Entry No. 4 — the San Diego file — filed under: shipwreck

SS Monte Carlo Shipwreck (Shipwreck Beach)

A 300-foot concrete-hulled gambling ship — a floating casino anchored three miles offshore to skirt California gambling laws — broke its moorings in a storm and grounded on Coronado's Silver Strand on New Year's Day 1937; its rusted rebar skeleton still resurfaces in the sand at low tide. (Note: the ship operated after Prohibition ended in 1933, so it was dodging gambling law, not Prohibition; the '$3M a year' and 'city torches iron yearly' claims are unverified embellishments.)

The move: Check a low-tide chart, walk the beach south of the Coronado Shores towers near Avenida de las Arenas, and look for the wreck's stern and amidships ribs breaking the sand.

• 📍 Coronado
• 💸 $$
• ⚡ Up for anything
• 🌗 Indoors

Where: Beach access near Avenida de las Arenas, Coronado, CA 92118

Hours: Added 2026-07-19 — confirm current hours before you go.

⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.

Plan a visit & invite your people →

Further reading: coronadotimes.com · nbcsandiego.com · Wikipedia

last checked: 2026-07-19