The 15 best beaches in Southern and Northern California
So you're headed to California and looking for the funnest-in-the-sunnest beaches to visit...
Cali has tons of gorgeous beaches, and each has something different to offer. When choosing a destination, first you'll need to know how you want to spend your seaside vacay.
Want to go swimming? Southern beaches are best – the water is warmer and calmer.
Up for horseback riding with dramatic scenery? Northern California is the land of adventure.
To help you decide where to go, here are some California beaches that should make your shortlist, from San Diego to San Francisco!
Southern California
La Jolla, San Diego County
✔️Snorkeling ✔️Surfing ✔️Family-friendly ✔️Tide pools ✔️Seals
No self-respecting "best beaches" list can go without La Jolla. Just reading the word makes you feel – dare we say it? – jolly. (Okay, we know, it's pronounced la HOY-a.)
Brilliant jokes aside, this beach is high in the running for California's prettiest. Sunbathe on the pristine sand, learn to surf at Tourmaline Beach, swim in the calm (and well-guarded) waters of the main beach, and snorkel among leopard sharks and Garibaldi fish. Explorers should definitely try a kayaking tour of the sea caves!
And of course, we can't forget the beloved seals, which you can see at Children's Pool Beach. If you wanted to be a marine biologist when you grew up, go a little farther south to check out the tide pools with their unique, hardy ecosystems.
Where to find it: A few minutes northwest of San Diego (Google Maps).
Coronado Beach, San Diego County
✔️White sand ✔️Famous hotel ✔️Surfing ✔️Family-friendly ✔️Close to city
You may have already heard of the nearby Hotel del Coronado – it has a dual claim to pop culture fame as the filming location for Some Like It Hot (1958) starring Marilyn Monroe, and as a notorious haunted spot.
But even if you never step foot in the hotel, Coronado Island has plenty more attractions – especially its beach, a gorgeous strip of white sand with calm waters for swimming. But not always calm: in the right conditions, this is a popular surf spot too.
Between stretches of sunbathing, you don't need to drive back to the mainland or downtown San Diego to refresh yourself. Orange Avenue waits a few streets away from the south end of the beach to entertain you with restaurants, shops, and decidedly less haunted hotels.
Where to find it: A few miles from downtown San Diego by ferry or car (Google Maps).
Laguna Beach, Orange County
✔️Surfing ✔️Rich and famous ✔️Hiking ✔️Wildlife spotting ✔️Arts scene
The OC? Don't call it that. "The real Orange County" is way more than a teen reality show, and its best drama is its seven miles of eye-popping coastline.
While it's true that some of the beach views from the Pacific Coast Highway are blocked by the homes of the rich and famous, you can still access the beach via stairs down the bluffs.
Some of the best-known strands are Thousand Steps, Victoria, and Main Beach, and one special feature of the coastline is its cove beaches – a relative rarity in SoCal. Come surf, wander the boardwalk, watch for whales, hike the coastal canyon trails – really, what can't you do here?
It's not just about sun and sand, though. Laguna Beach was originally an art colony, and its creative scene is still a major attraction – especially with its prestigious annual festival of the arts. Be sure to check out the beautiful local galleries while you're in town!
Where to find it: About 60-90 minutes southeast of LA (Google Maps).
Huntington Beach, Orange County
✔️Surfing ✔️Campfires ✔️Family-friendly ✔️Dog-friendly
Also known as "Surf City USA" after the 1963 hit by Jan and Dean, this 8.5-mile-long (13.7km) beach is a 10/10 destination for hanging ten. Its consistent waves are popular with newbies and advanced surfers alike, and at night you can see their campfires along the shore.
It's also so beautiful that you might just catch yourself saying, "I want to retire here," even if you're 25. Or already retired.
As you might expect, Huntington is mega crowded on summer weekends, with people of all shapes, sizes, and bank accounts soaking up rays or swimming in the jewel-toned water.
Besides living that beach life, you can walk to the end of the picturesque pier to dine on seafood at Bud & Gene's, successor to the iconic Ruby's Diner.
Where to find it: 60-90 minutes south of LA (Google Maps).
Venice Beach, Los Angeles County
✔️Tourists ✔️Fitness ✔️Boardwalk ✔️Street art ✔️Close to city
For chill bohemian folks as well as fitness junkies and everyone in between: there's so much to do here, it's no wonder Venice Beach is so popular.
