San Diego is home to some of the best beaches in the country, whether you’re looking for killer waves, soft sand to build castles, or fresh-grilled seafood. It also boasts some of the premier spas and resorts in California. Your only chore wiill be choosing which hotel to visit first.

Walking into the Lodge at Torrey Pines feels like traveling back in time to early 20^th century California — when life was simpler and Craftsman architecture was all the rage. Incorporating features from some of the best examples of Craftsman building, the Lodge assimilates different elements from specific landmark Craftsman houses in Pasadena into a gorgeous, unified hotel where you can warm yourself by the authentic fireplace while watching the golfers putt their stuff on the renowned Torrey Pines course just outside. Rooms can be a tad under-decorated when style and architectural integrity trump amenities. And everyone enjoys an authentic Tiffany lamp, right?

Plus, the spot it enjoys on the coast right between the unspoiled Torrey Pines Reserve and the more worldly delights of La Jolla is unparalleled. The crashing of the waves on the nearby cliffs will enchant you as you enjoy one of the poolside cabanas, or sip a cocktail on the terrace of the Valentien Restaurant. To round out your retreat, head to the beautiful spa for a treatment with some of their hotel-brand aesthetic products. Just be sure to ask for an ocean-view room because most of the accommodations overlook a simple, environmentally conscious courtyard planted with indigenous flora.

Estancia La Jolla

Sandwiched in an unlikely location between UCSD and the Salk Institute (you know, where they eradicated Polio in the 50’s and all), the Estancia is hidden from view and cradled in a slight landscape depression that creates an otherworldly feeling on this sunny coastal spot.

As you pull off busy Torrey Pines Road into the grounds of Estancia, you leave the world behind and enter a pampered realm where the valet knows your name, and everything is taken care of from the moment you step into the lobby. The Spanish-style buildings evoke a frontier town from California’s mission days, albeit with plusher landscaping and all the amenities at your fingertips. Intended mainly for adults, the resort is a quiet oasis in a sometimes hectic part of town, where you can forget you’re anywhere near a big city as you lounge at the poolside cabanas waiting for your made-to-order barbecue, or await your outdoor spa appointment where you’ll be massaged by torchlight.

For the golf nuts, Estancia also offers online tee time appointments at over 10 courses around San Diego. It is also minutes away from the renowned Birch Aquarium. With Thursday wine tastings around the fire pit at the quaintly named Mustangs and Burros, and a well-rounded menu at Adobe El Restaurante, you won’t even need to leave the grounds for fine wining and dining.

Grand Del Mar

The recently opened Grand Del Mar is a throwback to the age of grand hotels financed by personal family fortunes. Its inlaid marble lobby and expensive furniture thrown together into cozily cluttered yet airy parlors and libraries hearken back to Maralago and the Breakers in Florida.

A quick stroll through the gorgeously appointed halls and gold-painted cupolas gives guests an immediate feel for the sheer ornateness of the resort, decorated with a collector’s eyes from travels across the globe. Savor the Mediterranean architecture tinged in burnt sienna terra cotta hues that capture the brilliant coastal sunshine. Each lawn, patio, staircase and terrace offer casually posed photo ops for bridal parties (the hotel also has its own Romanesque chapel), and the stunning backdrop of the Los Penasquitos Canyon Reserve with its unspoiled serpentine paths and golf course designed by the preeminent designer of our day, Tim Fazio.

The hotel itself is destination enough, with beautiful rooms where even the standards are spacious and luxurious—with flat screen televisions and enormous bathrooms in every one. The special suites are nothing short of incredible with every possible modern convenience and amenity you could ask for. The Grand Del Mar also gets our highest marks for family travel since it caters to kids with an activities center called “Explorers Club,” which arranges outdoor and nature activities, but also houses a Wii for the more sedentary kids.

There is, however, space dedicated entirely to grownups with an adult-only pool and a relaxing spa which uses the hotels own brand of spa products. From the perfectly appointed grounds to the friendly and efficient staff, to the sheer luxury of the place, the Grand Del Mar is a true getaway just two hours from Los Angeles.

L’Auberge Del Mar

A trip to this little coastal boutique resort right in the heart of the beach hamlet of Del Mar (a combination of shaggy beach bars and enormous beachfront estates) is like going to a quaint French country inn on the shore. Though it is currently undergoing a multi-million-dollar renovation, it will reopen in June 2008 and looks to be absolutely stunning — just in time for the US Open Golf Tournament at Torrey Pines. Like the other entries on this list, L’Auberge houses a spa with a full menu of soul-soothing relaxation treatments.

