel — think lush greenery, a plethora of palm trees, winding pathways, and five pools (mixed and adults-only) scattered across the property. It also has a mile-long beach with 14 bonfire spots! We were lucky to stay in one of the suites where we could just walk out to the sand and watch the sunset.

The spa is award-winning and is ranked within the top 100 U.S. resort spas by Condé Nast Traveler. I wish I was able to squeeze in a spa service during our stay. Not to mention, Paradise Point San Diego has its own marina, where a number of water activity crafts are available for rent (from jet skis to sailboats and paddle boards). Other on-site activities include ping pong, biking, pickleball, tennis, basketball, and volleyball, as well as an 18-hole mini-golf course.

There are multiple dining concepts on the property, including the casual Barefoot Bar & Grill, upscale Tidal, poolside Tropics Cantina, and Island Grinds Coffee for your mornings or a pick-me-up. Paradise point also has its own food delivery service, where you can order from nearby restaurants and have it delivered straight to your room, called Food2You.

In additional to fitness amenities & wellness classes (gym, yoga, sound bath), Paradise Point Resort & Spa is also very dog-friendly! There’s no restriction to the weight, height or type of breed and the pet fee is $150. We saw so many large and small dogs enjoying themselves on the beach and the property that we wish we brought ours on this trip, too.

Tropical oasis vibes around the property and sharks in the lagoon!

Paradise Point is home to not only the sharks in the lagoon, but you’ll be able to find a number of wildlife on the resort, including ducks, red-eared slider turtles, koi fish, hummingbirds, herons and egrets. You’ll be able to purchase fish and duck food for feeding at the Island Market. If plants and flora is more of your vibe, you can go on a self-guided botanical tour and discover the gardens on the property. Here’s the link to the Paradise Point Botanical Guide Book.

Best Time to Visit San Diego

In my opinion, San Diego is a great year-round destination. For great weather and ocean temperatures, the summer months into early fall are a great time. A bonus is that crowds tend to be smaller in those later months. Spring has its risks due to “May Gray” and “June Gloom” — the time when the morning marine layer of fog rolls over the coast and becomes pretty cloudy. The weather is generally better towards the afternoon and evening.

We went during April, which had great sunny days on day 1 and a cloudy day 2, as you can see in the photos. Temperature-wise, I was still able to dress for summer during my stay. Expect warm summer-like weather during the day and chilly nights outside of the July-October months. Pack layers or a light jacket for the evening breeze.

Peak Summer: July & August
Perfect Time: September & October (warmer water, weather still hot)

Getting to Paradise Point San Diego

Whether you’re driving in or flying into one of the major airports in nearby cities, it’s pretty easy to get to Paradise Point Resort & Spa. One thing to note about flying into Los Angeles is the traffic! If everything goes smoothly, it will still take you 2 hours to get down to San Diego.

Tip: If you’re flying into TIJ, using the Cross Border Xpress (CBX) is pretty easy and straightforward. It’s a nice way to transit, as long as you have all your tickets and documents. I’ve done this before and the walk from CBX terminal in San Diego to TIJ was pretty quick. There’s also parking and shuttles available.

Our Room at Paradise Point Resort & Spa

Paradise Point Resort & Spa features 462 California bungalow-style guest rooms and 73 private-entry suites. Here, you can book Standard Guestrooms, Suites (junior and executive suites) and luxurious Bungalows. You have a choice of garden, cove or bay views in most of these guest room types. We stayed in room 267, which is technically a Garden Junior Suite (according to the door sign) but it has an amazing view of Mission Bay, and you can walk out to the beach from the patio door. When booking, I would make sure to get a Bayside Junior Suite to get the same bayfront patio view and accommodations as us.

Our room includes a king-sized bed, living room with pull-out, double sinks in the bathroom, separate walk-in closet, dining table and a kitchenette (wet bar) that included a sink, coffee maker and mini fridge. I really enjoyed the California aesthetic of the rooms, from the rattan furniture to the seashell and sand-filled nightstand lamp accents. There’s also two outdoor chairs in the patio area of our room.

Some more photos of our bayview bungalow junior suite

What stood out the most to me was how quiet it felt when we were there. Despite being a full resort, the spread-out layout of the property helped with the private resort feeling. It was a great place to decompress for the weekend. Staying at Paradise Point felt like such a tropical getaway without the long flight. Seriously, the lush gardens and palm trees really made it feel like I was in a far-away destination like Bali.

Day 1 — Checking In, Happy Hour & Dinner

Our first day was a travel day. We drove down from Orange County and arrived in the late afternoon, just in time for check-in. We settled down in our bungalow and walked around the beach before heading to Barefoot Bar & Grill for a quick happy hour cocktail.

A performance and happy hour drinks at the Barefoot Bar & Grill

We later had reservations for omakase at Moment Sushi and it turned out to be one of my favorite sushi experiences. It was about a 20-minute drive from the resort and I left so happy and full.

Moment Sushi

9254 Scranton Rd Ste 101
San Diego, CA 92121
(website)

As if evening wasn’t already so pleasant, we returned to Paradise Point after dinner just in time for the most magical sunset, right outside of our bungalow room. The day couldn’t have ended on a better note! I was so glad we had bayside patio seating as part of our bungalow.

Watching the sunset on the first day from right outside our room

Day 2 — Exploring the Grounds and Relaxation

We woke up early to explore the rest of the Paradise Point property. The day before we covered the perimeter, which included the bay, the marina and the mile-long stretch of beach. The grounds are genuinely worth a slow morning wander — the lagoons, the tropical garden pathways, and the different pool areas. Of course, I took this opportunity to snap some photos!

Then, before we knew it, it was already time to check out of Paradise Point Resort & Spa! We later grabbed a late lunch at Shabu-Works, followed by halo-halo for dessert at Snoice.

Is Paradise Point Resort & Spa Worth It?

My vote is YES — with the expectation of a staycation that transport you into a tropical oasis. Paradise Point will give you a sense of escape from the daily bustle, a beautiful natural green setting, and slower pace that actually lets you decompress. There’s a lot to do within the property itself (beach, pool, spa, activities) and you could technically spend the whole trip on Vacation Isle, without driving out like we did. The entire resort is spacious enough for the quiet you need without going ultra-luxury or flying long distances.

I would definitely return with our dog since it’s rare to find resorts that are large-dog friendly. Most hotels and resorts now have weight or size restrictions making it harder to travel with bigger breeds. Plus, I need to try their spa out!

Before staying at Paradise Point, I had only made day trips to San Diego. Check out my other SD day trip posts, and maybe some of the seasonal ones for flowers will match your itinerary dates!

Cherry Blossoms at Japanese Friendship Garden & Museum in Balboa Park

Sea Lavender Super Bloom on the Coast of Del Mar

The Ranunculus Flower Fields at Carlsbad

Day trip to La Jolla & Little Italy San Diego

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