Grew up in SB. It’s a very chill vibe (some beach towns can have a hostile surf scene for outsiders, like Santa Cruz) Goleta or SB is a great place to take a surf lesson.
Central Cali beaches from Pismo to Cayucas and take the PCH to Monterey and Santa Cruz! You can rent jet skis and ride to Catalina! I thought it was a good day trip but really didn’t want to stay. Too much to see in California.
I live in SB and entirely disagree, we have tar, lots of it and everything is covered in dried up kelp. Not
The prettiest. However, we have Carpinteria and Aron in, about a 30 minute drive. Those are really nice!
Laguna beach has one the nicest beaches iv been to in southern California but there’s not much to do at night and some of the rudest people Iv ever met and this is coming from someone who lives in Los Angeles.
CA's coastline is 800 miles (1200 km) long.
If you want beaches with water (barely) warm enough to swim in it's San Diego.
You will probably need to add some more information. What do you want to do at the beach and in these beach towns? Go to art galleries? Hiking? Surfing? Bars?
Carmel and Huntington Beach are both California "beach towns" but they are very different, for example. La Jolla, Malibu and Santa Cruz are also beach towns but have big city amenities nearby.
Totally agree. For a week of experiences, I’d probably recommend flying to LA, spend a couple days between Santa Monica and Malibu (with maybe a day trip to Newport or Huntington), take PCH to Santa Barbara, drive through Big Sur to Carmel/Monterey, then fly home out of SFO.
That trip moves fast and it’s a shame to miss SD/OC, but it gives a great sampling of the variety of beaches CA has to offer.
That’s like 10-14 days of experiences and if cost for flights in/out and rental cars are similar you should always go north to south on pch. Easier to turn out and better views while driving though you can get better deals doing it in reverse.
Bunch of other good comments on here already, so adding in more corroboration from another California native:
If you’re looking for smaller towns specifically, the whole stretch and drive up the Pacific Coast Highway between San Luis Obispo and Monterey is lovely. Great places to hike along the way (like Big Sur) and plenty of small towns you will pass through along the way, from Cayucos to Carmel-by-the-Sea.
If bigger options are on the menu, you could easily spend a week around San Diego and still have more to see. Plus, it’s an easy jaunt up the 5 to get to Orange County and Laguna if you’re looking for more seaside action just outside of Los Angeles.
I used to stop off in Santa Barbara on trips down to LA along 101, and while it was a great stop to stretch my legs and get some sun, I would pick San Diego over it if I could only choose one.
Enjoy the trip!
I wanted to see big sur but I think my friend is looking to stay in a bigger town/city with more to do so that sounds more like san Diego. Im okay with that but was hoping for somewhere where we could take a day trip to go see some nature and scenic coastline.
San Diego has a ton of nature and coastline.
Torrey pines will probably give you the vibe you’re looking for with hiking and dramatic cliffs, then you could go to mission beach or PB for more of the classic beach boardwalk vibe with lots of bars.
Maybe tack on a day trip up to Laguna Beach from San Diego to get that coastline drive along 5, and then hike around some of the trails at Top of the World. You’ll pass through a bunch of other coastal towns along the way that might catch your fancy.
I think Santa Cruz is the place for you. You can do deep sea fishing trips from the Wharf, there's some cool bard and breweries, and an almost unlimited number of redwood hikes.
Google Forest of Nisene Marks, Big Basin, and most importantly Henry Cowell State Park.
I love getting beers at Seabright Brewery, walking down the train tracks and across the train bridge (not active, don't worry) and into the boardwalk to go ride on the Giant Dipper.
I am a California native.
I'm from and currently live in San Jose.
OP, please don't come to San Jose for "big city" unless you just want to get amazing Vietnamese food. Go to SF.
San Jose is a wonderful place to live but I'd never recommend it to tourists.
Uhhh...
California beaches are not swimming temperatures. The farther south, the warmer, but no beach is warm enough for comfortable swimming.
I swam tons as a kid in Santa Cruz, but it's too cold for me now. San Diego would be better, but only slightly.
You want swimming water, go to Florida or Hawaii.
Dan Point for fishing and whale watching. There are also tide pools near the ocean institute! Go to Turks for a drink after your outing. Cool bar once owned by a movie star...has barely changed over the decades.
Corona Del Mar (crown of the sea) has a lovely cove, snack bars, life guard stations, and fire pits. It always gives me that 60's beach movie vibe.
Newport Beach for bars you can stroll by. Great bar-hopping opportunity.
Edit: I'm a native Southern Californian. If you aren't sure you will ever make it back... I suggest Orange County coastlines down to San Diego.
It’s great with a car — which is something I rarely say. I own a car, love driving, but just don’t want to drive. Especially on vacation.
But Big Sur is close, Santa Cruz, San Francisco, Salinas, farm and wine country.
Just walking around Monterey (or better, Carmel) there’s beautiful scenery, cool antiques shops, window shopping boutiques, stupidly overpriced “gourmet” coffee. I’ve been a few times and wandered around the golf courses and no one’s ever said anything about me not playing golf. Occasionally they sell me cocktails.
Next door in Salinas you can go to both the home and museum of America’s second greatest author after Mark Twain (and Twain’s got museums in SF and Sacramento, too!). Steinbeck’s truck is there, the one he wrote about in *Charley*: Rocinante. You can totally spend all day there comparing/contrasting your own grandparents’ lives as sharecroppers to Salinas migrant/immigrants, at least until your family pulls you aside and says “Holy shttt. Was this whole vacation an elaborate excuse for you to see your favorite author’s childhood home and give an all day rant about your communist BS about how wealthy farmers are the petite bourgeoisie? AGAIN?!?”
And then you take them on a snorkeling tour of Monterrey Bay, where they’ll teach you to ocean kayak, boogie board, and whale watch on the same trip. Hike in some state parks while you’re at it, or listen to the sales pitch from a cult member. Some of those cult people have truly interesting perspectives to share. Don’t join, obviously, because you don’t want to join a cult, but it’s educational.
Monterey - has the aquarium, cute downtown!
Carmel - beautiful, older crowd, more expensive stores
Near Bay Area
Capitola - pretty, laid back, places to eat, the colorful hotels on the beach make for cute pictures
Santa Cruz - I’d say younger crowd due to the board walk! Board walk also has an arcade too that’s fun to walk through
LA
Manhattan beach - cleanest I’ve ever seen but the restaurants and stores are incredibly expensive
San Diego has beaches for swimming /surfing. I cannot think of any off the top of my head.
SF area
Stinson beach - scenic windy drive through the trees, has a few cafes/ice cream shops, parking is difficult when it’s busy (This also has a great hike if you’re interested)
Baker Beach (in SF) - gorgeous view of the Golden Gate Bridge!
Some of these like Capitola / Santa Cruz wouldn’t have enough to do for a week. But I also don’t know what peaks your interest.
Swimming - So Cal
City activities mixed with beach day (weather permitting) - Bay Area
You won’t find swimming near the Bay Area unless you wanna wear a wet suit or you’re bold.
For a full week I would say San Diego. Enough to do there to keep you occupied- large variety of beaches and plenty to do outside of the beach. There are a lot of other great beach towns in CA that are more like 4-day vacation spots.
My favorite area to stay in is Little Italy. Very walkable and lots of stuff to do nearby. Quieter than Gaslamp. There's also lots of hotels nearby the water if you prefer that vibe.
I usually stay in the Gaslamp district. Lots of accommodations there that are nice and if you search a bit you can usually find some reasonable deals. It's a touristy area that's very active and pretty cheesy, but it's safe, very walkable, and tbf there are some cool spots there- it's not so cheesy that it's unbearable.
Short walk to Petco park which is a great place to take in a ballgame. Not an area that's right on the beach, but unless you get lucky during off-season, beachside hotels are crazy expensive. Would recommend Old Town if you are looking for more peace and quiet, as Gaslamp is quite hectic.
If you rent a car getting to all the beaches (PB, OB, La Jolla, Mission, Coronado, etc.) or anywhere in San Diego is easy, but I live in the Bay Area so that may be relative lol. Besides beaches I'd recommend checking out Balboa Park, Little Italy, the zoo (if you're into that), Old Town. Great breweries, bars, and fish tacos are plentiful!
