TAKE THE FERRY ACROSS THE BAY FOR A DAY IN CORONADO.

Byline: - Eric Noland

CORONADO - Cars crawl over the San Diego-Coronado Bay Bridge and snarl traffic on the quaint, narrow streets of this small peninsula. On weekends in particular, finding a parking space can be akin to an expedition of discovery.

To spare yourself this aggravation, simply hop a ferry boat at the San Diego Embarcadero, near downtown, for the short ride across the bay, then cross the peninsula on either a shuttle bus or a bicycle.

The ferries board at the Broadway Pier, 1050 N. Harbor Drive (the same place where the harbor tours are located). The boats depart for Coronado every hour on the hour between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. (and at 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday). The 20-minute ride costs $2 each way, and there is accommodation for bicycles.

After disembarking at the Ferry Landing Marketplace, you can catch the 904 shuttle bus at First and B streets. The $1 fare will get you to the Hotel del Coronado, the vast public beach that abuts it, and the nearby shops and restaurants of Orange Avenue.

If you'd prefer to pedal across the flat peninsula, rentals are available at Bikes & Beyond at the Ferry Landing Marketplace.

HISTORICAL BEARINGS: Coronado has a rich and spicy history, and the Hotel Del is firmly anchored at the center of it. For a fascinating look back at jackrabbit hunters, sugar heirs, scheming social climbers and civic gadflies, hitch up with Coronado Touring for Nancy Cobb's outstanding walking tour.

The tour, conducted Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 11 a.m., meets at the Glorietta Bay Inn, directly across Orange Avenue from the Del. It costs $8, lasts 1 1/2 hours, and involves eight blocks of easy walking.

Even if you're staying at the Del and have taken the concierge-conducted tour of the hotel, this is highly recommended for its ability to fill in the gaps. Information: [phone].

Also worth a look is the Museum of History and Art, maintained by the Coronado Historical Association. The museum, a few steps from the Del at 1100 Orange Ave., has an impressive collection of old photos and documents, plus some artifacts that might give you a chuckle as you glimpse a bygone era.

In one display case, for example, is a woman's cotton bathing suit, with bloomers and a detachable overskirt, circa 1895-1910. Plunging into the ocean in such a cumbersome garment must have been absolute misery.

There is also an exhibit devoted to Tent City, the beach encampment for commoners that stood south of the Del for the first half-century of its existence. It featured a carousel (which is now in Balboa Park), open-air movies, a shooting gallery and a miniature train for getting around. A tent could be rented for $14 a month.

The museum is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. No admission charge, though donations are accepted. [phone].

LUNCH BREAK: When your stomach starts to grumble, you'll find a number of cafes with sidewalk tables in Coronado. A couple of ringing recommendations:

--Tartine, 1106 First St. (near the Ferry Landing Marketplace), serves an array of panini sandwiches and robust salads. You can easily make a lunch out of the charcuterie plate ($10.95). The generous array of prosciutto, duck liver pate, brie, saucisson sec, cornichons, olives and grain mustard, served with a baguette, will make you feel as if you've been magically deposited in the heart of Paris. [phone].

--Tent City, which shares a building with the museum at 1100 Orange Ave., has some excellent soup and salad combinations, as well as a half- dozen sandwich choices. [phone].

CAPTION(S):

photo

Photo:

A wide swath of beach beckons guests and visitors to the Hotel del Coronado.

Eric Noland/Travel Editor