Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, that’s “Amphib” or “NAB” to the cool kids, is one of two Navy installations located on the breathtaking Coronado Island. Naval Air Station North Island lies to the north, and Imperial Beach lies to the south. NAB is probably most renowned for being home to the Navy’s special and expeditionary warfare training, or more specifically the West Coast SEAL Teams and Special Boat Units. NAB supports nearly 30 tenant commands and occupies approximately 1,000 acres of land composed of beaches, a Lest Tern preserve (it’s a bird), a marina, highly coveted base housing, and a state park.

Highway 75 divides the base into the Oceanside and the Bayside. The Bayside exists because of a special project from the early 1940s. This area of Coronado was once underwater, but in the military’s efforts to create more training space (shore) and deeper water for docking large ships the bay was dredged, and the fill materials were then used to create more land for training.

Nearby NAS North Island is like a city in and of itself and offers all the amenities one can imagine. Base housing is also available on NAB with two- and three-bedroom homes, although usually there’s a pretty long wait list. Communities in Coronado are highly coveted, and homes often change hands via word-of-mouth (with a tendency to stay within the SEAL Team families). Highly-rated schools are also a perk to living on the “island,” but low inventory and high prices drive a lot of military families to look for housing options in nearby San Diego. The Coronado bridge is one route for commuting to and from NAS North Island, but going south through Imperial Beach is also an option.