If you are thinking of visiting and doing a roadtrip through California on your journey, you will surely already find many beautiful beaches, California is coastal and a large part of the cities and places to visit are located on the seashore. But California has endless beaches and some of them hidden, and it's a shame that you miss them. They are amazing!
In this post I tell you about the most beautiful beaches in California so that you can include the one you like the most in your itinerary. You can find many complete guides on what to see in California on the blog and at this link.
THE MOST BEAUTIFUL BEACHES IN CALIFORNIA
1. Ocean & Baker Beach, San Francisco
Ocean Beach and nearby Baker Beach are located on the San Francisco Bay. From these beaches you can have spectacular views of the Golden Gate, it is one of the best views. Apart from finding some beautiful beaches. Although the weather here is not as warm as in the Los Angeles and San Diego areas, it does not detract from these spectacular beaches.
They are perfect for a walk in the afternoon, before dark, and enjoy a beautiful sunset watching the Golden Gate. (It's the previous photo)
Posts from San Francisco that may interest you:
2. Carmel Shore Beach, San Jose
Carmel Shore Beach is located near San José at 1:20 a.m. and near Salinas at 30 minutes. We discovered it by chance, because we decided to go from San Jose to Los Angeles using the highway that runs along the coast (number 1). Awesome!
The entire route that it follows is beautiful, but we stopped near Carmel Beach to stretch our legs and what did we find? A beautiful virgin landscape. It is located at the gates of Garrapata State Park, the first natural park on this coastal route. It is well worth making this detour and getting off the traditional highway.
Carmel beach is practically virgin, with a small part of toasted sand to walk on and somewhat rough water that breaks against the rocks that protrude from the water.
3. Santa Barbara, Los Angeles
And we arrived in Los Angeles, specifically Santa Barbara. Several beaches can be found in Santa Barbara, along the central coast of California. And although it is one of the most popular and tourist areas, we cannot deny that they are beautiful.
One of the most charming corners is in West Beach, where there is a small old wooden pier. We arrived just at sunset and the effect of the colors on the wet sand is beautiful.
It is a very lively beach, with a lot of people, so if you are only looking for quiet and practically virgin beaches like Carmel Shore Beach, it is better to skip this one.
Next to the beach there is a bike path that takes you to the UCSB campus and then to Butterfly Beach. Where there is a promenade full of people practicing sports, ice cream stalls and a pleasant atmosphere.
Posts from Los Angeles that may interest you
4. El Matador Beach, Los Angeles
It is inevitable (at least for me) if I travel to an area with incredible coastlines and perfect spots for surfing, not going there one morning or one afternoon to enjoy one of my favorite sports.
El Matador, apart from being one of the most beautiful beaches in California, with huge rock formations that stand out from the golden color of the sand and the waves, is a perfect place to enjoy the surroundings, sunbathe, walk and of course surf.
There are days when the waves are very soft and you can take a dip and enjoy a great bath.
5. Santa Monica, Los Angeles
In Santa Monica you will find a huge beach, where you can walk, watch the sunset, but above all have fun like a dwarf in the amusement park located on the pier.
It is a perfect place to end the day, after touring the city. Have an ice cream, get on the Ferris wheel and enjoy the views. You can't come to Los Angeles and not visit the Santa Monica Pier.
6. Huntington Beach, Los Angeles
The Huntington Beach is located southeast of Los Angeles in 2016 was awarded as one of the best beaches in the United States.
It's really beautiful. It starts at Boulevard Beach and runs down to the Santa Ana River channel.
It is a perfect beach for surfing, and although it is very popular, being huge it seems that you are practically alone. After a few days in the bustle of Los Angeles, we appreciated disconnecting for a morning getting to know the area.
It is a very local place with small barbecues on the beach, and bars and restaurants on the promenade.
7. Leo Carrillo Beach
Leo Carrillo Beach is located within the Leo Carrillo State Park. Here you will find caves, beaches and small coves and paths to go along the coast.
It is a perfect place for windsurfing and surfing. Although for those who do not practice these sports it is worth enjoying the surroundings, finding the small natural pools that form when the tide goes out, and delving into their caves.
It is located near Malibu, just 15 minutes away by car. In between, there is the El Matador beach, which I have already told you about.
8. McWay Cove, Big Sur
This wonder of nature is found in Big Sur, near San José. On the highway from San Jose to Los Angeles and it is one of the most beautiful landscapes in all of California.
We spent the night in Salinas, and they recommended that we get up very early, even before dawn, to get to McWay Cove, in Big Sur. Since it is a very popular place. And so we did. We arrived at this oasis when the sun was already up and we were blown away.
It is a small beautiful beach of toasted sand, below some small cliffs, from where a waterfall comes out. With a rough blue sea that breaks against the rocks. It is definitely one of the most beautiful natural corners of California.
9. Pfeiffer Beach, Big Sur
In the same area as the previous beach, we find Pfeiffer Beach.
It is famous for its rock formations, as well as having a shade of purple sand that makes it even more beautiful.
Here the landscape is a little more arid, with sandy areas to walk, and unique rock formations. The sea is usually rough and stings hard against the rocks.
It is a beautiful beach to visit throughout the day, but especially at sunset.
10. Capitola Beach
Capitola Beach is located at the northern end of Monterey Bay. It has a very charming, coastal and calm atmosphere, unlike other areas like Los Angeles. You can surf, sunbathe, do other activities such as cycling along the promenade or simply enjoy the surroundings.
I especially love a corner of small colorful houses stacked on the coast, attached to each other. It is a beautiful corner to see near Las Salinas or San José.
It is very difficult to choose between all the beaches that California has. All of them have something precious and stand out for something special. For me, these are the 10 most beautiful beaches in California, not only because I loved them with the naked eye, but because they have something special, something magical that makes them unique and makes them stand out from the rest.
Do not forget that in the blog I tell you what to do in various places in California; San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles, San Diego…
PLAN YOUR TRIP STEP BY STEP
I hope you enjoy your trip to California very much and that this article has been useful to you. You can continue reading many more related articles on the blog.
If you liked this article, subscribe to the blog so you don't miss out on upcoming destinations, curiosities, travel tips and inspiration for your trips.
A hug and see you soon!
Comments