Beaches are the name of the game in San Diego. If luxury is right up your street, try Coronado Island for upscale smarts, a charming little village paradise with an exceptional beach attached, accessible via ferry from San Diego. And the glorious, sandy Mission beach delivers watersports to die for, of every imaginable kind, everything from sailing, kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, windsurfing, kite surfing and waterskiing. Then there's the excellent Belmont Park amusements. Wow!
The San Onofre beaches, in north county San Diego, deliver some of the finest surfing the city has to offer.
La Jolla beach awaits you, with its mix of pristine golden sands, towering cliffs, surfers, beach fires and BBQs.
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Experience the residential beach city of Imperial Beach and enjoy surfing, swimming and strolling along the pier
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Check out Cardiff-by-the-Sea for oceanfront camping, gorgeous cliffs and wide open sandy beaches
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Voted one of the finest beaches in the USA by The Travel Channel, Coronado’s beaches sparkle with mica and are loved for their particularly gentle waves
Every beach in and around this huge city has its own personality, its own vibe.
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Southern California Highlights
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Northerly Carlsbad's beautiful little beaches are one of the region's best kept secrets with their excellent walkways, attractive sea defences and great facilities. But there's more...
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The beaches at Encinitas combine 1960s hippy beach culture with fab boutique shops, cool restaurants, new age meditation and yoga... yeah, man!
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Solana beach is wonderfully secluded with high cliffs right to the water’s edge
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Mission Bay offers a huge and fascinating network of waterways, inlets and islets to explore
Taking the kids? You'll love Torrey Pines State Beach, which lies between Carmel Valley Road and the Glider Port at Torrey Pines Scenic Drive. You'll find dedicated lifeguards, safe swimming, loos and showers.
Silver Strand State Beach is ideal for oceanfront RV camping, perfect to swim, kayak, surf, water-ski, picnic, play volleyball or boating. Barbecue pits, picnic tables and fire rings are also available.
Leucadia has three legendary surfing spots to observe: Grandview, Beacon's and Stone Steps. If you can't surf or don't fancy it, watching the experts is a great way to relax away a lazy afternoon. For an easy-access beach with boardwalks and a pier, choose Oceanside. Or discover Point Loma beach, with very little sand but spectacular cliffs and fascinating rockpools to poke around in. Looking for a 'typical' California beach? Mission Beach is central, right in San Diego itself and the closest thing to a classic East Coast beach experience, with echoes of Coney Island. Whichever San Diego beaches you spend time on, the sunsets are epic as the disc of the sun drops beneath the western horizon.
Leucadia has two beach parks, the Leucadia State and Encinitas County, a brilliant place from which to watch the surfing action. You'll find Ocean Beach nestling between the mighty San Diego River and the beautiful hills of Point Loma, the ideal dog-friendly beach destination for surfers, swimmers and sun-seekers. Fancy some top notch beachside bling? Head for La Jolla, wealthy and posh, spotless and exclusive, known as the jewel of San Diego. It's packed with lovely luxury homes, fine dining and Rodeo Drive-style retail therapy, plus stunning sandy beaches and gorgeous reefs.