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Dec 18, 2020 · Location: Orange County. This beautiful beach in Orange County is a surfer’s paradise. Ten miles of shoreline and five picture-perfect beaches (including Huntington Dog Beach) make “Surf City USA” an ideal spot for swimming, surfing, paddleboarding, kite surfing, and more.
- Coronado Beach, San Diego. Best for: Families, dog owners, cyclists and, really, anyone. When choosing the best beaches in California, there’s very little debate about this wide, tidy beach on a land-tied island 15 minutes west of downtown San Diego.
- La Jolla Cove, La Jolla. Best for: Families, snorkelers and wildlife lovers. Farther north in San Diego County, you’ll find another unique beach that’s just as popular with tourists as it is with seals and sea lions.
- Treasure Island Beach, Laguna Beach. Best for: Swimmers, tide-poolers and snorkelers. If you’ve never been to the town of Laguna Beach, you might think it contained just one beach.
- Crystal Cove State Beach, Newport Beach. Best for: Beach bums, families and nature lovers. Just over an hour north of San Diego sits Crystal Cove State Beach.
Mar 12, 2024 · THE 10 BEST California Beaches. 1. La Jolla Cove. With its stunning beaches, rugged cliffs, and vibrant marine life, this coastal enclave offers an unforgettable exper... 2. Santa Monica State Beach. We loved the lively pier and it’s views back over the beach and back towards Santa Monica and surrounding area.
- The Best Beaches in Northern California
- The Best Beaches in Central California
- The Best Beaches in Southern California
- The Best Beaches in California For Families
- The Best Beaches in California For Singles
- Final Thoughts
Baker Beach
While San Francisco offers multiple viewpoints where you can snap a postcard-perfect picture of the city’s iconic Golden Gate Bridge, few can top the vantage point you get at Baker Beach. In addition to staggering bridge views, visitors get to dig their toes in the dunes and feel the rush of the wind that blows in from the Marin Headlands. While swimming is not encouraged due to rip tides (it also gets cold here, especially when the fog rolls in), picnicking, fishing, and hiking are all popul...
Drakes Beach
Families adore Drakes Beach at Point Reyes National Seashore, 30 miles north of San Francisco. The beach’s sheltered position in a cove, backed by sandstone cliffs, means waves are calm and the area remains relatively free of wind and fog. It’s also the most accessible beach in Point Reyes. There’s a parking lot and visitor’s center on-site and, unlike other nearby beaches (which require some sort of schlep), Drakes allows cars to drive right up to the sand. Look for the path that leads up to...
Glass Beach
True to its name, Glass Beach — one of California’s most unique beaches— is covered in tiny, rounded bits of sea glass, smoothed over the many years they spent tossing in the waves after being dumped over nearby cliffs into the ocean (as was common practice for getting rid of coastal city waste during the early 20th century). While technicallytrash, there’s beauty to be found in the vibrant green, white, and soda-bottle-brown shards that sprinkle the coves, some dating as far back as the 1800...
Carmel Beach
The intense waves and colder water temperatures you’ll typically find at Carmel Beach keep all but the most experienced surfers on land, but it’s still considered one of central California’s most beautiful and iconic beaches. The almost-white sand is soft and clean, the Scenic Bluff Path lets you explore the cypress-covered cliffs, and taking in that clear, blue water is just as enjoyable from afar. No wonder so many weddings take place here. The beach earns bonus points for minimal crowds an...
Pfeiffer Beach
Road trips through picture-perfect Big Sur top many bucket lists, but because of the area’s rugged terrain, much of its sands are off-limits. Pfeiffer is one of the few Big Sur beachesyou can drive to via Highway 1, just a mile south of the entrance to Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park. The $10 entry fee is but a small price to pay to be able to bury your toes in its purple sand and snap pictures of Keyhole Rock, especially come sunset.Just don’t forget a jacket— it gets cold here, even in the summ...
Santa Catalina Island
Santa Catalina Island, often referred to as Catalina Island or simply Catalina, lies 22 miles off the coast of southern California and is a true hidden gem. Part of the Channel Islandsarchipelago, Catalina is especially known for its unique plants and wildlife, both above and below the water’s surface. Every city here is as charming as it is picturesque. From Los Angeles, take the Catalina Express($74.50 per adult round-trip; $59 per child under 11 round-trip) to Avalon, which is home to inde...
Coronado Beach
Coronado’s famously wide, flat, sparkling sand — the abundance of mica gives it a silvery hue — is a particular favorite for couples and families who love the warm and gentle waves, attentive lifeguards, and charming surrounding neighborhood. Sea-facing mansions and hotels line Ocean Boulevard, but none are as impressive (or iconic) as Hotel del Coronado, a sprawling Victorian hotel at the far end of the beach and a National Historic Landmark. Even if you don’t book a room, enjoying a meal he...
Crystal Cove State Park
You’ll count 4 separate beaches inside Crystal Cove State Park, off the Pacific Coast Highway, and all of them are stunning. As one of the largest natural seashores this side of California, the park’s coastlines are rugged and pristine, perfect for sight-seeing. Go paddleboarding or kayaking at Moro Beach or explore tide pools at Pelican Point. Campsites are available at Moro Campground, which feature picnic tables and shared restrooms. If you’re planning a longer visit, dedicate plenty of ti...
Coronado BeachCrystal Cove State ParkDrakes BeachLa Jolla CoveHermosa BeachHuntington BeachLaguna BeachManhattan BeachSandy or rocky, crowded or deserted, California beaches could not be more different, though each is as deserving of a vacation as any other. If you’re truly at a loss with where to go, narrow it down according to the city you’re flying into — Los Angeles, San Diego, or San Francisco — and go from there. California is a giant state, so minimizing dr...
- Zuma Beach, Malibu. Some of the state's most perfect beaches are found in the city of Malibu in Southern California. It's about 10 miles north of Santa Monica and has a few different beach environments.
- Pacific Beach, San Diego. Just north of downtown San Diego, right after Mission Beach, the wide, sandy shoreline of Pacific Beach extends for about five miles.
- East Beach, Santa Barbara. Santa Barbara is the quintessential Southern California beach town, complete with balmy weather, swaying palm trees, expansive stretches of sandy shoreline, and traditional Spanish Colonial-style architecture.
- Main Beach, Santa Cruz. For a classic summertime beach experience, Main Beach in Santa Cruz is as good as it gets in Northern California. The beach is appreciated for its wide shoreline of soft, golden sand and reasonably gentle surf.
Oct 13, 2023 · Photo by Michelle Heimerman. There are few things that exemplify the spirit of California as precisely as its beaches. With a coastline stretching 840 miles, the state is home to over 400 public beaches (and plenty of private ones for those in the know), offering everything from ideal surf conditions to dreamy wedding backdrops.
May 18, 2024 · 27 Best California Beaches. San Clemente. Venice Beach. Santa Monica. Pfeiffer Beach. Crystal Cove State Park. Huntington Beach. Santa Barbara. Carmel Beach. San Onofre. Newport Beach. Laguna Beach. Malibu. La Jolla. Hermosa Beach. Santa Cruz. Coronado Beach. Zuma Beach. Baker Beach. Ocean Beach. Stinson Beach. Moonstone Beach. Pismo Beach.
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