California Beaches Directory

California Beaches

California Beaches

California Beaches Travel Information

Who doesn't fall in love with a breath-taking scene as you step into the warm, soft sand and wiggle it between your toes? Gazing out to the deep blue Pacific Ocean from the California shoreline, surely you've found paradise on Earth! California beaches are the state's top tourist attraction and with good reason. It can be 125 degrees in Death Valley where people are sure it's so hot they will die, while just hours away on the coast couples cuddle in a cool breeze, snuggling up to a bonfire on the beach to stay warm as the sunset says goodnight.

Want to know about beach bonfires, beach safety, water quality, and other issues to make your beach experience the best? Check out these ideas!

CALIFORNIA BEACH COUNTIES - There are 15 beach counties in California out of a total of 58 counties. That's just under 25% of California counties with Pacific Coast beaches. Yet the bulk of the state's population resides within this popular area.

California is rare among the nation's beaches because of laws created nearly 50 years ago to preserve these natural assets and keep them open to the public as free entertainment. The majority of residents in the state live near the coast and do so because of the weather and lifestyle. Professionals, school kids and even pet dogs all go to the ocean to swim, surf and sunbathe. They also skate, kitesurf, wind surf, stand up paddle, kayak, watch whales, fish, run for grunion...the events, activities and beach attractions and things to do are endless as that big sea, itself.

CALIFORNIA REGIONS WITH BEACHES - There are 12 California geographic regions and 50% of the regions or 6 of them contain land that meets the Pacific Ocean.

CALIFORNIA CITIES WITH BEACHES - Beaches are located both in cities and in counties, and don't always have a city attached to them in the unincorporated areas or state parks regions.

LOS ANGELES COUNTY BEACHES - These coveted beaches are among the most attended in California. Though water quality can be an issue in places such as the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, Malibu and Catalina, to name a few, L.A. beaches are also home to the beach monitoring leader, Healthebay.org. This non-profit takes measurement for water quality and alerts the public with weekly report cards and warnings about failing grades assigned during testing.

ORANGE COUNTY BEACHES - 40 some miles of coastal paradise in California's premier destination are easy to access and hard to leave. These are the coolest, trend-setting spots in the West, and are often used as subject matter for fictional shows in places such as Newport Beach (The OC), and Laguna Beach. Easy going, lots of sand and beach paths for bicycling and jogging in Huntington Beach (a surfing mecca) make OC beaches the number one choice for many travelers and three million residents of Orange County. List of favorites: Sunset Beach, Seal Beach, Laguna Beach, Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, Balboa Island, Corona del Mar

MONTEREY COUNTY
Pebble Beach 17 Mile Drive

SAN DIEGO COUNTY
Ocean Beach
Oceanside Beach Bonfires in Oceanside, California
Oceanside Beach Camping, Oceanside, CA
Pacific Beach California City of San Diego
Swami's Surfing in San Diego, California

SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY
San Simeon, CA beaches - Picture of two elephant seals at
San Simeon Elephant Seal Rookery Near Beaches at Piedras Blancas

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY
Guadalupe Beach Central Coast Things to Do
Guadalupe Bridge on California Central Coast
Guadalupe Path to the Guadalupe Bridge and Beach

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY

Greyhound Rock near Davenport
Scott Creek Beach

About some favorite things and places:

California Beach Bonfires, Dying Embers

California Beaches are for the Birds!

California Beaches Could See Debris in 2012 From Japan Tsunami

California Coast Inviting - But Check Water Quality Before You Go!

Beach Videos

Laguna Beach
Woods Cove
Victoria Beach
Sunset Beach
Huntington Beach
Girls' Favorite
Spray tattoos
Sunbathers
Limbo
Rancho Palos Verdes
Dance 4 Oceans

Among the things we love the most about California beaches, we like to walk on California Piers, we love to visit the beach cities and towns, camp out near the ocean, have a bonfire and participate in a variety of sports. If you live it as much as we do, come see California beaches and become a fan, a beach advocate for protecting, preserving and enjoying the finest things on Earth!

Oceanfront places in the south are considered the sunbathing beaches. This is where the water temperatures peak around 72 degrees in the summer months, and the millions of visitors flock to enjoy the famous Southern California beach vibe, made even more recognized with musical groups like the Beach Boys, and famous surfers who act as ambassadors to the lifestyle known as the Endless Summer. Oceanfront places in Southern California include San Diego, Orange County and Los Angeles County. Pacific Beach, Ocean Beach, Mission Beach, Encinitas, Oceanside and Carlsbad are a few names recognized along the San Diego Coast. One beach of note is Blackie's, a surfer beach famous for nude sunbathing lore.

Orange County has over 40 miles of Oceanfront places with Laguna Beach, Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, Seal Beach, San Clemente, Surfside and Sunset Beach making up the bulk of the Oceanfront places . Often recognized from TV shows as the Oceanfront places where the rich people go, the reputation is partially deserved, though millions of average people live and love the lifestyle as well.

Los Angeles has the most famous Oceanfront places , thanks to Hollywood filming. Bay Watch and countless movies and TV shows have been filmed on these shores that include Malibu, Redondo Beach, Santa Monica, Venice Beach, Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach and Long Beach, to name most of them.

Central Coast California is a beautiful stretch of Oceanfront places from Santa Barbara to Big Sur. Just amazing is the only way to describe them.

Northern California Oceanfront places are equally incredible and range from Santa Cruz to Eureka, Crescent City and the north.