I have always had a deep-seated passion for the Ocean Environment which ultimately led me to receive a degree in Marine Biology. Living in the San Diego area for over 30 years, I have extensively explored the 70 miles of San Diego’s coastline, and I am here to share! Please use my website to your advantage and have a look around at all the wonders that the beaches of San Diego can offer you!
I have always had a deep-seated passion for the Ocean Environment which ultimately led me to receive a degree in Marine Biology. Living in the San Diego area for over 30 years, I have extensively explored the 70 miles of San Diego’s coastline, and I am here to share! Please use my website to your advantage and have a look around at all the wonders that the beaches of San Diego can offer you!
One of my favorite places to explore over the past 30 years is the Los Penasquitos Lagoon at Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve. Can I take you on tour?
Ok! Let’s go!
Located between Del Mar to the north and the border of San Diego to the south, the Los Penasquitos Lagoon is a 510-acre coastal salt marsh estuary.
Meaning “The Little Cliffs” in Spanish, the Los Penasquitos frames the northern part of the Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve.
The Los Penasquitos Lagoon is a Salt Marsh?
Los Penasquitos Lagoon is one of the last salt marshes in southern California. The lagoon supports many plants and animals, including seven threatened or endangered species.
Another interesting fact is that this lagoon also serves as a refuge for migratory birds that use the Pacific Flyway.
I have always had a deep-seated passion for the Ocean Environment which ultimately led me to receive a degree in Marine Biology. Living in the San Diego area for over 30 years, I have extensively explored the 70 miles of San Diego’s coastline, and I am here to share! Please use my website to your advantage and have a look around at all the wonders that the beaches of San Diego can offer you!
Torrey Pines State Beach is located between La Jolla and Del Mar. I have been visiting this beach for over 30 years and have never been tired of the sights.
While living in San Diego, this was our number one beach to come and visit.
I discovered Torrey Pines State Beach while working as a Fisheries Technician. This beach is a prime spot for surf fishing, and I can not think of a better place to have to work!
I have always had a deep-seated passion for the Ocean Environment which ultimately led me to receive a degree in Marine Biology. Living in the San Diego area for over 30 years, I have extensively explored the 70 miles of San Diego’s coastline, and I am here to share! Please use my website to your advantage and have a look around at all the wonders that the beaches of San Diego can offer you!
Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve is a 2000-acre park located in the community of La Jolla in San Diego, California, off North Torrey Pines Rd. Nothing here has ever been altered or diverted at Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve, making it one of the wildest coastal stretches left in California.
I can not emphasize enough just how beautiful this Reserve is!
Come and join me for a tour!
 What is a Reserve?
Everything here and surrounding the Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve is a protected area. That includes the Penasquitos River Valley east of the highway, one of the last salt marsh estuaries in San Diego, and the Underwater Ecological Reserve offshore.
A Reserve is not a ‘park,’ but an assigned area of importance and commonly contains threatened plants, animal habitats, or unique geological formations.
Over 300 birds and native plant species are threatened or endangered within the Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve. The Torrey Pine, the Reserve’s namesake, is a scarce endangered pine tree- the rarest pine tree in the United States, but more on that later.
I have always had a deep-seated passion for the Ocean Environment which ultimately led me to receive a degree in Marine Biology. Living in the San Diego area for over 30 years, I have extensively explored the 70 miles of San Diego’s coastline, and I am here to share! Please use my website to your advantage and have a look around at all the wonders that the beaches of San Diego can offer you!
Birch Aquarium is located on the Scripps UC San Diego campus overlooking the Scripps Pier and the Pacific Ocean. Partnered with the Scripps Institute Oceanography (SIO), the Birch Aquarium is a fabulous place to visit to learn about all the ocean’s natural wonders and creatures.
More than 460,000 people visit this aquarium annually. There is so much to do and learn here.
Let’s now take a look at everything the Birch Aquarium has to offer!
I have always had a deep-seated passion for the Ocean Environment which ultimately led me to receive a degree in Marine Biology. Living in the San Diego area for over 30 years, I have extensively explored the 70 miles of San Diego’s coastline, and I am here to share! Please use my website to your advantage and have a look around at all the wonders that the beaches of San Diego can offer you!
