Best Beaches in Southern California
A Quick Tour of the Best Beaches in Southern California Southern California beaches cover three counties and offer a broad spectrum of experiences. If you're looking for classic surf and sun -- immortalized in movies like "Beach Blanket Bingo" (see below), which was filmed at Paradise Cove, Malibu California, and iconic TV shows like "Baywatch" -- SoCal is your destination. 
Choose from broad and deep swaths of sand with great waves and strands for biking and blading that run for miles. Or quiet coves protected by rocky bluffs. Classic "culture" -- volleyball, rollerblading and games on the pier. Beautiful people (Newport Beach) or anything-goes (Venice Beach). Some Southern California beaches are better for surfers (Huntington Beach) and snorkelers ( La Jolla Cove), some for small children (Marina del Rey). No matter which these Southern California beaches you choose, you'll be close (a few hour's drive, at most) to major theme parks in Los Angeles -- including Disneyland, of course -- and San Diego tourist attractions including the San Diego zoo and SeaWorld. Great for family beach vacations. San Diego County Map of California Coast, San Diego County Warm and reliably sunny, with the pleasures of the vibrant city of San Diego in reach, the beaches lining the 70 miles of San Diego County are a microcosm of the California coast. San Diego beaches range from family beach vacation spots like Mission Bay San Diego to the carnival air on the strand at Pacific Beach to postcard-perfect Coronado Municipal Beach, a broad swath of sand that’s earned the endorsement of “The Travel Channel” for its gorgeous backdrop of mansions and yachts. La Jolla Cove is one of the best beaches in Southern California for snorkeling -- one of thee best places to spot the electric-orange California state fish, the garibaldi. Nearby Windansea is a popular with surf spot. Head north to escape the crowds on quieter Southern California beaches such as Carlsbad, Solana Beach and the coastal beaches of Encinitas. The broad sandy beaches of Oceanside are like Mission Beach San Diego without the Coney Island-style frenzy. All are good choices for family beach vacations. The Orange Coast Map of California Coast, Orange Coast Forty two miles of beach, secluded coves and pleasure-boat harbors trim the Orange Coast. The artist’s community of Laguna Beach California packs more gorgeous beaches into its seven miles of coastline than any other city on the California coast. Huntington Beach is Surf City USA ® — host of U.S. Open of Surfing each August. The Wedge in glitzy Newport Beach is the best body surfing break in California, maybe even the world, and just a short limo ride to South Coast Plaza. Two of the best beaches in Southern California where you can escape the traffic and glam are laid back San Clemente and quaint Seal Beach California, with its small-town America Main Street and Pier.
Beach Vacation Rental Scout Recommends: Visit California (the state of California’s travel site) is a good resource for checking practical considerations re: Southern California beaches including weather and driving times. Tally the cost of fuel with AAA's road trip calculator.
Los Angeles County Map of California Coast, Los Angeles County Los Angeles County is renowned for having some of the best beaches in Southern California. Here, beaches range from classic sun, sand and beach volleyball at neighboring Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach to the rides -- including a nine-story Ferris wheel -- at Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier on Santa Monica State Beach. Anything-goes Venice Beach is in a class of its own. Check out the street performers and bodybuilders at the outdoor gym. Get a tattoo. Poke around flea market shops or the upscale boutiques on Abbot Kinney Boulevard. Celebrity-sightings are almost guaranteed on Malibu California beaches such as Zuma Beach and Paradise Cove near stars' homes at the famed Malibu Colony. Beach Vacation Rental Scout Recommends: Going back to when it all began. In the classic Beach Party (1963), Frankie Avalon rents a beach house, but Annette Funicello promptly gets cold feet. and invites the whole gang to hang out there. There are five classic Beach Party films in this eight-film box collection -- including Beach Blanket Bingo. Check out great Southern California beach house rentals. If you haven't found "the one" among the best beaches in Southern California featured here? Click on one of the links below. Best Central California Beaches Best beaches from Ventura to Monterey Bay California Best San Francisco Beaches (Bay Area) Best beaches from Santa Cruz to Dillon Beach California Best Northern California Beaches Best beaches from Bodega Bay California to The Lost Coast Beach Vacation Rental Scout Recommends: No matter which of the Southern California beaches you choose, keep our Beach Safety Tips on your beach vacation packing list. (You may even want to post it when you arrive at your vacation rental home.) Back to the top of Best Beaches in Southern California
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