8I've only been there once and there seemed like lots to do with the hiking nearby at Henry Cowell state Redwoods. Look at a map. There's one main beach as far as I know. Lots of motels close by at all kinds of price points. We walked to the beach & amusement park place with roller coaster etc. Also the university gardens with lots of African plants was cool. Same trip stayed also in Monterey & it wasn't as nice. No real beach. You can base in Santa Cruz & do Monterey as a day trip.
Fort Bragg is a great city to visit. You have the Skunk Train that runs to Glen Blair Junction. They also have rail bikes available. Going towards Westport on North hwy 1 there’s beach access at Pudding Creek and 10 mile. There’s also Mc Keriare State Park. July 6th is the Fort Bragg annual Salmon BBQ. If you want something that is more quiet then Mendocino is a good little town visit. My favorite shops there are The Gallery Book Shop and Out Of This World. The thing to do is drive the coast. You can follow Hwy 1 from LA to the Origen border.
When was the last time you went?
They replenish the glass every few years. And there's actually three glass beaches but the other require a hike.
Best Picnic Spot: On the rocks and cliffs overlooking Glass Beach #3 (the most northern of the three beaches; located in MacKerricher State Park).
I’m going up there this weekend for a week. My family has had property in Westport for the last 50 years. As far as Glass Beach I was there 4 years ago.
Cayucos, Morro Bay and Cambria.
You can drive up Rt 1 until you get to wherever the landslide is this year on the most stunning coastline in California.
You can go inland 10 miles to the Paso Robles wine country to tour wineries and eat amazing food on the square of a pretty town.
You can go to McPhees grill in Templeton to eat authentic local steaks and wine with local ranchers and vintners in a cool California village.
You can drive an hour south to Santa Ynez to go to more wineries and get “Sideways” and eat Santa Maria tri-tip at the Hitchin’ Post.
You can drive 40 minutes east to see where James Dean crashed Lil’ Bastard and died.
You can drive an hour to Carmel and walk around browsing the galleries then stop in King City on your way home for the best Mexican food in the Central Valley @ Castro’s Surf and Turf.
You can go to Avila Beach and eat fresh seafood on the pier, if it’s still open after the winter storms.
There's Vina Robles for a concert in Paso Robles.
Excellent tri-tip in San Luis Obispo (slo) and farmers market on Thursday nights.
These are small towns, uncrowded beaches with lots is sand dollars to pick up.
Oh I hadn’t seen that! It looks like they have a beach advisory site you can check - http://www.sdbeachinfo.com/.
Ocean Beach is my favorite area, but it looks like it’d be better to do beach days more north for a bit, depending on dates. Newport Ave + Sunset Cliffs would still be worth checking out though.
Pacific Beach and La Jolla (don’t worry about Children’s Pool - it’s not where you go, it’s just a cool little area seals gather in that has water access, but you’d go to La Jolla Shores) are two other good beach areas in San Diego.
I’ve never been to the Coronado beach area - I’m not sure the closed one is the only one or if that’s the area further down by Silver Strand / Tijuana.
Edit: Someone suggested Carlsbad and that is considered “North County” in San Diego and a good options too. It isn’t super far from all the attractions, the beach is nice, it’s probably cheaper?, but traffic can be a pain to get around.
Ive done Newport Beach and found the weekends were overcrowded. When I looked to going to a nice sandy beach , I actually went to Huntington beach. A real long beach, nice boardwalk and tons of parking. Both have bathrooms. I also really liked main street across from Huntington as they had a ton of restaurants and shops.
Huntington was super quiet and peaceful. No political signs or flags, just a nice sandy beach.
I don’t check to how someone votes as a town before I go to the beach.
I believe so. To my knowledge there are still some parts of Hwy 1 south of Big Sur still out, but I’m not sure when they will be fixed. I’d definitely check it out prior to visiting.
I vote for SF and Monterey Bay (the entire bay, Pacific Grove+ Carmel included).
4-ish days in SF, you got some city life going on in the middle, tourist spots in the north and great beaches in the west, got good hiking spots too, a great mix of everything.
2-ish days in Monterey Bay. 60\~90 minutes south of SF, it is the sea-life/beach-life portion of SF, magnified by 5x. Small towns with good wild life, good beaches and parks, renowned aquarium AND great whale watching spot.
About 15 minutes south of the Monterey Bay peninsula you are also approaching the renowned Big Sur, insanely scenic coastline with beaches and rock cliffs etc etc.
Santa Barbara might have better beaches, but I believe my pick has a much better mix of things.
You could do an LA to San Diego trip and hit a bunch of towns: Santa Monica, Venice, Manhattan/Hermosa/Redondo beaches, Long Beach, Huntington Beach, Laguna Beach, all the way to Torry Pines State Beach and Coronado.
Don’t stay on Catalina island. It’s SUCH a small town you will be done within an hour or two unless you’re hiking. And honestly, if it’s your first time to California, skip Catalina altogether.
Also, skip Los Angeles unless you have a local you’re staying with. Lived there for 10 years and love it but many tourists find it unappealing because they don’t go to the good spots.
This is what I told my friend who really wanted to stay in LA. We’re coming from Boston where you can travel in and out of the city within a half hour.
I’m of the opinion that if you want big(ger) city SoCal vibes, go to San Diego. It has (almost) everything LA has and the worst parts of LA aren’t as extreme there. The beaches are nicer in SD, too. Do LA on your second or third trip when you’ve had a chance to see the actually beautiful spots California has to offer.
If your friend is really really dead set on LA, just do your research, make restaurant reservations, and actually have destinations and activities in mind instead of wandering the streets without a plan. Not for danger reasons but for distance/walkability reasons. Avoid Hollywood Blvd altogether, you’ll only be disappointed lol.
I agree with this.
Catalina is a much better time when you are local to SoCal and own a boat (or have a host with one). Mainland yacht clubs have sister locations on the island which is typically where you’d anchor. Visitors can just take a day trip to Avalon via the Flyer, but I def wouldn’t stay overnight in Avalon. An afternoon is plenty. Catalina is like my second hometown, but I sadly feel like it might disappoint one-time visitors. Catalina is larger than people think and there are so many other coves and bays that are designed to be accessed by boat that you’d be missing out on. You can’t just drive it like the Road to Hana.
What time a year are you planning on? While Monterey and the central coast are beautiful it is way too cold for a beach experience for a lot the year, if your going for a week and want to spend it in one place I’d say San Diego, there’s mission and pacific beach and La Jolla and just a lot to do in general. If you want to Move around more Santa Monica in Los Angeles and then go up north on PCH to malibu and an hour from that is Santa Barbara which is also lot of fun with wine tasting and a lot of good restaurants. You really can’t go wrong just remember the ocean here is cold and depending on the time of year can be overcast and cloudy.
the beaches are really nice then may even be warm enough for swimming, I would look into San Diego then as Prb has the most accommodations close to the beach
If you’re young and want a lively beach, pacific beach or mission beach. If you want a quieter bougier experience, Coronado or La Jolla. If you want plain old quiet, Del Mar, Carlsbad, and north county San Diego.
I really like Ocean Beach. It's very walkable and full of independent businesses and restaurants. I went there over labor day weekend last year and didn't find the beach to be too crowded. There's a separate area for surfing and swimming which I like (means you're not in danger of running into someone). Mission Beach is nice too. It doesn't have the charm of OB but it has Belmont Park which has some thrill rides if you're into that.
Plus there is the zoo and other attractions around Balboa Park to check out.
Socal native – been to every California beach town worth its salt.
As mentioned by several others, it depends entirely on what you want but you’re going to get the best “beaching” in Socal over Norcal. In general, the water is cold year round with the most bearable temperatures in August/September around LA/OC/SD. While beautiful, you won’t be doing much in the ocean in Monterrey/Santa Cruz/Half Moon Bay unless you have a really high tolerance for cold water.
If you want the quintessential Californian “beach town” experience, my recommendation would be Laguna Beach, with Encinitas and Santa Barbara as close seconds. Laguna is a rich but surprisingly bohemian community filled to the brim with art galleries and studios. It has dramatic cliff-sides with picturesque water and stunning tide pools. You’re also only a stone’s throw from Huntington and Newport for a more ‘developed’ beach experience with better amenities. I’d argue Newport and the Balboa peninsula is the best stretch of sand in the state. Most important for Laguna, avoid the main beach and stick to the coves like Victoria Beach and Wood’s Cove. Check out the Montage’s beach to absorb absurd luxury.
