Del Mar, California

About Del Mar

Del Mar sits on the Pacific between Solana Beach and the northern edge of San Diego. The 2020 census counted 3,954 residents. The village center is along Camino Del Mar, a few blocks of restaurants, inns and shops on a bluff above the beach.

The Del Mar Fairgrounds has been here since 1936, with horse racing at the track every summer since the following year. The polo fields at Surf Sports Park, across the San Dieguito River from the fairgrounds, are where BWR California sets up its expo, start and finish.

The city runs a certified farmers market, the second-oldest in San Diego County, and part of the beach is dog-friendly. It is a quiet, expensive place to stay; Solana Beach and Encinitas to the north have more of the bike shops.

Riding in Del Mar

The coast road (Camino Del Mar and Highway 101) runs north through Solana Beach and Encinitas and is the standard road ride. Inland, the BWR courses use the canyons and dirt of North San Diego County: sand, rock, fire roads and singletrack between the coast and Escondido.

Late April and May on the coast average a high near 69°F and a low near 58°F with almost no rain, though mornings can be gray under the marine layer. A few miles inland it is hotter and drier, which matters on a 100-mile day.

Getting to Del Mar

Fly into San Diego International (SAN), about 21 miles south; the drive up I-5 takes 25 to 35 minutes depending on traffic. Los Angeles is about two hours north by car. You will want a car in Del Mar, since the village, the polo fields and the Solana Beach bike shops are spread along a few miles of coast, though a bike covers it too.