Surf, Sun and Sand…Welcome to San Diego’s Beaches

The coveted San Diego beaches are more than just the frontier of the west coast. In San Diego, the beach is a way of life, a source of pride and joy, a defining influence in people’s lives. For San Diegans that live at or near the coastline, the beach is a part of their culture and for many, could be described as their religion. For other folks, the fond memory of a summer sunset melting into the Pacific while feeling the sand between their toes is reward enough.

Others have a more intimate relationship with the ocean as their lives revolve around it. For these people, surfing, paddle boarding, kayaking, sailing, biking, running, beach volleyball, swimming or diving along San Diego’s many coastal beaches and bays is an integral part of their life.

San Diego beaches are truly enjoyable at any season of the year

Summer

Visitors and residents alike flood the beaches in the warm summer months to enjoy the long days, perfect air temperatures and the warm gentle waves the Pacific brings. Everybody treasures San Diego’s beaches in the summertime and they are usually the hottest place to be and be seen. From retirees to college students, everyone enjoys the casual summer lifestyle which includes nothing more than a bathing suit, towel and a pair of your favorite sandals. In the summertime at the beaches in San Diego, life is good…

Winter

Winter is often too chilly for the average person to get in the water, but sunny winter days are not uncommon and temperatures frequently hit the mid to high 70’s which feels great if you are coming from almost anywhere else in the United States. The winter months are great because the summer crowds have subsided and the beaches can be seen in their purest, most natural form. The winter months also bring larger surf to the coastline and surfers can be observed “getting barreled” and ripping turns up and down the faces of the waves.

Spring

The spring in San Diego is the most unpredictable season as it tends to vary from year to year. Even though San Diego has such mild winters, locals tend to get the “summertime blues” and often start flocking to the beaches in search of fulfilling great memories of the summer days at the beach from the year before. In the springtime, the water is generally still quite cool, but can experience warm spells at times. The days are usually windy, but on occasion there will be pristine days with temperatures in the mid 80’s and a very gentle breeze. San Diego beaches are a popular destination for vacationers on spring break so the beaches definitely start to see some action. It is this time of year that beautiful people come out to start working on their sun tans and all of the casual beach goers start showing up to surf, body-board, swim and snorkel.

Fall

Having grown up in San Diego at the beach, my favorite time of year is the fall. When summer is officially over, the students go back to school, tourism slows down and something magical happens at the beaches in San Diego. There is a peaceful feeling of tranquility and beauty that can only be experienced on a warm and clear “Santa Ana” day. Words cannot describe the crisp clear views of the San Diego coastline, the rainbow colored spray blowing off the faces of the waves, or the amazing vitality in the air. Every native San Diegan knows what I am describing and I only hope you get to experience this “joie de vivre” that makes people want to call San Diego home.

Our favorite San Diego Beaches include

• Blacks Beach | Located north of La Jolla, this beach is a favorite with San Diego’s surfers and nude sunbathers.
• La Jolla Shores | Pristine sandy beaches with easy access, clear waters, and on-duty lifeguards
• La Jolla Cove | Great rock & reef beaches with small amounts of sand for snorkeling, diving or watching the many seals bask in the sun.
• Windansea Area | This stretch of coast is full of great reefs for surfing and there are some excellent sandy areas for lounging that are usually less crowded than the main La Jolla beaches.
• Pacific Beach | Pacific has a long stretch of sandy beaches that are great for all beach goers. At the north end of PB, there is a good surf beach called Tourmaline
• Mission Beach | Probably one of the most crowded beaches in San Diego due to excellent long sandy stretches of white sand with easy access for parking and one of the largest beach side entertainment parks, Belmont Park.
• South Mission Beach | Excellent Surf beach with good waves and locals that will like you on the beach, but not on their waves. Excellent basketball courts and sand volleyball courts.
• Ocean Beach | Dog beach is located at the north end of OB. There is a good stretch of sand that extends down to the pier. This is a popular surf spot and hang out.
• Sunset Cliffs | Beautiful rugged coast with cliffs leading down to the beach. There are small stretches of sand beach, but this beach is most popular with surfers, runners and cyclists.
• Coronado | Coronado has beautiful sandy beaches that face due south towards Mexico. The Hotel Del Coronado is a favorite with locals and tourist alike.
• Imperial Beach | IB is very popular with surfers and has nice sand beaches. It the west coast most southerly city so it tends to stay relatively less crowded in the summer months.

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