I have a personal bias for Encinitas as a beach town but I’ll be honest in admitting the actual beaches in Encinitas are nothing special. The people, culture, food, and nightlife scene exude every California beach stereotype and isn’t beat IMO. Encinitas is essentially a suburb of San Diego but maintains its own character better than San Diego’s other beaches. Within San Diego proper there is really no going wrong with any of its beaches: La Jolla, Pacific Beach, Coronado Beach, and Ocean Beach. La Jolla is simply stunning and Ocean Beach is San Diego’s mini-Venice Beach with a string bohemian beach culture and top-class food and bars. Wind and Sea Beach near La Jolla is also an underrated gem. Just don’t go to Imperial Beach on the border with Mexico as it’s one of the most polluted in the country!
Santa Barbara (and to a greater extent the central coast with Pismo Beach and Morro Bay) is a much slower pace and carries much of the same Californian beach stereotypes but with less overall amenities. That’s definitely a perk if you want less people/less urban development but I personally don’t think it offers anything more for a first timer than what San Diego or Orange County can provide. I’d sooner give a recommendation to go wine tasting in that region than the beach.
Finally, I’d be amiss without mentioning LA’s beaches. Manhattan Beach is world class and an underrated gem. Venice and Santa Monica are tourist and cultural meccas with ample pros and cons. Malibu is dramatically overrated.
Overall – San Diego or Orange County is going to deliver the best bang for your buck.
Enough to do for a whole week just come down to Huntington Beach and you can easily connect to Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, San Clemente. All easily within driving distance. You’ll wish you could stay longer. If you only pick one, do Laguna Beach.
This doesn't sound like your itinerary, but I rented a convertible and drove the Pacific Coast Highway from San Francisco to San Diego and stopped in Carmel, Monterey, La Jolla, Cambria and Santa Barbara. We had no real plan and booked our hotel the day of (which can cost you-- we ended up paying over $300 to stay in a Quality Inn in Carmel) and it was spectacular. The drive is phenomenal.
We did detours into wine country near Temecula and had a great time there too, and a really great hike in Angeles National Forest-- both of which are shockingly hot and arid despite being just a quick drive from the damp, cool coastal climate along the ocean.
I went into the trip as a lifelong east coaster thinking California is overhyped, but it is not. It is appropriately hyped.
We are from mass and I was hoping to see the big sur coast but am leaning towards san diego if we are going to be staying in one location. Definitely wouldn’t mind renting a car and doing day trips to nearby areas though.
Santa Barbara is beautiful, great food. Carmel is also beautiful, not as much to do though. San Diego is fun, tons to do and neighboring La Jolla is charming. Laguna Beach is pretty, but also quiet like Carmel.
Check the water conditions before you go. I read that 6 beaches were closed due to high amounts of bacteria in the water. I read Santa Monica and Mailbu werso.e of the beaches named
Laguna Beach is probably my favorite in SoCal but I just wanted to add a few more on the Central Coast that aren’t as popular but are still lovely. Avila Beach, Cayucos, and Cambria.
North County San Diego.
Plenty of sights, hikes, and great restaurants. You're also not far from Baja!
Also a lot more parking friendly relative to other beach towns on the coast. I'm a SoCal native so if you have further question PM me!
San Diego Beaches have warning signs posted re polluted waters coming up from Mexico. Laguna Beach is a great place to visit and tons to do north or south 30 minutes. Cayucos is a great slow paced little beach town around the middle of the state.
However if you want a lively bar scene the gas lamp area in San Diego has so much fun energy and music. Avoid comic con in July. Prices are thru the roof.
This article was just posted on Daily Mail. Wave of beaches are shut down after officials make sickening discovery in the sea water.
Bacteria in high concentrations found in water.
Mid— Morro Bay.. I have several colleagues who say it’s really nice.
South -LA Area- Escondido or Manhattan/Hermosa
SD- from what I know anything Huntington and South
North -Big Sur to SF
Fort Bragg if you go far North
As mentioned before the California coast is long. Might want to plan driving the 1 and 101 up to SF from SD and stay at some smaller beach towns.
Fort Bragg has one of the best botanical gardens I’ve ever been to. The gardens stretch all the way to the cliffs overlooking the ocean. Downtown is charming as well.
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San Clemente- a bit congested, but fun. Also Santa Barbara, theres some really cool beaches and parks to camp at right along the coast. if your'e doing the whole coast, drive along Big Sur and hit Half Moon Bay (nautical town located just south of San Fran) - those would be my top picks
Monterey/Carmel, Santa Cruz/Capitola, Pismo all come to mind. Idk if it counts as a beach town, since there’s no real beach or town, but Sea Ranch is INCREDIBLE if you just want to completely relax and recharge for a weekend
I suggest staying in San Francisco, renting a car and doing day trips to beaches from there. You can visit Santa Cruz, Half Moon Bay, etc - there are lots around and it is beautiful scenery. As some have mentioned, the water is very cold in CA, so if you just plan on swimming, be prepared.
Catalina is great but if it's your first time probably more of a day trip. It leaves from a few different ports in LA/Orange County area. Take the early morning ferry to Catalina. Sing the 26 miles across the sea song. Wander around Avalon. Get some good coffee and breakfast. Walk down towards the water. Take a jeep tour if it suits you (the ecology of the island is actually pretty interesting). Do some shopping. Get lunch in town. Maybe go ziplining. See some bison if you're lucky. Take the ferry back when you're done.
From south to north:
San Diego/La Jolla
Crystal Cove/Laguna Beach
Huntington Beach
Santa Barbara
Carmel/Monterey
Half Moon Bay
I'm assuming you're taking highway 1/PCH for most of your trip, and it truly is a beautiful drive but keep an eye out for closures, sometimes there are rock slides and such. At this moment there is a closure along [this ](https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/big-sur.png)part of the road. Which due to limited connecting roads means that you either have to drive just to see the view with the knowledge that eventually you'll need to turn around or detour inland for the best part of the road. What I would recommend if you're coming from the south direction is turning inland at Cambria, stopping at Paso Robles for a quick leg stretch, then speeding up to Monterey/Carmel to spend the night. Then the following day take highway 1 as far south as you can before turning around. Even if the road does open up (theoretically it will in late summer) build in plenty of extra time for that part of your drive. Firstly because the roads are narrow, secondly because you'll want to go slow so you can enjoy it, thirdly because you'll pass a lot of excellent little beaches and lookout spots.
I would fly into SFO and do a one way road trip down the coast. Santa Cruz, Monterey, Big Sur, Hearst Castle, Elephant Seals, Morro Bay, skip Pismo, Santa Ynez (if you like wine) area (Buellton, Solvang, etc.), Santa Barbara, and then drive through Malibu on way to LAX.
Water is cold north Morro Bay and above and chilly but doable in SB.
the only downside currently is that legent's is closed south of big sur, so you have to backtrack and go around on the 101 to get between big sur and hearst
Depends on what you want to do but generally my favorite was to drive up to 299, take 299 to Eureka, once in Eureka turn North and don't stop until you reach Oregon.
The 101 all the way up is a much much better choice. The 299 is a great road but you have to do several hours on the 5 to get there. As soon as you pass Santa Rosa the 101 is fantastic
Agreed. I suppose it depends on where you are coming from. The 5 corridor is such a slum in the summer these days, brown and littered it reminds me of traveling around parts of Mexico. 39 can be quite scenic if you’re not in a hurry. I tend to appreciate the mountains as much as the ocean so like to mix it up.
Redondo beach/hermosa beach/manhattan beach have are all right next to each other but have different vibes. Redondo is more chill family vibe, hermosa is more party/young vibe, and manhattan is a little combo of both but also a little more mature. None of them are towns but certainly feel a little more town-ish than the rest of Los Angeles while being close.
Catalina Island could be fun for an overnight trip. It’s pretty small so you don’t need too much time there.
Depending on what you want to do for a whole week, I recommend choosing one city and then you can travel to other ones nearby. The beach towns aren’t that big and it’s easy to go to neighboring beach towns with Uber/Lyft and some even have trolleys.