Living in Southern California, I have photographed many North County San Diego beaches. But I have not gotten even close to shooting every one of them!
So, it has been my mission this year to shoot every beach on the 70 miles of the San Diego coastline.
 Ok, let’s get going!
 Beaches of North County San Diego
On Jan 11, 2018, my daughter and I quickly rode to North County, San Diego, to photograph a few beaches.
Before leaving, I mapped out the ten shores we would be conquering. Our primary objective was to start at Wisconsin Street Beach in Oceanside, followed by the beaches of Carlsbad, and finally, end at Grandview Beach in Encinitas.
11.4 miles of coast covered
All in all, we covered 11.4 miles of San Diego’s 70 miles of coastline.
If there is one thing I have learned on the adventure, all these beaches listed below are best to visit on a mid to low-tide day, especially the beaches in Oceanside.
I have always had a deep-seated passion for the Ocean Environment which ultimately led me to receive a degree in Marine Biology. Living in the San Diego area for over 30 years, I have extensively explored the 70 miles of San Diego’s coastline, and I am here to share! Please use my website to your advantage and have a look around at all the wonders that the beaches of San Diego can offer you!
I have prepared a list of all San Diego lagoons and nature centers along the coastline and linked each site to its appropriate website.
Explore, have fun, and learn at the same time!
Nature Centers and San Diego Lagoons
San Diego doesn’t just have the best beaches in the country; we also have some of the most significant coastal wetlands.
With over 70 miles of coast to discover in San Diego, there are also several coastal lagoons to visit. If you are in the mood for a hike or are interested in the area’s natural history, you cannot go wrong!
I will start the list at the most northern location, Oceanside, and make my way South, finally ending at the Mexican Border.
I have always had a deep-seated passion for the Ocean Environment which ultimately led me to receive a degree in Marine Biology. Living in the San Diego area for over 30 years, I have extensively explored the 70 miles of San Diego’s coastline, and I am here to share! Please use my website to your advantage and have a look around at all the wonders that the beaches of San Diego can offer you!
 Situated at the end of the Point Loma Peninsula, Cabrillo National Monument has some of the most popular and easily approachable tidepools in all of San Diego.
After my latest trip this past New Years Day, on a spring tide, I whole-heartily agree!
Come and join me on a tour of the Cabrillo National Monument tide pools!
I have always had a deep-seated passion for the Ocean Environment which ultimately led me to receive a degree in Marine Biology. Living in the San Diego area for over 30 years, I have extensively explored the 70 miles of San Diego’s coastline, and I am here to share! Please use my website to your advantage and have a look around at all the wonders that the beaches of San Diego can offer you!
 La Jolla Shores Beach has over 1 mile of sandy Beach. It is between the Scripps Institute of Oceanography and La Jolla Shores Hotel at 8300 Camino Del Oro in La Jolla, California.
This Beach has some of the most gentle waves during the summer in San Diego, making it an excellent beach for the family.
Discovering La Jolla Shores Beach
Due to its calm waters, this Beach is ideal for swimming or learning how to surf.  Additionally, a boardwalk is attached to the Beach, which makes biking, skating, and jogging popular activities here.
I have always had a deep-seated passion for the Ocean Environment which ultimately led me to receive a degree in Marine Biology. Living in the San Diego area for over 30 years, I have extensively explored the 70 miles of San Diego’s coastline, and I am here to share! Please use my website to your advantage and have a look around at all the wonders that the beaches of San Diego can offer you!
San Diego is one of the best places in the country to go on a whale-watching tour. In this article, I would like to present a comprehensive list of all possible San Diego whale-watching tours available in San Diego County.
Let’sSee SomeWhales and Dolphins!
There are several species of whale to encounter here, especially during the Gray whales’ migration season (Nov-April). The Blue whale (May-Nov) is another species commonly seen passing by the coastline of San Diego.
Along with whales, four possible species of dolphins are frequently seen on a San Diego whale-watching tour. These include the Pacific bottlenose dolphin, Risso’s dolphin, the common dolphin, and the Pacific white-sided dolphin.
