San Diego Sights

Guidebooks

Fiesta de Reyes

Write a review

Fodorite Reviews

Average Rating:  

Fiesta de Reyes Review

North of San Diego's Old Town Plaza lies the area's unofficial center, built to represent a colonial Mexican plaza. This collection of shops and restaurants around a central courtyard in blossom with magenta bougainvillea, scarlet hibiscus, and other flowers in season reflect what it might have looked like in the early California days, from 1821 to 1872, complete with shops stocked with items reminiscent of that era. More than a dozen shops and restaurants line the plaza (Casa de Reyes is a great stop for a margarita and some chips and guacamole), and if you are lucky, you might catch a mariachi band or folklorico dance performance on the plaza stage—check the website for times and upcoming special events.

    Contact Information

  • Address: 4016 Wallace St., Old Town, San Diego, CA, 92110 | Map It
  • Phone: 619/297-3100
  • Hours: Shops 10--9 daily
  • Website: www.fiestadereyes.com
  • Location: Old Town
Write a review

Fodorite Reviews

Average Rating:  
  • Experience  
    Ease  
    Value  
    Don't Miss  

    Different kind of theme park

    I enjoyed my two trips to Plaza del Pasado. Southern California has plenty of glitzy theme parks. Getting a taste of authentic California history is a welcome change for me. It looks like they're going to be re-opening the Jolly Boy Restaurant and Saloon soon and what I heard about that place from the interpreter I spoke to sounded really promising. So I plan to go back and give it a try too.

    by Froglover4ever, 11/13/07
  • Experience  
    Ease  
    Value  
    Don't Miss  

    A HUGE disappointment and a total bore

    I was so, so disappointed when I drove down from Los Angeles with my guests, whom I wanted to take to Old Town and the Bazaar del Mundo. I was horrified to find that it was gone--I hadnt heard that the State had taken it over and turned it into an ultra-boring historically correct theme park that isnt fun. Gone was the excellent Casa de Bandini restaurant and the colorful shops that sold rather lovely artwork. Instead, we had biege and brown shops that sold... pine boards? I dunno, the shelves were mostly empty. We fled this drab place and found the relocated Bazaar del Mundo shops. Unfortunately, the wonderful Casa de Bandini and its awesome margaritas is no more :(
    A travesty and a pox on whoever wrecked a wonderful and fun place to foist their historically-correct-but-no-fun vision on the rest of us.

    by ItsHappyBunny, 1/15/07

Add your own review

Free Fodor's Newsletter

Subscribe today for weekly travel inspiration, tips, and special offers.

· Browse San Diego sights

By Location

 Fodor's Trip Planning Ideas

Travel Deals in San Diego

View all travel deals
* Some taxes, fees additional

· Forums Trip Reports

View more trip reports

·

View more travel discussions

· News & Features

View more blog stories