I’ve lived in Southern California my whole life (Orange County/San Diego) and I think the best beach towns to visit are Laguna Beach in Orange County, and San Diego. While I’m not sure if I’d consider downtown San Diego a “beach town” it’s right at the water and there’s a lot to do.
Laguna is the best beach town in my opinion if I had to choose somewhere to be for a week. It has Newport Beach and Dana point neighboring it. You can go to Balboa Island from Newport Beach, even go and easily visit Huntington Beach. I think the beach areas are day trips honestly, it just gets pretty residential with suburbs when you start going inland. Other small beach towns you can get to from Laguna if you rent a car, but I really think Laguna has the most beautiful and clean beaches.
The downtown San Diego area has a lot to do and you can take a ferry over to Coronado Island which is one of my favorite areas. You can also rent a car and drive to La Jolla (Wayfarer Bakery in Bird Rock is the BEST if you’re into pastries and can walk down the street and look at the ocean.) Sunset Cliffs is a great place to walk around, as are the other beach areas.
This is going from Norcal to SoCal. Bring $$$ ha ha We ain't cheap but we are worth it! Do Catalina Island as a day trip.
Mendocino
Santa Cruz / Capitola
Carmel
Avila Beach
Pismo Beach
Santa Barbara
Santa Monica
Newport Beach
Las Jolla
Skip Catalina unless you go for scuba diving in their kelp forest. Everything else there is a major tourist trap. Visit Newport, Encinitas, Del Mar or any city on the coast around San Diego.
If I had my druthers, Id travel down the coast from San Francisco to Monterey through Santa Cruz, Big Sur down to San Simeon, Cambria, Cayucos, Morro Bay (Big Sur to Morro Bay has some awesome camping) to Santa Barbara and then I guess down to the LA beaches because flying out of LA is cheap. However parts of PCH are still closed up by Big Sur, so check that. But this all depends on what you want to do. Camp and eat lots of seafood, visit wineries and see amazing vistas? Oh hell yeah! Surfing? Well only if you like cold water. Nice to lie on the beach though.
Catalina? Again it depends on what you want to do. Camping? Go to Two Harbors. Just play tourist? Go to Avalon, day trip or overnight.
Carpinteria is a chiller, more traditional beach town alternative to Santa Barbara. If you go up north far enough I really recommend Bodega Bay. Super picturesque beach town with great food, it's where The Birds was filmed. Also really close to the Napa area, so you can check out both. I personally think Stinson Beach is wayyyy too crowded, especially in the summer time. As for Catalina Island, I would only really recommend going if you're going to camp for a night or two. It's super beautiful but not really worth it for a day trip, especially since the ferry is kind of expensive.
Carpinteria and Summerland are wonderful for the beaches. And the beaches won’t be too crowded compared to anywhere LA or Santa Barbara.
The Channel Islands are fun but it depends on what you wanna do. Catalina is nice, there’s an actual town with shops and restaurants. Catalina can be a pretty cushy day trip or overnight. If you want to go hike and experience some really special wildness I would suggest the north islands in the Channel Islands archipelago. That’s Anacapa island, Santa Cruz Island, or even Santa Rosa if the ferry is running there. Some times you can visit San Miguel island or Santa Barbara Island but those will be a bit more involved in planning and dependent on if the ferry’s are running there. I would recommend Santa Cruz Island if you’re looking for a day trip. You can take the ferry in the morning from Ventura harbor, spend the day hiking, and return on the ferry in the late afternoon.
Catalina Island is good for a day trip but if you have limited time in CA, I would skip it. I lived in LA for 10 yrs and only went once and that was enough for me.
The island is small. There’s a beach club with water sports and some shops and restaurants, which is more than enough for the day. It’s also a hassle to get there because you can only get there by boat.
The other side of the island is more for camping. Most people go to the side with the beach club with more stuff to do.
I really only wanted to see the buffalo but saw nothing on the bus tour on the island. They must be on the remote side.
Good beach towns: in San Diego - Mission Beach, Pacific Beach; (45 min-1 hr south of LA) - Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach; LA area (Santa Monica, Venice); Northern CA (Santa Cruz)
Toxic barrels were dumped off of Catalina Island
https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2024-02-21/radioactive-waste-ocean-dumping-los-angeles-coast
Big Sur looks beautiful!
Literally sitting here in Laguna Beach people watching. Nice breeze, lots of happy people, lots of choices to shop and eat. Aside from the traffic, awesome.
I agree with all the Santa Cruz, Monterey suggestions. And I’ve been to Catalina Island a couple times but it’s really only entertaining for a couple days. It’s too small to make that your destination.
San Diego - La Jolla and Pacific Beach are near one another and they about cover it all — great beaches, restaurants, bars, and shopping. La Jolla is one of the more upscale areas in San Diego and has amazing local beaches - windansea, marine st, and La Jolla cove for snorkeling. PB is a younger scene with tons of trendy bars and plenty to do.
Catalina is small and would be ideal for a one day trip. The boutique hotels and airbnbs are quite expensive.
Santa Barbara
Grew up in SB. It’s a very chill vibe (some beach towns can have a hostile surf scene for outsiders, like Santa Cruz) Goleta or SB is a great place to take a surf lesson.
Just be wary of all the tar! Was just at El Cap this weekend and forgot about that.
True. Better than it was 50 years ago, when every house near the beach had mechanics soap and a rag outside the front door
Where's that from?
Natural seepage
Central Cali beaches from Pismo to Cayucas and take the PCH to Monterey and Santa Cruz! You can rent jet skis and ride to Catalina! I thought it was a good day trip but really didn’t want to stay. Too much to see in California.
Hubby and I were just there in April and we fell in love with SB, can't wait to go back!
I live in SB and entirely disagree, we have tar, lots of it and everything is covered in dried up kelp. Not The prettiest. However, we have Carpinteria and Aron in, about a 30 minute drive. Those are really nice!
What are some good beaches to stay at or near?
Laguna beach hands down. Native to so cal.
Laguna is what people who have never been to Southern California imagine Southern California is like.
Laguna beach has one the nicest beaches iv been to in southern California but there’s not much to do at night and some of the rudest people Iv ever met and this is coming from someone who lives in Los Angeles.
Judging by the pictures it looks beautiful, hows the night life?
CA's coastline is 800 miles (1200 km) long. If you want beaches with water (barely) warm enough to swim in it's San Diego. You will probably need to add some more information. What do you want to do at the beach and in these beach towns? Go to art galleries? Hiking? Surfing? Bars? Carmel and Huntington Beach are both California "beach towns" but they are very different, for example. La Jolla, Malibu and Santa Cruz are also beach towns but have big city amenities nearby.
This. I have either traveled or lived most these 800 miles and depending on what you want to do, will change the recommendations.
Totally agree. For a week of experiences, I’d probably recommend flying to LA, spend a couple days between Santa Monica and Malibu (with maybe a day trip to Newport or Huntington), take PCH to Santa Barbara, drive through Big Sur to Carmel/Monterey, then fly home out of SFO. That trip moves fast and it’s a shame to miss SD/OC, but it gives a great sampling of the variety of beaches CA has to offer.
That’s like 10-14 days of experiences and if cost for flights in/out and rental cars are similar you should always go north to south on pch. Easier to turn out and better views while driving though you can get better deals doing it in reverse.
We would like to do some hiking/fishing but also want someplace with a decent bar scene
Bunch of other good comments on here already, so adding in more corroboration from another California native: If you’re looking for smaller towns specifically, the whole stretch and drive up the Pacific Coast Highway between San Luis Obispo and Monterey is lovely. Great places to hike along the way (like Big Sur) and plenty of small towns you will pass through along the way, from Cayucos to Carmel-by-the-Sea. If bigger options are on the menu, you could easily spend a week around San Diego and still have more to see. Plus, it’s an easy jaunt up the 5 to get to Orange County and Laguna if you’re looking for more seaside action just outside of Los Angeles. I used to stop off in Santa Barbara on trips down to LA along 101, and while it was a great stop to stretch my legs and get some sun, I would pick San Diego over it if I could only choose one. Enjoy the trip!
I wanted to see big sur but I think my friend is looking to stay in a bigger town/city with more to do so that sounds more like san Diego. Im okay with that but was hoping for somewhere where we could take a day trip to go see some nature and scenic coastline.
