City Beach The Pier Calafia Beach Dana Point Doheny Beach Laguna Beach

San Clemente beaches are alluring destinations for surfing, swimming, diving and basking in the California sun. Discover 20 acres of sand beach and a 1,200-foot long fishing pier with commanding views of coastal bluff and hills. Umbrella, surfboard and body-board rentals are available on our breathtaking beaches, and food concessions are open seasonally at North Beach, "T" Street Beach and Calafia Beach Park. San Celmente attracts surfers from all over the globe to its legendary point breaks, especially Trestles.

San Clemente City Beach – Located downtown at the San Clemente Pier City Beach is a family-friendly beach with Easy access, lots of amenities and extended hours (4 a.m. to midnight) to cater to the avid pier-fishing crowd. The surf is moderately good with a nice sandy bottom. Beach facilities include: lifeguards, surfing, bus stop, food stands, picnic tables, rentals, showers, basketball courts, volleyball. Dogs are not allowed on the beach.

San Clemente State Beach - Located three miles south of San Clemente, the one-mile San Clemente State Beach is a seaside favorite with surfers, skin divers and hikers. Popular activities include body surfing, swimming, fishing, skin diving for abalone and spiny lobster and hiking along the trails on the bluffs. San Clemente State Beach is home of the surfing spot know as "Toads" for Take off and Die. If you're not surfing, you can still enjoy the overnight camping and cookout facilities. The beach offers lifeguards, surfing, bus stop, fire rings, picnic tables, and showers. Blufftop picnic areas overlook winding trails that lead down to the beautiful beach. Dogs are allowed on hard trails but not on the beach.

San Clemente South Beach - The south side of the San Clemente Pier is a popular beach for swimming, body-boarding, and surfing. During southerly swell, beware of the strong currents toward the pier. It is responsible for many lifeguard rescues as unsuspecting swimmers are swept toward the barnacle-covered pilings. [Top]

North Side of the Pier - The north side of the San Clemente Pier is another popular surf break with surf conditions ranging from terrible to excellent depending on the size and "peakiness" of the swells, which can be large. You'll find someone surfing the pier nearly ever daylight hour. The beachbreak waves at the pier vary with tide and wind fluctuations. While the pier blows-out on a westerly wind, the pier itself can sometimes offer protection from a southeast wind. The concession stand rents boogie boards and snorkeling gear. Facilities include lifeguards, a food stand, a playground, rentals, showers, and volleyball. Hours: 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.

North Beach - At the north end of town, where Avenida Pico meets the Pacific Ocean, North Beach is a popular family beach for swimming and body-boarding. Parking is plentiful in the adjacent lot, and there are restroom facilities on the beach. Grab a tasty lunch at North Beach Burger, the snack concession that opens during summer months. [Top]

Calafia Beach - Calafia Beach also offers excellent surf waves when the conditions are right. Like most of the beachbreaks in San Clemente, the surf at Calafia is very tide-sensitive. Parking is available in the lot in front of the beach.

San Onofre State Beach – Located south of San Clemente on I-5, San Onofre State Beach is 3.5 miles of gorgeous sand beach, and the most relaxed atmosphere known to the surfing world. Six access trails cut into the bluff that lead to some of Orange County’s most desolate and beautiful surf spots. Since the 1930's, “San O” has been one of the California’s top longboard and beginner surf. Home to Old Man's and Trestles, two of the West Coast's most famous surfing beaches, San Onofre is a boarder's paradise. A long hike down a rugged hill makes it Spartan and lends a 1950’s feel. A paved path up on the bluff allows biking and skating all the way to San Diego. The beach offers lifeguards, surfing, fishing, fire rings, picnic tables, bike trails and 149 campsites. Swimmers, sun bathers and surfers can see whales and dolphins swim by. A 600-foot walk from the southern end is a clothing-optional beach. [Top]

Dana Point Beach/Dana Point Harbor – DanaPoint - Dana Point is an exciting port side destination located in a natural cove surrounded by dramatic cliffs and the Pacific Ocean. Dana Point offers two marinas, unique shops and restaurants, and five miles of beach for water sports, fishing, kayaking, sun bathing and seaside strolling. Dana Point beaches are ideal forswimming, surfing, diving and skim boarding, but portions are closed as wave conditions dictate. Dana Point also features lifeguards, a bike path, basketball courts, a boat launch, a marina, food stands, picnic tables, boat rentals, a pier, a playground, fishing, and tide pools. Baby Beach, a sandy stretch next to the west harbor basin, is protected from waves by the jetty and appeals to young boogie boarders. The shopping area can be crowded on weekends, but that doesn't stop the boating and water enthusiasts from flocking to the harbor. Boogie boards can be rented at the concession stand.