I have always had a deep-seated passion for the Ocean Environment which ultimately led me to receive a degree in Marine Biology. Living in the San Diego area for over 30 years, I have extensively explored the 70 miles of San Diego’s coastline, and I am here to share! Please use my website to your advantage and have a look around at all the wonders that the beaches of San Diego can offer you!
Here I would like to set up a comprehensive list of the beaches of San Diego County, beginning with the most northern shore and making my way down the coast until the most southern Beach sharing its border with Mexico.
For all those living in San Diego, we are incredibly fortunate to live in this gorgeous city. With an average daytime temperature of 69.8` F, what is not to love?
San Diego County has over 70 miles of unique coastline to appreciate and explore!
Experience San Diego Like a Local!
Having been fortunate enough to live in this area for over 30 years, I have explored almost every mile, except on the military beaches (San Diego has three of them. But I got a few pictures from the outside looking in, and I am grateful for that.
About two years ago, I made a pact to document as many of the beaches of San Diego County as I could. To make things as easy as possible, I will be listing each Beach and including the following criteria-
Map
Activities Available
Restrooms
Parking
Points of Interest
My Rating (1-5, with five being the highest)
Additional Information
(As you can see, restroom availability is a critical metric!)
I have written previously on many of these locations, so I will also link each relevant post under Additional Information.
(Please look and share it with those you love.)
Whether you go to the Beach for the sun, water, or to walk on the sand, the beaches of San Diego County have something for everyone.
I have always had a deep-seated passion for the Ocean Environment which ultimately led me to receive a degree in Marine Biology. Living in the San Diego area for over 30 years, I have extensively explored the 70 miles of San Diego’s coastline, and I am here to share! Please use my website to your advantage and have a look around at all the wonders that the beaches of San Diego can offer you!
La Jolla is a popular seaside coastal community located 20 minutes from Downtown San Diego. La Jolla is one of the first places I take visitors from out of town. And once here, we venture off on a La Jolla coast walk.
Walking the Coast of La Jolla
There are so many things to experience in La Jolla, but it is an absolute must to walk the coast of La Jolla.
There are all kinds of things to do in La Jolla: hiking, beachcombing, biking, swimming, diving, snorkeling, and kayaking; the possibilities are endless!
And do not get me started on all the fantastic photo opportunities available!
I have always had a deep-seated passion for the Ocean Environment which ultimately led me to receive a degree in Marine Biology. Living in the San Diego area for over 30 years, I have extensively explored the 70 miles of San Diego’s coastline, and I am here to share! Please use my website to your advantage and have a look around at all the wonders that the beaches of San Diego can offer you!
It is that time of year again! California’s official state marine mammal, the California Gray whale, is starting its way down South! Generally speaking, this is the best time for San Diego whale watching.
San Diego Whale Watching
Whales pass through San Diego year-round but usually prefer to stay more than five miles offshore. On the other hand, Gray whales tend to keep close to the shore when traveling South; as a result, this is a great time to see them from onshore.
Let us now look at a few fascinating facts about the Gray whale; also, I have included a summary of some other possible whales you are most likely to encounter while on a San Diego whale watching tour.
I have always had a deep-seated passion for the Ocean Environment which ultimately led me to receive a degree in Marine Biology. Living in the San Diego area for over 30 years, I have extensively explored the 70 miles of San Diego’s coastline, and I am here to share! Please use my website to your advantage and have a look around at all the wonders that the beaches of San Diego can offer you!
If I can put one touch of rosy sunset into the life of any man or woman, I shall feel that I have worked with God– G.K Chesterton
Encountering a San Diego sunset on the coast is something you will never forget. With San Diego having over 70 miles of coast, where are the best places to experience a San Diego sunset?
Few things touch my soul more than a sunset. Something magical happens when the sun’s rays hit the ocean water, and it is as if the entire surroundings are shining from within.
I am pleased to share my top 5 spots where I think you can see that exceptional San Diego sunset in all its glory and more!
Under each listing, I have included one fun fact, or in other words, a secret.
I have always had a deep-seated passion for the Ocean Environment which ultimately led me to receive a degree in Marine Biology. Living in the San Diego area for over 30 years, I have extensively explored the 70 miles of San Diego’s coastline, and I am here to share! Please use my website to your advantage and have a look around at all the wonders that the beaches of San Diego can offer you!