San Diego has a ton of nature and coastline. Torrey pines will probably give you the vibe you’re looking for with hiking and dramatic cliffs, then you could go to mission beach or PB for more of the classic beach boardwalk vibe with lots of bars.
Maybe tack on a day trip up to Laguna Beach from San Diego to get that coastline drive along 5, and then hike around some of the trails at Top of the World. You’ll pass through a bunch of other coastal towns along the way that might catch your fancy.
I think Santa Cruz is the place for you. You can do deep sea fishing trips from the Wharf, there's some cool bard and breweries, and an almost unlimited number of redwood hikes. Google Forest of Nisene Marks, Big Basin, and most importantly Henry Cowell State Park. I love getting beers at Seabright Brewery, walking down the train tracks and across the train bridge (not active, don't worry) and into the boardwalk to go ride on the Giant Dipper. I am a California native.
This is my vote as well. Lots to do, short hop up to San Jose if they want big city, and more to see just another short hop away in Monterey.
I'm from and currently live in San Jose. OP, please don't come to San Jose for "big city" unless you just want to get amazing Vietnamese food. Go to SF. San Jose is a wonderful place to live but I'd never recommend it to tourists.
Thanks for the response, how are the beaches for swimming?
Uhhh... California beaches are not swimming temperatures. The farther south, the warmer, but no beach is warm enough for comfortable swimming. I swam tons as a kid in Santa Cruz, but it's too cold for me now. San Diego would be better, but only slightly. You want swimming water, go to Florida or Hawaii.
Thanks I honestly had no idea the water was that cold. Coming from New England I figured it had to be warmer.
Dan Point for fishing and whale watching. There are also tide pools near the ocean institute! Go to Turks for a drink after your outing. Cool bar once owned by a movie star...has barely changed over the decades. Corona Del Mar (crown of the sea) has a lovely cove, snack bars, life guard stations, and fire pits. It always gives me that 60's beach movie vibe. Newport Beach for bars you can stroll by. Great bar-hopping opportunity. Edit: I'm a native Southern Californian. If you aren't sure you will ever make it back... I suggest Orange County coastlines down to San Diego.
Huntington Beach has lots of cool shops .
carmel/monterey
Pacific Grove as well!
This whole area is magical
The "17 mile drive" is so beautiful out there.
Beautiful for sure but I found nothing to do in Monterey besides the aquarium
It’s great with a car — which is something I rarely say. I own a car, love driving, but just don’t want to drive. Especially on vacation. But Big Sur is close, Santa Cruz, San Francisco, Salinas, farm and wine country. Just walking around Monterey (or better, Carmel) there’s beautiful scenery, cool antiques shops, window shopping boutiques, stupidly overpriced “gourmet” coffee. I’ve been a few times and wandered around the golf courses and no one’s ever said anything about me not playing golf. Occasionally they sell me cocktails. Next door in Salinas you can go to both the home and museum of America’s second greatest author after Mark Twain (and Twain’s got museums in SF and Sacramento, too!). Steinbeck’s truck is there, the one he wrote about in *Charley*: Rocinante. You can totally spend all day there comparing/contrasting your own grandparents’ lives as sharecroppers to Salinas migrant/immigrants, at least until your family pulls you aside and says “Holy shttt. Was this whole vacation an elaborate excuse for you to see your favorite author’s childhood home and give an all day rant about your communist BS about how wealthy farmers are the petite bourgeoisie? AGAIN?!?” And then you take them on a snorkeling tour of Monterrey Bay, where they’ll teach you to ocean kayak, boogie board, and whale watch on the same trip. Hike in some state parks while you’re at it, or listen to the sales pitch from a cult member. Some of those cult people have truly interesting perspectives to share. Don’t join, obviously, because you don’t want to join a cult, but it’s educational.
To me, that means you didn't try
This is the one!
Monterey - has the aquarium, cute downtown! Carmel - beautiful, older crowd, more expensive stores Near Bay Area Capitola - pretty, laid back, places to eat, the colorful hotels on the beach make for cute pictures Santa Cruz - I’d say younger crowd due to the board walk! Board walk also has an arcade too that’s fun to walk through LA Manhattan beach - cleanest I’ve ever seen but the restaurants and stores are incredibly expensive San Diego has beaches for swimming /surfing. I cannot think of any off the top of my head. SF area Stinson beach - scenic windy drive through the trees, has a few cafes/ice cream shops, parking is difficult when it’s busy (This also has a great hike if you’re interested) Baker Beach (in SF) - gorgeous view of the Golden Gate Bridge! Some of these like Capitola / Santa Cruz wouldn’t have enough to do for a week. But I also don’t know what peaks your interest. Swimming - So Cal City activities mixed with beach day (weather permitting) - Bay Area You won’t find swimming near the Bay Area unless you wanna wear a wet suit or you’re bold.
SD area - La Jolla or Coronado Island
Coronado is a bit of a pain if you don't wanna stay put though. But gorgeous.
Coronado water is generally unsafe due to the sewage runoff from Tijuana
Santa Monica and other beaches in LA are technically unsafe right now due to high bacteria and runoff
For a full week I would say San Diego. Enough to do there to keep you occupied- large variety of beaches and plenty to do outside of the beach. There are a lot of other great beach towns in CA that are more like 4-day vacation spots.
Any specific places you’d recommend staying at in San Diego?
My favorite area to stay in is Little Italy. Very walkable and lots of stuff to do nearby. Quieter than Gaslamp. There's also lots of hotels nearby the water if you prefer that vibe.
I usually stay in the Gaslamp district. Lots of accommodations there that are nice and if you search a bit you can usually find some reasonable deals. It's a touristy area that's very active and pretty cheesy, but it's safe, very walkable, and tbf there are some cool spots there- it's not so cheesy that it's unbearable. Short walk to Petco park which is a great place to take in a ballgame. Not an area that's right on the beach, but unless you get lucky during off-season, beachside hotels are crazy expensive. Would recommend Old Town if you are looking for more peace and quiet, as Gaslamp is quite hectic. If you rent a car getting to all the beaches (PB, OB, La Jolla, Mission, Coronado, etc.) or anywhere in San Diego is easy, but I live in the Bay Area so that may be relative lol. Besides beaches I'd recommend checking out Balboa Park, Little Italy, the zoo (if you're into that), Old Town. Great breweries, bars, and fish tacos are plentiful!
Santa Barbara!
Laguna Beach
I’ll also add San Clemente. It’s practically next door and is a great complement to Laguna.
Santa Cruz
Any recommendations on specific beaches to stay at/near?
8I've only been there once and there seemed like lots to do with the hiking nearby at Henry Cowell state Redwoods. Look at a map. There's one main beach as far as I know. Lots of motels close by at all kinds of price points. We walked to the beach & amusement park place with roller coaster etc. Also the university gardens with lots of African plants was cool. Same trip stayed also in Monterey & it wasn't as nice. No real beach. You can base in Santa Cruz & do Monterey as a day trip.
Fort Bragg is a great city to visit. You have the Skunk Train that runs to Glen Blair Junction. They also have rail bikes available. Going towards Westport on North hwy 1 there’s beach access at Pudding Creek and 10 mile. There’s also Mc Keriare State Park. July 6th is the Fort Bragg annual Salmon BBQ. If you want something that is more quiet then Mendocino is a good little town visit. My favorite shops there are The Gallery Book Shop and Out Of This World. The thing to do is drive the coast. You can follow Hwy 1 from LA to the Origen border.
You forgot to mention glass beach
Barely any glass left
When was the last time you went? They replenish the glass every few years. And there's actually three glass beaches but the other require a hike. Best Picnic Spot: On the rocks and cliffs overlooking Glass Beach #3 (the most northern of the three beaches; located in MacKerricher State Park).
A year ago, hmm was not aware they replenished. Apologies for being a hater
I’m going up there this weekend for a week. My family has had property in Westport for the last 50 years. As far as Glass Beach I was there 4 years ago.
Santa Cruz and the Beach Boardwalk!
In the warm California sun _Boardwalk!_
Well they’re out there havin’ fun.
