To be honest, I almost didn’t go. The weather was all over the place. San Diego skipped the sunshine that day. Think gray skies, drizzling rain, and a bit of wind doing its thing, which made my hair not so happy. But we stuck with it. Mostly out of curiosity. And because wine on a boat didn’t sound like the worst idea.
We booked with The Gondola Company in Coronado. They’ve been around since 1999 and run their rides out of the Coronado Cays, a quiet little neighborhood of canals that most locals forget exists. Me being one of them. It’s peaceful, tucked away, and feels nothing like the rest of San Diego.
The gondolas are the real deal, brought over from Venice. The vibe is low-key and thoughtful. Maybe a little cheesy, in a good way. But no fake accents or forced romance. Just a boat, a gondolier, and the water.
Here’s how it works: You check in, pick a bottle of wine (they sell a few onsite), maybe grab some snacks, and hop on. They chill the wine, hand you actual glasses and there’s a blanket waiting on board. The gondolier handles everything. You just sit and float.
It was drizzling when we went, not pouring, just a light mist that made everything quieter. The water reflected the sky, and the air smelled like salt and eucalyptus. Something about it felt really still. In a good way.
At some point, the gondolier asked if we wanted him to sing. We said sure and then sat there in a boat while someone sang opera in Italian and it somehow made perfect sense. His voice carried over the water, and we just listened. The whole thing was quite romantic. Not to mention, this was date number 3. We knew that this would be special, but it really was next level.
The ride was about 50 minutes. No pressure to talk, no agenda. Just time to be still, sip wine, and watch the world slow down for a bit.
They offer a few other packages and extra snacks… and we didn’t need anything more. A bottle of wine, a blanket, and a stranger singing in Italian was more than enough.
So if the weather looks weird, don’t cancel. Bring a jacket. Let your hair be messy. Say yes anyway.
