Best Beaches in California – Lounging in the Golden Beaches of the Pacific Coast
California is famous for thousand miles of the ocean in various moods and colors. From the warm, fine sands to colder fog enveloped waters, sandcastle building competitions to surfers’ paradise, fine dining to wildlife watching, this coast offers it all.
Best Beaches in California – Golden to Stunning Seascapes
More than 1,000 miles of coastline, 450 beaches and 118 beach cities make the golden state a much sought-after beach destination. Choosing the best beaches in California from so many is a daunting task but the good part being that there is something for everyone. Dramatic cliffs, rugged natural beauty give way to expanses of smooth sand, barrier beaches and sand pits present themselves at mouths of rivers, lagoons and bays, pounding waves that excite surfers, and gentler, yet deeper waters offer teeming sea life for scuba enthusiasts, these beaches have it all.The presence of the ocean greatly moderates the weather along the coast, especially the Southern Coast, keeping the winters warmer and summers cooler. The temperatures rarely cross 75 degrees, even on the warmest day in southern California. The best beaches in California can be found all along the coast but generally the Southern beaches are wide open and laidback whereas the Northern coast is wild and dramatic.
Best Beaches in Southern California – Sunny and Popular
The best beaches in Southern California are found in Los Angeles, San Diego, and Orange County. People watching, dining, cycling, body boarding, sunbathing, sand castle building, beach volleyball and surfing are just some of the activities most popular here. Named as one of the cleanest beaches in the US, Newport is ideal for families to surf, especially for beginners; Coronado Island and beach is one the best in the country. Laguna, Huntington, Santa Monica State Beach, Mission Beach and the Surfrider Beach, formally called the Malibu Lagoon State Beach, are the other options from the best beaches in Southern California list.
Best Beaches in Northern California – Wild and Quiet
If the southern beaches are warmer and more crowded, then the beaches in Northern California are less commercialized and populated. More popular for its headlands and seascapes the best beaches in Northern California offer beachcombing, watching wildlife such as seals, sea lions, sea otters and whales, and kayaking. These beaches are colder than the south and are commonly found to be enveloped in morning fog, they also have strong riptides so are not suitable for swimming. Best known beaches in Nothern California are Fort Bragg, Monterey Bay, Point Reyes National Seashore; Presidio; Marin Headlands, and Sonoma County.