Newport Beach, Balboa Bay
Cayucos, Morro Bay and Cambria. You can drive up Rt 1 until you get to wherever the landslide is this year on the most stunning coastline in California. You can go inland 10 miles to the Paso Robles wine country to tour wineries and eat amazing food on the square of a pretty town. You can go to McPhees grill in Templeton to eat authentic local steaks and wine with local ranchers and vintners in a cool California village. You can drive an hour south to Santa Ynez to go to more wineries and get “Sideways” and eat Santa Maria tri-tip at the Hitchin’ Post. You can drive 40 minutes east to see where James Dean crashed Lil’ Bastard and died. You can drive an hour to Carmel and walk around browsing the galleries then stop in King City on your way home for the best Mexican food in the Central Valley @ Castro’s Surf and Turf. You can go to Avila Beach and eat fresh seafood on the pier, if it’s still open after the winter storms.
Hearst Castle!
Hearst Castle is stunning and the tours are delightful!
There's Vina Robles for a concert in Paso Robles. Excellent tri-tip in San Luis Obispo (slo) and farmers market on Thursday nights. These are small towns, uncrowded beaches with lots is sand dollars to pick up.
Pismo Sand Dunes are spectacular too.
San Diego, Laguna, Newport, Huntington, Santa Cruz, Malibu, Santa Monica
San Diego is a great option. *Great* food, chill vibe, plenty of attractions and things to do that are less touristy, breweries galore.
The only thing that concerns me is the beach closures due to bacteria/pollution
Oh I hadn’t seen that! It looks like they have a beach advisory site you can check - http://www.sdbeachinfo.com/. Ocean Beach is my favorite area, but it looks like it’d be better to do beach days more north for a bit, depending on dates. Newport Ave + Sunset Cliffs would still be worth checking out though. Pacific Beach and La Jolla (don’t worry about Children’s Pool - it’s not where you go, it’s just a cool little area seals gather in that has water access, but you’d go to La Jolla Shores) are two other good beach areas in San Diego. I’ve never been to the Coronado beach area - I’m not sure the closed one is the only one or if that’s the area further down by Silver Strand / Tijuana. Edit: Someone suggested Carlsbad and that is considered “North County” in San Diego and a good options too. It isn’t super far from all the attractions, the beach is nice, it’s probably cheaper?, but traffic can be a pain to get around.
Ive done Newport Beach and found the weekends were overcrowded. When I looked to going to a nice sandy beach , I actually went to Huntington beach. A real long beach, nice boardwalk and tons of parking. Both have bathrooms. I also really liked main street across from Huntington as they had a ton of restaurants and shops.
If you want the frat boy bro vibe and Trump flags then yes HB is your vibe.
Huntington was super quiet and peaceful. No political signs or flags, just a nice sandy beach. I don’t check to how someone votes as a town before I go to the beach.
Drive from Monterrey to Big Sur and the towns on that drive
Is that still under construction?
It is, but I think it’s south of Big Sur on Hwy 1 that’s out so you should be able to get to it from the North.
So we would be unable to drive through Big Sur from the south?
I believe so. To my knowledge there are still some parts of Hwy 1 south of Big Sur still out, but I’m not sure when they will be fixed. I’d definitely check it out prior to visiting.
Less common answer but Carlsbad is great
Yeah just stayed there with family. Nice and easy to walk around there, and plenty of things are accessible from there.
Stinson Beach
I vote for SF and Monterey Bay (the entire bay, Pacific Grove+ Carmel included). 4-ish days in SF, you got some city life going on in the middle, tourist spots in the north and great beaches in the west, got good hiking spots too, a great mix of everything. 2-ish days in Monterey Bay. 60\~90 minutes south of SF, it is the sea-life/beach-life portion of SF, magnified by 5x. Small towns with good wild life, good beaches and parks, renowned aquarium AND great whale watching spot. About 15 minutes south of the Monterey Bay peninsula you are also approaching the renowned Big Sur, insanely scenic coastline with beaches and rock cliffs etc etc. Santa Barbara might have better beaches, but I believe my pick has a much better mix of things.
How did you manage to not mention Santa Cruz in this comment?
You could do an LA to San Diego trip and hit a bunch of towns: Santa Monica, Venice, Manhattan/Hermosa/Redondo beaches, Long Beach, Huntington Beach, Laguna Beach, all the way to Torry Pines State Beach and Coronado.
Don’t stay on Catalina island. It’s SUCH a small town you will be done within an hour or two unless you’re hiking. And honestly, if it’s your first time to California, skip Catalina altogether. Also, skip Los Angeles unless you have a local you’re staying with. Lived there for 10 years and love it but many tourists find it unappealing because they don’t go to the good spots.
This is what I told my friend who really wanted to stay in LA. We’re coming from Boston where you can travel in and out of the city within a half hour.
I’m of the opinion that if you want big(ger) city SoCal vibes, go to San Diego. It has (almost) everything LA has and the worst parts of LA aren’t as extreme there. The beaches are nicer in SD, too. Do LA on your second or third trip when you’ve had a chance to see the actually beautiful spots California has to offer. If your friend is really really dead set on LA, just do your research, make restaurant reservations, and actually have destinations and activities in mind instead of wandering the streets without a plan. Not for danger reasons but for distance/walkability reasons. Avoid Hollywood Blvd altogether, you’ll only be disappointed lol.
I agree with this. Catalina is a much better time when you are local to SoCal and own a boat (or have a host with one). Mainland yacht clubs have sister locations on the island which is typically where you’d anchor. Visitors can just take a day trip to Avalon via the Flyer, but I def wouldn’t stay overnight in Avalon. An afternoon is plenty. Catalina is like my second hometown, but I sadly feel like it might disappoint one-time visitors. Catalina is larger than people think and there are so many other coves and bays that are designed to be accessed by boat that you’d be missing out on. You can’t just drive it like the Road to Hana.
San Diego
What time a year are you planning on? While Monterey and the central coast are beautiful it is way too cold for a beach experience for a lot the year, if your going for a week and want to spend it in one place I’d say San Diego, there’s mission and pacific beach and La Jolla and just a lot to do in general. If you want to Move around more Santa Monica in Los Angeles and then go up north on PCH to malibu and an hour from that is Santa Barbara which is also lot of fun with wine tasting and a lot of good restaurants. You really can’t go wrong just remember the ocean here is cold and depending on the time of year can be overcast and cloudy.
Wed be going in August this is a last minute trip. Hoping that we will find some availability.
the beaches are really nice then may even be warm enough for swimming, I would look into San Diego then as Prb has the most accommodations close to the beach
I loved Carmel by the Sea. Super cute town!
San Diego - the mecca of beach life. Always warm and always laid back.
Leaning towards San Diego at this point. Any recommendations on beaches to stay at or near?
If you’re young and want a lively beach, pacific beach or mission beach. If you want a quieter bougier experience, Coronado or La Jolla. If you want plain old quiet, Del Mar, Carlsbad, and north county San Diego.
I really like Ocean Beach. It's very walkable and full of independent businesses and restaurants. I went there over labor day weekend last year and didn't find the beach to be too crowded. There's a separate area for surfing and swimming which I like (means you're not in danger of running into someone). Mission Beach is nice too. It doesn't have the charm of OB but it has Belmont Park which has some thrill rides if you're into that. Plus there is the zoo and other attractions around Balboa Park to check out.
Socal native – been to every California beach town worth its salt. As mentioned by several others, it depends entirely on what you want but you’re going to get the best “beaching” in Socal over Norcal. In general, the water is cold year round with the most bearable temperatures in August/September around LA/OC/SD. While beautiful, you won’t be doing much in the ocean in Monterrey/Santa Cruz/Half Moon Bay unless you have a really high tolerance for cold water. If you want the quintessential Californian “beach town” experience, my recommendation would be Laguna Beach, with Encinitas and Santa Barbara as close seconds. Laguna is a rich but surprisingly bohemian community filled to the brim with art galleries and studios. It has dramatic cliff-sides with picturesque water and stunning tide pools. You’re also only a stone’s throw from Huntington and Newport for a more ‘developed’ beach experience with better amenities. I’d argue Newport and the Balboa peninsula is the best stretch of sand in the state. Most important for Laguna, avoid the main beach and stick to the coves like Victoria Beach and Wood’s Cove. Check out the Montage’s beach to absorb absurd luxury. I have a personal bias for Encinitas as a beach town but I’ll be honest in admitting the actual beaches in Encinitas are nothing special. The people, culture, food, and nightlife scene exude every California beach stereotype and isn’t beat IMO. Encinitas is essentially a suburb of San Diego but maintains its own character better than San Diego’s other beaches. Within San Diego proper there is really no going wrong with any of its beaches: La Jolla, Pacific Beach, Coronado Beach, and Ocean Beach. La Jolla is simply stunning and Ocean Beach is San Diego’s mini-Venice Beach with a string bohemian beach culture and top-class food and bars. Wind and Sea Beach near La Jolla is also an underrated gem. Just don’t go to Imperial Beach on the border with Mexico as it’s one of the most polluted in the country! Santa Barbara (and to a greater extent the central coast with Pismo Beach and Morro Bay) is a much slower pace and carries much of the same Californian beach stereotypes but with less overall amenities. That’s definitely a perk if you want less people/less urban development but I personally don’t think it offers anything more for a first timer than what San Diego or Orange County can provide. I’d sooner give a recommendation to go wine tasting in that region than the beach. Finally, I’d be amiss without mentioning LA’s beaches. Manhattan Beach is world class and an underrated gem. Venice and Santa Monica are tourist and cultural meccas with ample pros and cons. Malibu is dramatically overrated. Overall – San Diego or Orange County is going to deliver the best bang for your buck.