Everywhere people are swimming, jogging, cycling, or getting swole at Muscle Beach. The shopping and dining options in town are as hip and hoppin' as you might expect, while the funky beach boardwalk offers a livelier vibe with groovy shops and street performers. Meanwhile, walls all around the city are emblazoned with colorful street art.
In the evening, be sure to stroll out on the pier to be surrounded by sea and sunset.
By the way, if you're curious why it's called Venice, you might want to check out the canals just a few streets from the beach.
Where to find it: 30-60 minutes west of downtown LA (Google Maps).
Malibu, Los Angeles County
✔️Rich and famous ✔️Long coastline ✔️Mega photogenic ✔️Sea caves ✔️Tide pools
Huge houses. Expensive boutiques. High-end restaurants. If this is where Malibu Barbie had her dream house, she and Ken must have been rolling in the dough.
The wealthy have staked their claim here for good reason, though: the beaches are both soothing and breathtaking. And there are lots of 'em.
While Zuma is the largest, El Matador State Beach is one of the most highly recommended. It's small but dramatically beautiful, with craggy rocks and sea caves surrounding smooth sand. Take a stroll on the water's edge, parody a swimsuit photoshoot (common here), or pop on some good water shoes to explore the tide pools.
Where to find it: About an hour west of LA (Google Maps).
Manhattan Beach, Los Angeles County
✔️Clean ✔️Family-friendly ✔️Water sports ✔️Close to city ✔️Restaurants
If you're looking for a Los Angeles beach area that's cleaner and more family-friendly than, say, Santa Monica, this is it. Manhattan is upscale and a bit less touristy while still keeping the fun-in-the-sun beach town vibe.
Photos usually center on the historic pier, where you can enjoy not only a walk but also free admission to the Roundhouse Aquarium. From there you can watch the many water sports going on – or head back to land to take part in them yourself. Surfing, paddle boarding, kayaking, boating, jet skiing? Take your pick.
And when your belly starts growling, the city has a phenomenal restaurant scene. Work up an appetite on the waves, then get thee to a foodery!
Where to find it: 30-60 minutes southwest of downtown LA (Google Maps).
Hermosa Beach, Los Angeles County
✔️Family-friendly ✔️White sand ✔️Surfing ✔️Nightlife ✔️Close to city
Literally "Gorgeous Beach" in Spanish, Hermosa stands out among the other Beach Cities for its nightlife. If Manhattan is classy, this Gorgeous George is cool and down to party, especially near the pier.
By day, surfers ride the waves, anglers fish from the pier, and volleyball dramas play out on the sand. By night, the beat drops and the single mingle.
Otherwise, all the usual Beach City draws apply: excellent surfing, soft sand, beautiful and swimmable waters.
Where to find it: 40-60 minutes southwest of downtown LA (Google Maps).
Stearns Wharf and East Beach, Santa Barbara
✔️Picturesque city ✔️Wharf ✔️Close to downtown ✔️Mountains
Santa Barbara itself is a lovely oceanfront city full of palm trees and white-stucco, red-tile houses backed by the Santa Ynez Mountains. The fact that its downtown ends in a beautiful beach is just icing on the cake.
Head down State Street to the pier and cross the wooden piles to visit Stearns Wharf, a historic landmark with restaurants and souvenir shops. Oddly enough, you can even drive out there – but if you indulge in both fish 'n' chips and ice cream on the wharf, we recommend walking it off.
Then spend some quality time on sandy East Beach sunbathing, playing volleyball, or swimming in the calm blue water. If you're here in fall, count on fewer tourists, milder temperatures, and even more intense sunsets.
Where to find it: About two hours north of LA (Google Maps).
Northern California
Pfeiffer Beach, Monterey County
✔️Rock formations ✔️Hiking ✔️Purple sand ✔️Scenic drive
It sounds like a lyric from an LSD-fueled Beatles song, but the sand here really is purple. Maybe not grape-flavored-popsicle purple, but it's visible enough after a good rain! That's thanks to eroded manganese garnet coming down from the hills.
Pfeiffer is also known for its rock formations, like the iconic Keyhole Rock – super cool to see at any time of year, but especially around the winter solstice, when the sunset thrusts a ray of light through the keyhole.
While it's windy and the water isn't safe for swimming, there are plenty of other things to do in the area – this is, after all, Big Sur! Hike and camp among redwoods, or drive scenic Highway 1 to see the rest of this famous coastline.
Life balances that way – less sunbathing, but more adventuring!