One of the most unique experiences is the Old World-style tea, served in a quaint parlor setting around the lobby fireplace. As part of the update, the restaurant is receiving a much-needed renovation and is going to emerge as a nouvelle Californian eatery with sleekly modern furniture and a menu that exemplifies the current local-food movement, as well as alfresco dining warmed by the light of a fire pits.

Some of the best features of the resort lie just outside its doors in the miles of sandy beaches that make Del Mar one of the hottest destinations on the coast, as well as L’Auberge’s proximity to both the Torrey Pines State Preserve and the Del Mar Race Track—depending on your particular interest. All in all, its beachside situation and European charm make this little resort a winner.

Rancho 

A few minutes’ drive from the ocean, in an area populated by the most exclusive country clubs in San Diego (where you’ll be able to tee off as a guest, by the way) lies Rancho Valencia, a full-service resort. There are no mere “rooms” here, but an assortment of 49 plush “casitas” with open, airy floor plans, private patios and jacuzzis, and bathrooms the size of most New York penthouses. It’s also one of the only resorts to get a perfect 100 score from Conde Nast Traveler’s Gold List.

The casitas and main building, which also houses the award-winning restaurant, are separated from the championship 18-court tennis facility by a picturesque arroyo which runs with fresh mountain water after a new rain. The staff can also arrange activities such as hikes, beach trips, hot air ballooning and horseback riding. Or if you’re more of an indoor person, try the fitness classes at the new spa before enjoying a treatment and lazing by the private pool.

If you’re looking for a quiet, exclusive spot on the coast, this is your best bet. It’s a bit of a splurge, but everything is included and it’s completely worth it.

Inn at Rancho Santa Fe

Smaller than many of the other properties (with just 87 rooms), and situated in a little hamlet known for its estates, horse ranches and orange groves, the Inn at Rancho Santa Fe is a true country retreat just a few miles from the Pacific.

The whole property—where guest accommodations ramble through several disconnected buildings around the main hilltop lobby—has an informal, personalized feel as staff greet you with a smile and cater to your every whim. The rooms are decorated with the rustic charm of a Tuscan farmhouse and all the modern features of a chain hotel—without the overbearing corporate character. For the ultimate splurge, rent one of their 3-bedroom guesthouses.

The hotel is also home to an excellent restaurant (with a cozy bar perfect for enjoying a toddy by the fireplace) that periodically hosts private classical concerts. Though the requisite spa’s menu is a little unoriginal, all the simple favorites are there and tailor-made for your enjoyment. It’s true, the Inn is not quite on the coast, but it’s just a short drive, and on the way, you can stop by the polo fields to catch a match, pick a few oranges in the nearby fields, or simply get lost ambling along in the orchards that surround the tiny upscale town.

After all, the Inn’s mission is to help people reconnect with nature. For a pretention-free vacation in an idyllic spot, the Inn at Rancho Santa Fe is the perfect getaway.

La Costa

Right in the surfer haven of Carlsbad, La Costa has undergone a recent renovation that has left it looking lovelier than ever. Done up in the Spanish colonial style, simple but spacious rooms look out over the lush gardens that run throughout the resort. La Costa features seven heated pools, clay and hard surface tennis courts, and the use of two golf courses where you can work up an appetite for the modern California cuisine served at the resort’s Legends Bistro and Blue Fire Grill.

La Costa also has activities for the tykes, with clubs and areas for kids, tweens and teens to keep them all occupied while the older folk get some much-needed R&R. But don’t forget to stop in for a treatment at the spa—or if you’re really adventurous, follow a spiritual healing program at the Chopra Center there (yes, Deepak Chopra).

Four Seasons Aviara 

Though it is part of a larger chain, this property is so unique that it definitely deserves a mention on this list. Situated a couple miles inland and on a championship golf course, the Four Seasons Aviara has the benefit of its location being consistently sunnier than a spot right on the shore, but still having breathtaking views all the way down to the ocean and up the coast. 

The hotel takes advantage of its special spot with several terraces perfect for enjoying a sunset cocktail before heading inside to the award-winning Vivace Restaurant, which serves Italian-influenced California cuisine. Posh yet homey guest rooms painted in off-white tones await the weary traveler, welcoming him with open arms and beachy, overstuffed furniture. Small potted palms lend the spacious rooms a sophisticated, tropical ambiance.

The new 15,000-square-foot spa with a glass-ceilinged solarium lounge offers treatments to please even the most discerning guests. But if communal therapy isn’t your thing, you can also get in-room service. And if you get bored of all the pampering, luxury and relaxation, the city is just a 30-minute drive away.