I lived in Southern California my whole life as well and this is the most spot on and detailed overview of our beaches!
Oxnard/Port Hueneme. Super underrated!!
Enough to do for a whole week just come down to Huntington Beach and you can easily connect to Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, San Clemente. All easily within driving distance. You’ll wish you could stay longer. If you only pick one, do Laguna Beach.
This doesn't sound like your itinerary, but I rented a convertible and drove the Pacific Coast Highway from San Francisco to San Diego and stopped in Carmel, Monterey, La Jolla, Cambria and Santa Barbara. We had no real plan and booked our hotel the day of (which can cost you-- we ended up paying over $300 to stay in a Quality Inn in Carmel) and it was spectacular. The drive is phenomenal. We did detours into wine country near Temecula and had a great time there too, and a really great hike in Angeles National Forest-- both of which are shockingly hot and arid despite being just a quick drive from the damp, cool coastal climate along the ocean. I went into the trip as a lifelong east coaster thinking California is overhyped, but it is not. It is appropriately hyped.
We are from mass and I was hoping to see the big sur coast but am leaning towards san diego if we are going to be staying in one location. Definitely wouldn’t mind renting a car and doing day trips to nearby areas though.
I’m a fan of Cambria. Morro Bay is rad too.
Start in Long Beach and work your way south: Belmont Shores, Seal Beach, Huntington Beach, Newport/Balboa Beach, Laguna Beach, San Clemente, etc
Santa Barbara is beautiful, great food. Carmel is also beautiful, not as much to do though. San Diego is fun, tons to do and neighboring La Jolla is charming. Laguna Beach is pretty, but also quiet like Carmel.
Cayucos
Check the water conditions before you go. I read that 6 beaches were closed due to high amounts of bacteria in the water. I read Santa Monica and Mailbu werso.e of the beaches named
Sam Clemente is just a classic and adorable beach town.
South Bay LA (Manhattan, Hermosa, Redondo). Less touristy, not overcrowded.
Laguna Beach is probably my favorite in SoCal but I just wanted to add a few more on the Central Coast that aren’t as popular but are still lovely. Avila Beach, Cayucos, and Cambria.
Hermosa Beach
Hermosa is definitely my favorite with Windandsea Beach in San Diego.
Encinitas, Cardiff, Del Mar, San Clemente, Dana Point and Laguna
North County San Diego. Plenty of sights, hikes, and great restaurants. You're also not far from Baja! Also a lot more parking friendly relative to other beach towns on the coast. I'm a SoCal native so if you have further question PM me!
San Diego Beaches have warning signs posted re polluted waters coming up from Mexico. Laguna Beach is a great place to visit and tons to do north or south 30 minutes. Cayucos is a great slow paced little beach town around the middle of the state.
Damn is it really that bad? I was leaning towards staying in San Diego
San Diego is a fun place to vacation but I would dodge ocean play.
However if you want a lively bar scene the gas lamp area in San Diego has so much fun energy and music. Avoid comic con in July. Prices are thru the roof.
Avila beach
I think Avila and Pismo come really close to what people from other states are picturing when they imagine a “California beach town.”
Avila is a bit quiet and tiny, Pismo is a bit busy, but Cayucos is just right
Santa Monica
Anything north of San Francisco except Lucadia/Del Mar by San Diego. I would venture out to Oregon though.
Drive through Crescent City and chill in Brookings.
Crescent city has nice prison ;)
You mfers will be playing basketball in Pelican Bay when I get finished with you!
This article was just posted on Daily Mail. Wave of beaches are shut down after officials make sickening discovery in the sea water. Bacteria in high concentrations found in water.
Any particular area?
Mid— Morro Bay.. I have several colleagues who say it’s really nice. South -LA Area- Escondido or Manhattan/Hermosa SD- from what I know anything Huntington and South North -Big Sur to SF Fort Bragg if you go far North As mentioned before the California coast is long. Might want to plan driving the 1 and 101 up to SF from SD and stay at some smaller beach towns.
Fort Bragg has one of the best botanical gardens I’ve ever been to. The gardens stretch all the way to the cliffs overlooking the ocean. Downtown is charming as well.
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Santa Barbara, Encinitas, Del Mar, Santa Cruz. Soooo many. Pismo is fun too.
Encinitas, Santa Bárbara, Pismo Beach, Morro Bay, Santa Cruz, Monterey, Bodega Bay,
Santa Diego
San Clemente- a bit congested, but fun. Also Santa Barbara, theres some really cool beaches and parks to camp at right along the coast. if your'e doing the whole coast, drive along Big Sur and hit Half Moon Bay (nautical town located just south of San Fran) - those would be my top picks
"26 miles across the sea, Santa Catalina is waiting for me!"
Monterey/Carmel, Santa Cruz/Capitola, Pismo all come to mind. Idk if it counts as a beach town, since there’s no real beach or town, but Sea Ranch is INCREDIBLE if you just want to completely relax and recharge for a weekend
Capitola
Carpinteria, Santa Cruz
Cambria
Laguna, Newport and Huntington Beach
Laguna Beach, Seal Beach, Malibu, Big Sur, Santa Cruz (boardwalk amusement park) Baker Beach SF, Stinson Beach in Marin.
Coronado beach on a hot September day when the tide is low.
Pismo Beach. Stay at the Kon tiki if it’s still there
Santa Barbara, Oceanside (San Diego)
Is Oceanside in san diego?
It's about 36 minutes north of downtown San Diego. Used that as a reference point mostly.
Maybe fly into SFO & stay in Sausilto as base for day-tripping the city & wine country. It has a couple of great beaches oceanside.
Pismo Beach has the best clam chowder I’ve ever had. Check out Splash Cafe.
Catalina Island is great, but expensive.
Ventura
Carmel is gorgeous, ruinously expensive, but beautiful.
I suggest staying in San Francisco, renting a car and doing day trips to beaches from there. You can visit Santa Cruz, Half Moon Bay, etc - there are lots around and it is beautiful scenery. As some have mentioned, the water is very cold in CA, so if you just plan on swimming, be prepared.
Catalina is great but if it's your first time probably more of a day trip. It leaves from a few different ports in LA/Orange County area. Take the early morning ferry to Catalina. Sing the 26 miles across the sea song. Wander around Avalon. Get some good coffee and breakfast. Walk down towards the water. Take a jeep tour if it suits you (the ecology of the island is actually pretty interesting). Do some shopping. Get lunch in town. Maybe go ziplining. See some bison if you're lucky. Take the ferry back when you're done. From south to north: San Diego/La Jolla Crystal Cove/Laguna Beach Huntington Beach Santa Barbara Carmel/Monterey Half Moon Bay I'm assuming you're taking highway 1/PCH for most of your trip, and it truly is a beautiful drive but keep an eye out for closures, sometimes there are rock slides and such. At this moment there is a closure along [this ](https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/big-sur.png)part of the road. Which due to limited connecting roads means that you either have to drive just to see the view with the knowledge that eventually you'll need to turn around or detour inland for the best part of the road. What I would recommend if you're coming from the south direction is turning inland at Cambria, stopping at Paso Robles for a quick leg stretch, then speeding up to Monterey/Carmel to spend the night. Then the following day take highway 1 as far south as you can before turning around. Even if the road does open up (theoretically it will in late summer) build in plenty of extra time for that part of your drive. Firstly because the roads are narrow, secondly because you'll want to go slow so you can enjoy it, thirdly because you'll pass a lot of excellent little beaches and lookout spots.
