Pantoja Park

Nestled in Downtown San Diego, Pantoja Park is a sprawling public park in the heart of Marina District. The park is named after Don Juan Pantoja y Arriola, a navigator from Spain who was the first to draw the map of San Diego in 1782. The oldest park in the city, Pantoja Park was built in 1850 and has been a popular tourist spot since then.

The highlight of the park is the grand statue of Benito Juarez, the 26th president of Mexico. Pantoja Park is a little oasis of lush greenery amidst the concrete ocean encompassing it. Adorned with large trees and fragrant flowers, the park is home to walking paths and benches, making it an ideal place for spending a couple of hours in leisure. The park is bounded by low-rise condo buildings dating back to the eighties and nineties, including Park Row, The Watermark, The Brickyard, Marina Park, and Columbia Place. In 1969, the spacious park was listed as the seventh historical landmark of San Diego by the Historical Resources Board of the city.