Touring * Fitness * Artistic *

In San Diego, take Interstate 5 and follow the signs to Interstate 8 west. Exit immediately onto Ingraham Street and cross the San Diego River Floodway. Take the Sea World Drive exit and follow it east and then north until you reach Fiesta Island Road. Turn left and cross over to the island. Park for free wherever you find a spot. Map: The San Diego County Bike Map is available free by calling (619) 231-2453.

Unlike the highly developed shores that surround it, Fiesta Island, situated within the east lobe of Mission Bay, has retained much of the natural habitat that once was common to the region. As such, it has its own unique seaside character. There are no palm trees and no wide lawns with sidewalks. In fact, with just a few acres of sand and brush, the island has no shade, either. But there are trade-offs: no crowds competing for the same bit of eight-foot-wide pavement and no speed limits imposed on skaters. Start by skating to the north on the rough asphalt of the one-way loop road, following the direction of traffic to circumnavigate the island in a counterclockwise direction. Automobile drivers usually obey the 25-mile-per-hour speed limit, so even though you must skate on the edge of a street that has no bike lanes, the situation is safe for competent skaters. Feel free to take advantage of the light traffic and spend some time sharpening your speed skating technique or maintaining an aerobic heart rate. The views across the waters of Mission Bay are interesting from all shores of the island as you skate the loop. Just a word of warning to people with sensitive ears: on weekends and summer afternoons, the island's south and east side beaches are very popular with the Jet Ski crowd. The loud screams of the full-throttled engines are about as melodious as a chain saw. Fortunately, the noise is blocked somewhat on the west side shore.