Where to find it: Near Big Sur, about 2.5 hours south of San Francisco (Google Maps).
Carmel-by-the-Sea, Monterey County
✔️Cute town ✔️White sand ✔️Dog-friendly ✔️Surfing ✔️Wildlife spotting
Wish upon a star, and you might end up in the fairytale beach city of Carmel-by-the-Sea. That's no joke – the frankly adorable downtown looks like a storybook village and offers visitors restaurants, museums, and art galleries.
And that's just the town. Carmel Beach is known for its pearly white sand, eye-catching cypress trees, and brilliant aquamarine water. While the sea here is cold, there are good waves for surfing, and both dogs and campfires are welcome on the beach.
For even more adventure, check out Point Lobos State Natural Reserve to the south. Snorkel, hike, and keep your eyes peeled for wildlife, including seals, otters, and the occasional whale.
Where to find it: Two hours south of San Francisco (Google Maps).
Santa Cruz beaches
✔️Surfing ✔️Wildlife spotting ✔️Amusement park ✔️Long coastline
Santa Cruz and Huntington actually sparred over the title of "Surf City" in the early 2000s, so we'll let Huntington keep the title for SoCal and call Santa Cruz the surf capital of the north. Not only is it an international destination for wave riding, but it even has a surfing museum.
Santa Cruz's 29 miles (47km) of beaches also boast the West Coast's oldest amusement park, the Beach Boardwalk, which gives landlubbers the chance to ride the waves of the historic Giant Dipper roller coaster.
Animal lovers should keep an eye out for local sea and bird life, like otters, sea lions, herons, and pelicans. Whales and porpoises can also be seen from a boat offshore. And if you liked Jaws, well… Santa Cruz and the northern part of Monterey Bay have become a nursery for Great Whites, and some whale watching companies offer shark tours.
Where to find it: About 80 minutes south of San Francisco (Google Maps).
Half Moon Bay State Beach, San Mateo County
✔️Camping ✔️Hiking ✔️Surfing ✔️Fishing
This state park's four sandy beaches make a great day trip out of San Francisco – or a whole vacation on their own. The most popular, Francis Beach, comes with a visitor center as well as a campground with both RV and tent camping (book it in advance on Reserve California).
For beaches less crowded but just as attractive, head north to Venice Beach (yes, another one!) or Dunes Beach. The northernmost, Roosevelt, is currently only open to foot traffic. That makes it a good spot to get some peace and quiet along with views of Miramar and Pillar Point Harbor.
Half Moon Bay has even more to offer, though: surfers should check out Mavericks Beach to the north to see its famously massive slabs (or surf them if you have the cojones), while hikers and horseback riders have easy access to the California Coastal Trail from here.
Where to find it: About 45 minutes south of San Francisco (Google Maps).
Baker Beach, San Francisco County
✔️Sightseeing ✔️Picnics ✔️Fishing ✔️Hiking ✔️Nude beach
Three words: Golden Gate Bridge.
Sure, you can get excellent bridge views at Fort Point, but what you're not getting is these scenic cliffs, caramel sands, and pounding surf. Plus, it's not exactly OK to drop your pants at Fort Point, but North Baker Beach is, ahem, "clothing-optional."
[picture censored]
Cold water, big waves, and rip currents make swimming here a definite Nope, but there's still plenty to do: go fishing or crab snaring, hike the cliff trail, or work on your tan with a picnic on the sand.
Where to find it: Just west of downtown San Francisco (Google Maps).
Point Reyes National Seashore, Marin County
✔️Headlands ✔️Lighthouse ✔️Hiking ✔️Camping ✔️Wildlife spotting
Just an hour from downtown San Francisco, this visually stunning coastal park remains wild and weirdly underrated. Its shoreline offers a twofer with both dramatic rocky headlands and long stretches of sand.
Like at many other northern California beaches, the water here is cold and the currents are dangerous. It's also remote enough that some beaches can be reached by car while others are only accessible by boat or on foot. Luckily, the typical favorite – family-friendly Limantour Beach – can be driven to, and its waters tend to be calmer.
Because of its protected status, this park is a great place to hike through the wilderness and also spot wildlife. Elephant seals hang out on the beach during their mating season, and gray whales can be spotted from the Point Reyes Lighthouse.
Before your visit, check the National Park Service website for alerts and closures!
Where to find it: 60-90 minutes northwest of San Francisco (Google Maps).
There you have it: 15 reasons to head west. Now go off and have an adventure!