SaltCreek Beach - DanaPoint - The long, sandy beach is a popular surfing spot. A paved path leads to the beach and to the grassy seven-acre Bluff Park, which has benches, barbecue grills, picnic tables, and restrooms. Just south, a pedestrian gate leads to a paved path along the bluff above the beach, and has numerous benches and overlooks providing views of gray whale migration routes, Catalina Island, and the coastline. The path joins a paved multi-use trail leading north along the shoreline past Bluff Park. Several stairways and paths lead from the trail to the beach, changing rooms, showers, restrooms, snack bar, firepits, and a path along the seawall. Paths and trails lead north and east through a golf course and along Salt Creek, a scenic corridor with small parks and miles of trails.

Trestles - South of San Clemente, Trestles is a surfer’s utopia with the best surf breaks in Southern California. Surfers from around the globe head to Trestles for its world-class waves and point breaks, and can be seen walking the 1-mile trail down to the beach with their surfboards. If you do not know the way, just park in the lot next to Carl's Jr and follow the boards toward the beach. [Top]

Doheny Beach - Doheny State Beach is a 62-acre site that features over 1 mile of sandy beach and some of the best swimming and surfing in California. A few miles north of San Clemente, Doheny State Beach has several surf breaks that are quite popular among longboard and beginning surfers. A great family beach, the beach features lifeguards, camping, fire rings, food stands, picnic tables, rentals, surfing, fishing, volleyball, showers, tide pools, and a visitor/interpretive center with aquariums and an indoor tide pool. A large grassy area offers a picnic area under a grove of eucalyptus trees with grills. Access the north beach from Del Obispo Street. Leashed dogs are allowed in all areas except on the beach itself.

T-Street – T-Street is the most popular surf break within San Clemente. With one of the most consistent breaks, you can always find a wave to ride. A nearshore reef helps waves break with better shape than most of the beachbreaks in town. During periods of smaller surf and higher tides, waves take shape on the outer reef before breaking on the shallow inside sandbar. During periods of larger surf, the reef forms a peak that breaks all the way into shore. During summer, surfing is allowed only during morning and evening hours.

Just south of North Beach, 204 is a hot surf spot whereswells refract over offshore reefs before breaking on shallow sandbars. The surf can vary greatly with different swell directions and constantly changing sandbars. For easy access, park in the lot at North Beach and walk south until you find the right peak.

Capistrano Beach - With basketball courts, a bike path, fire rings, volleyball nets and alert lifeguards, Capistrano is peaceful, family-friendly beach between Doheny and San Clemente. Enjoy sandy stretches at the base of hills and cliffs, pristine white sand for volleyball, and idyllic views of the ocean. Capistrano offers seven volleyball courts, a basketball court, restrooms, showers, and a summer concession stand with fishing gear rentals and sales, snacks, and beach supplies. Beach goers can rent surf boards, boogie boards, roller blades, surreys and bicycles. Bicycling, camping, surfing are popular at this spectacular, laid-back beach. [Top]

Laguna Beach – The “City of the Arts,” Laguna Beach is a quaint beach town and art enclave filled with unique shops, art galleries, excellent restaurants, and a coastline of beautiful beaches and ocean views. One of the most famous resorts on the California coast, Laguna’s universal allure is best expressed on a famous gate built in 1935 which reads “This gate hangs well and hinders none, refresh and rest, then travel on.”

Newport Beach – Newport Beach is a magical destination with nine miles of picture-perfect sand beach and shoreline. Enjoy "The Wedge" - a jetty where surfers test their skills - two piers, the Fun Zone, Balboa Pavilion, Newport-Balboa Ferry boat, harbor cruises, boat rentals, rollerblading, sand volleyball, outdoor concerts, tennis tournaments, and trips to Catalina Island. Accessibility to the ocean and bays make Newport Beach a paradise for yachting, surfing, parasailing, and fishing. Framed by the Saddleback Mountains, Newport Beach’s ecological reserve is popular with birders.

San Mateo State Park - San Clemente’s newest park is roughly one mile inland on Christanitos Road at the southern end of San Clemente. The park features scenic biking and walking trails to the beautiful beach that welcomes swimmers, surfers and bodyboarders. [Top]