California Beaches Blog

The official number of California beaches ranges, according to who’s doing the counting. While official sources count anywhere from 450 to 500 beaches on the state list, we know that with 1,000 miles of coast, a beach is just a name for a spot on that continuous ribbon of sand that provides a world of enjoyment to beach-lovers who visit from around the globe.

People declare the Best Beach in California, the Most Scenic Beach, the Most Romantic Beach, and the Best Beach Hotels. But truthfully, these declarations are subjective and aimed at grabbing attention, when each beach in California deserves recognition for one reason or another. After the recent storms that hit the entire California coast, much attention by media was focused on the trash that came ashore, washed with the water and tides from various sources. And when that occurred, the most beautiful places became the most deserving for attention to a cause–trash and pollution can plague any “best of” beach location, anywhere in the world, as a matter of fact.

If you spent your time exploring just 1 mile of coast per day, it would take you 1,000 days or just under 3 years to visit all of it.

Here’s are some must-see beaches for specific focus, but like any recommendation, you may disagree. This is simply what we prefer:

Best golfing beaches - Pebble Beach

Best surfing beaches - Santa Cruz & Encinitas

Best tanning beaches - Malibu

Best old fashioned beach experience - Pismo Beach

Best nude beaches - Blacks Beach

Best youth beach hangout - Huntington Beach

Best cult beach - Venice’s Muscle Beach

Best kids beach - Dana Point Mother’s Beach, Long Beach Mother’s Beach, Coronado Island beaches (check water quality on all these beaches before going - healthebay.org)

Best snorkeling beach - Avalon, Catalina Island

Best beach amusement - Santa Cruz, Santa Monica

Best wharf entertainment - Pier 39 San Francisco

Best ocean view dining - Redondo Beach (over 40 restaurants)

Best nature hikes - Sonoma Coast

Best marine activities, boating - Long Beach

Best volleyball - Santa Barbara, Santa Monica, Manhattan Beach

Best bicycling beach - Redondo Beach

Best sand dunes - Nipomo Dunes Beach, Surf Beach (Central Coast)

Best remote beach - Lost Coast in Humboldt, Trinidad County

Best wind & kitesurfing beach - Arroyo Laguna Beach (San Luis Obispo County)