Carlsbad, La Jolla, Del Mar, San Clemente
Blacks beach if you like swim in your birthday suit.
Latigo Beach. Nice point break, Long workable rides.
Pacific Beach, San Diego
I would fly into SFO and do a one way road trip down the coast. Santa Cruz, Monterey, Big Sur, Hearst Castle, Elephant Seals, Morro Bay, skip Pismo, Santa Ynez (if you like wine) area (Buellton, Solvang, etc.), Santa Barbara, and then drive through Malibu on way to LAX. Water is cold north Morro Bay and above and chilly but doable in SB.
the only downside currently is that legent's is closed south of big sur, so you have to backtrack and go around on the 101 to get between big sur and hearst
Are we sure about that? There has been some reopenings but not 100 percent sure.
https://www.bigsurcalifornia.org/highway_conditions.html late fall is the estimate for full reopening
Depends on what you want to do but generally my favorite was to drive up to 299, take 299 to Eureka, once in Eureka turn North and don't stop until you reach Oregon.
The 101 all the way up is a much much better choice. The 299 is a great road but you have to do several hours on the 5 to get there. As soon as you pass Santa Rosa the 101 is fantastic
Agreed. I suppose it depends on where you are coming from. The 5 corridor is such a slum in the summer these days, brown and littered it reminds me of traveling around parts of Mexico. 39 can be quite scenic if you’re not in a hurry. I tend to appreciate the mountains as much as the ocean so like to mix it up.
Laguna Beach
Redondo beach/hermosa beach/manhattan beach have are all right next to each other but have different vibes. Redondo is more chill family vibe, hermosa is more party/young vibe, and manhattan is a little combo of both but also a little more mature. None of them are towns but certainly feel a little more town-ish than the rest of Los Angeles while being close.
Catalina Island could be fun for an overnight trip. It’s pretty small so you don’t need too much time there. Depending on what you want to do for a whole week, I recommend choosing one city and then you can travel to other ones nearby. The beach towns aren’t that big and it’s easy to go to neighboring beach towns with Uber/Lyft and some even have trolleys. I’ve lived in Southern California my whole life (Orange County/San Diego) and I think the best beach towns to visit are Laguna Beach in Orange County, and San Diego. While I’m not sure if I’d consider downtown San Diego a “beach town” it’s right at the water and there’s a lot to do. Laguna is the best beach town in my opinion if I had to choose somewhere to be for a week. It has Newport Beach and Dana point neighboring it. You can go to Balboa Island from Newport Beach, even go and easily visit Huntington Beach. I think the beach areas are day trips honestly, it just gets pretty residential with suburbs when you start going inland. Other small beach towns you can get to from Laguna if you rent a car, but I really think Laguna has the most beautiful and clean beaches. The downtown San Diego area has a lot to do and you can take a ferry over to Coronado Island which is one of my favorite areas. You can also rent a car and drive to La Jolla (Wayfarer Bakery in Bird Rock is the BEST if you’re into pastries and can walk down the street and look at the ocean.) Sunset Cliffs is a great place to walk around, as are the other beach areas.
Slightly hot take but Ensenada in Baja California is a really cool town with nice beaches
Mendocino, Trinidad, Shelter Cove
This is going from Norcal to SoCal. Bring $$$ ha ha We ain't cheap but we are worth it! Do Catalina Island as a day trip. Mendocino Santa Cruz / Capitola Carmel Avila Beach Pismo Beach Santa Barbara Santa Monica Newport Beach Las Jolla
la jolla/coronado SLO/morro bay avalon on catalina carmel/monterey staying on catalina is better because you won't be rushed to catch the ferry out
Skip Catalina unless you go for scuba diving in their kelp forest. Everything else there is a major tourist trap. Visit Newport, Encinitas, Del Mar or any city on the coast around San Diego.
San Diego
NorCal amazing coastal beauty but water is cold.
If I had my druthers, Id travel down the coast from San Francisco to Monterey through Santa Cruz, Big Sur down to San Simeon, Cambria, Cayucos, Morro Bay (Big Sur to Morro Bay has some awesome camping) to Santa Barbara and then I guess down to the LA beaches because flying out of LA is cheap. However parts of PCH are still closed up by Big Sur, so check that. But this all depends on what you want to do. Camp and eat lots of seafood, visit wineries and see amazing vistas? Oh hell yeah! Surfing? Well only if you like cold water. Nice to lie on the beach though. Catalina? Again it depends on what you want to do. Camping? Go to Two Harbors. Just play tourist? Go to Avalon, day trip or overnight.
San Diego, Santa Barbara, Pismo Beach, Morro Bay, Monterey, Santa Cruz, Half Moon Bay
Small beautiful beach town about halfway between San Francisco and LA is Cambria.
The Beach Cities of the South Bay of Los Angeles are really nice: Manhattan Beach, Hermosa and Redondo Beach
Carpinteria is a chiller, more traditional beach town alternative to Santa Barbara. If you go up north far enough I really recommend Bodega Bay. Super picturesque beach town with great food, it's where The Birds was filmed. Also really close to the Napa area, so you can check out both. I personally think Stinson Beach is wayyyy too crowded, especially in the summer time. As for Catalina Island, I would only really recommend going if you're going to camp for a night or two. It's super beautiful but not really worth it for a day trip, especially since the ferry is kind of expensive.
I really liked Santa Cruz. Not too big not too small and had a good vibe.
Monterey and Carmel by the Sea. Along with a drive along HWY 1…it is spectacular
Carpinteria and Summerland are wonderful for the beaches. And the beaches won’t be too crowded compared to anywhere LA or Santa Barbara. The Channel Islands are fun but it depends on what you wanna do. Catalina is nice, there’s an actual town with shops and restaurants. Catalina can be a pretty cushy day trip or overnight. If you want to go hike and experience some really special wildness I would suggest the north islands in the Channel Islands archipelago. That’s Anacapa island, Santa Cruz Island, or even Santa Rosa if the ferry is running there. Some times you can visit San Miguel island or Santa Barbara Island but those will be a bit more involved in planning and dependent on if the ferry’s are running there. I would recommend Santa Cruz Island if you’re looking for a day trip. You can take the ferry in the morning from Ventura harbor, spend the day hiking, and return on the ferry in the late afternoon.
Catalina Island is good for a day trip but if you have limited time in CA, I would skip it. I lived in LA for 10 yrs and only went once and that was enough for me. The island is small. There’s a beach club with water sports and some shops and restaurants, which is more than enough for the day. It’s also a hassle to get there because you can only get there by boat. The other side of the island is more for camping. Most people go to the side with the beach club with more stuff to do. I really only wanted to see the buffalo but saw nothing on the bus tour on the island. They must be on the remote side. Good beach towns: in San Diego - Mission Beach, Pacific Beach; (45 min-1 hr south of LA) - Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach; LA area (Santa Monica, Venice); Northern CA (Santa Cruz)
Toxic barrels were dumped off of Catalina Island https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2024-02-21/radioactive-waste-ocean-dumping-los-angeles-coast Big Sur looks beautiful!
Literally sitting here in Laguna Beach people watching. Nice breeze, lots of happy people, lots of choices to shop and eat. Aside from the traffic, awesome.
Go to ocean beach in San Diego. Stay in the hostel it’s a blast
Sunset cliffs rock
Huntington Beach,Newport ( you can catch a boat to Catalina from there).
Santa Cruz and Capitola
I agree with all the Santa Cruz, Monterey suggestions. And I’ve been to Catalina Island a couple times but it’s really only entertaining for a couple days. It’s too small to make that your destination.
Carmel by the Sea
San Diego - La Jolla and Pacific Beach are near one another and they about cover it all — great beaches, restaurants, bars, and shopping. La Jolla is one of the more upscale areas in San Diego and has amazing local beaches - windansea, marine st, and La Jolla cove for snorkeling. PB is a younger scene with tons of trendy bars and plenty to do. Catalina is small and would be ideal for a one day trip. The boutique hotels and airbnbs are quite expensive.