• San Francisco offers many sea attractions.Golden Gate Bridge image by Achim Thomae from Fotolia.com
  
  San Francisco, California, is set on the Pacific Ocean and offers a range of sea attractions. The city is a popular tourist destination; in fact, two of San Francisco's sea attractions are included on Forbes.com's 2010 list of the top tourist attractions in the United States. The Golden Gate National Recreational Area ranked sixth, with 17 million annual visitors, and Fishermans' Wharf ranked eighth, with 10 million annual visitors. Join the millions of visitors who explore San Francisco's waterfront and ocean sights each year.
  
  

Aquarium of the Bay

• The Aquarium of the Bay houses more than 20,000 marine creatures. Explore the diversity of sea life indigenous to the San Francisco Bay in the aquarium's exhibits and touch pools. Giant Pacific octopi, jellyfish, sharks and sea stars are just a few of the animals you'll see. The aquarium is open every day of the year except December 25.
  
  Aquarium of the Bay
  
  Embarcadero at Beach St.
  
  Pier 39
  
  San Francisco, CA 94133
  
  415-623-5300
  
  aquariumofthebay.org
  
  

Golden Gate National Recreation Area

• The Golden Gate National Recreation Area encompasses 60 miles of Pacific coastline in and around the city. Hike, bike, windsurf, stroll or walk your dog along the miles of trails, or just relax on the beach and enjoy the views of Golden Gate Bridge. The area also is home to hundreds of historic structures, such as the Presidio of San Francisco, more than 60 archaeological sites and the largest collection of military fortifications in the United States, according to the National Park Service website.
  
  Golden Gate National Parks
  
  Building 201, Fort Mason
  
  San Francisco,CA 94123
  
  415-561-4700
  
  nps.gov
  
  

Fisherman's Wharf

• The Fisherman's Wharf neighborhood is home to dining, shopping, entertainment and lodging, as well as the base of San Francisco's commercial fishing fleet. Dine at the many seafood restaurants, visit the Ripley's Believe It or Not and wax museums, shop at the Cannery Shopping Center, or explore the area's history on tours of a whaling vessel from the 1800s, a World War II-era submarine and the historic ships docked at Hyde Street Pier.
  
  Fisherman's Wharf
  
  #2 Al Scoma Way at Pier 47
  
  San Francisco, CA 94133
  
  415-674-7503
  
  fishermanswharf.org
  
  

Alcatraz Island

• Set in San Francisco Bay, the former federal penitentiary of Alcatraz Island is known for high-profile criminals and dramatic escapes. Take a tour of this historic site and learn about the prison's most famous inmates, Al Capone and Robert Stroud, as well as the island's involvement in the Civil War and the American Indian Occupation. Alcatraz Cruises offers daily tours that range from two to five hours.
  
  Alcatraz Cruises
  
  Pier 33
  
  Hornblower Alcatraz Landing
  
  San Francisco, CA 94111
  
  415-981-7625
  
  alcatrazcruises.com