AmericaJR.com’s Gloria and Jerome Rzucidlo visited Imperial Beach during their recent trip to San Diego. It is in the South Bay area of San Diego County, 14.1 miles (22.7 km) south of downtown San Diego and 5 miles (8.0 km) northwest of downtown Tijuana, Mexico. Imperial Beach encompasses nearly 4 miles of beach and employs a year round lifeguard staff. Beach volleyball, surfing and body boarding are popular in Imperial Beach with activities concentrated north and south of the Imperial Beach Pier and the Boca Rio beach break, one of San Diego County’s best surf spots. The city connects to nearby Coronado, California, named Best Beach in America in May 2012, by way of the Silver Strand, a narrow, 7 mile long isthmus.
