Southern California's Best Beaches

From San Diego to
Santa Barbara County

Which are the Best
Southern California Beaches?

Find the One That's Right for You

Find Your North Coast Beach

Find Your Central California Beach

All California beaches have dangerous rip-currents and other hazards. Children playing near or in the surf should be supervised at all times.

• Cabrillo Beach

  - Great for small children. The inner beach is protected by breakwaters at the mouth of LA Harbor and has virtually no surf. Outer beach has surf.

• Corona Del Mar Beach

  - Protected by the harbor jetty, convenient facilities and easy access to beach.

• Moonlight Beach

  - Simply a great family beach with playground, lifeguards, snack shop, volleyball, and easy access.

• Goleta Beach

  - Broad stretch of sand, playground, picnic areas close to sand.

• Long Beach

  - Virtually no surf, gentle slope, lots of sand, convenient facilities.

• Fletcher Cove Beach

  - With the adjacent park, Fletcher Cove is a wonderful place for families. Restrooms, showers, playground, and picnic areas along with a nice sandy beach.

• Refugio State Beach

  - Lots of good facilities, easy access, bike trail.

• La Jolla Shores Beach

  - A great all-around beach for surfing, wading, playing in the sand. Close to Kellogg Park. Good facilities.

• Laguna Beach

  - Usually gentle surf, nearby Main Beach park, playground, tide pools.

• Leadbetter Beach

  - Wide expanse of sand, gentle waves, close to Shoreline Park.

• Zuma Beach

  - Children's playground, bike trail, wharf, lifeguards

• East Beach

  - long beach, good facilities, use caution around waves, lifeguards

• Carpinteria Beach

  - Tomol Play Area, gentle waves, tidepools, good facilities

• San Buenaventura Beach

  - Bike trail, playground on the sand, large picnic area, Ventura Pier

• Silver Strand Beach

  - Popular with families and kids, portable toilets, moderate waves

• Hueneme Beach

  - Meandering bike trails, pier, swings, broad beach

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• Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes and Oso Flaco Lake

  - Riparian areas, dunes, lake - excellent birding spot, guided walks with Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Center

• East Beach

  - Close to Andree Clark Bird Refuge

• Carpinteria Beach

  - Carpinteria Creek area rich with wildlife, tide pools, close to Harbor Seal Preserve

• Abalone Cove Beach

  - watch whales from the bluff, explore the tide pools around Portuguese Point

• Torrey Pines State Beach and Natural Reserve

  - 2000 acres of natural reserve with plenty of birds and other wildlife, trails, viewpoints, and a visitors center and museum.

• Newport Beach

  - Upper Newport Bay Nature Preserve and Ecological Reserve offer great birding.

• Crystal Cove Beach

  - Great tide pools along the state park coast, whale-watching spots, inland wildlife.

• Emma Wood State Beach

  - River Trail along Ventura river, Ocean's Edge trail through dunes, dolphins often sighted offshore

• Malibu Lagoon Beach

  - Nature Trail along edge of Malibu Lagoon

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• Palos Verdes Beaches

  - Rugged coast with hidden bays and coves. Point Vicente, Portuguese and Inspiration Points

• Guadalupe Dunes

  - Giant sand dunes, Mussel Rock

• Point Mugu

  - Solitary rock standing at the point

• Torrey Pines State Beach and Natural Reserve

  - Trails lead out to a number of viewpoints along the redish colored sandstone bluffs overlooking the ocean.

• Leo Carrillo State Park

  - Rocky points jutting out into the sea at Carrillo and southward at Pescador, Piedra, and Matador beaches.

• Point Dume Beach

  - Hike the trails to summit of point Dume for spectacular views of the coast.

• Crystal Cove Beach

  - Varied coastline with points and bluffs, beaches, and trails, Historic District of vintage beach homes.

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• Gaviota State Park

  - Fish from the Gaviota Pier for halibut, surfperch, bass, bonito, and jacksmelt. Available at night for those camping there

• Goleta Beach Pier

  - The Goleta Beach Pier is considered one of the top fishing spots on the coast. Open 24 hours a day, lights, restrooms, etc.

• Redondo Beach Pier

  - great facilities, designated fishing areas, easy access and parking

• Leadbetter and Arroyo Burro beaches

  -Fish your way along the coast by kayak or float tube, surf fish for perch and corbina.

• Stearns Wharf - Santa Barbara

  - great facilities, bait and tackle shop

• Ventura Pier

  - Stretches 1,700 feet into the ocean, good spot for sea bass, halibut, yellowtail, and mackerel, benches, fish cleaning stations.

• Port Hueneme Pier

  - 1,250 feet long, sandy bottom fishing, open 24 hours a day, restrooms, fish cleaning stations, lights and benches.

• Newport and Balboa Piers

  - Open 5 AM to midnight, good fishing for rockfish, guitarfish, croaker, and surfperch. More deep-water fish off Balboa Pier.

• Huntington Beach Pier

  - Bait and tackle shop on pier, good fishing for halibut, bonito, surfperch and more. Night lights, fish cleaning stations.

• Point Mugu State Park

  - Use extreme caution and fish from the rocks at Point Mugu and down the coast. Rogue waves have taken unwary fishermen.

• Leo Carrillo State Park

  - Cast from the rocky points in the center of the park or find the best holes along the beach.

• Malibu Pier

  - try your luck fishing for corbina, kelp bass, halibut, surfperch, and mackerel.

• San Clemente Pier

  - Artificial reef provides fish habitat, expect croaker, halibut, jacksmelt, guitarfish, corbina, and more. Open 4 AM to midnight. Lights, fish cleaning stations.

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