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!
Table of Contents
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.
—>The Beaches of San Diego County<—
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.
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.
Wisconsin Street Beach
North County San Diego beaches
South Pacific Street and Wisconsin Ave
Amenities– Parking lot, restrooms, snack shop, public telephone
Beach– Least popular due to being so narrow, water up against rocks at high tide.
I was interested in checking out this beach after researching the Oceanside Pier. It turns out that this was the original location of the pier in 1888.
Fun Fact- On a minus tide some of the pilings from the original pier can be seen sticking out of the water at this location
I had no idea there was parking down below, and cars were allowed right next to the beach.
A one-way southbound street- The Strand- runs parallel to the beach.
Oceanside Blvd Beach
North County San Diego Beaches
South Pacific Street and Oceanside Blvd.
Amenities-Ramp, lifeguard tower, showers, no restrooms
Beach– Narrow, most sand in the area but all wet sand at high tide
Oceanside Blvd Beach only allows swimming, body surfing, and boogie boarding in front of the lifeguard tower. Surfing is permitted in the areas outside the posted checkered flags.
Fun Fact- There is a very large rock that sits in the surf line 300 yards south of the lifeguard stand and can be seen when the tide is low.
Buccaneer Beach
North County San Diego Beaches
Amenities-free parking lot, Buccaneer Cafe (8 am-2 pm), walkway next to Loma Alta Creek, lifeguard tower
Buccaneer Park- Restrooms, showers, public phone, playground, picnic tables, gazebo, BBQ grills, basketball court
Beach– smallest in Oceanside, wet sand at high tide
Buccaneer Beach was one of my favorite finds today! This beach has a nice sized FREE parking lot and the Buccaneer Cafe. What a fabulous place to eat breakfast or lunch. It is not your typical snack shack. I mean, check out their menu on- http://www.buccaneer-cafe.com/
We are going to have to come back here and eat!
In summer, only swimming, body surfing, and boogie boarding are allowed in front of the lifeguard stand. Surfing is still permitted here, outside the posted checkered flags.
Let’s walk a bit and check out what is under this bridge.
Loma Alta Creek runs off onto this beach and back into the Pacific Ocean.
Cassidy Street Beach-South Oceanside Beach
North County San Diego Beaches
South Pacific Street and Cassidy St
Amenities– lifeguard, no restrooms, no showers, parking in a residential area
Beach-narrow stretches to St Malo Beach.
Cassidy Street Beach is the most southern public beach in Oceanside and a favorite surfing beach.
The private Saint Malo Beach is a quarter of a mile south. Cassidy Street Beach is the access point you must use if you are interested in checking out this area as there is no other public access south of this location, that is, until Carlsbad.
Buena Vista Lagoon Visitor Center
North County San Diego Beaches
The night before our beach adventure, I researched the Buena Vista Lagoon Visitor Center, the home of the Buena Vista Audubon Nature Center.
When we drove past the entrance, I immediately made a U-turn and proceeded to the parking lot.
—>San Diego Lagoons and Nature Centers<—
Buena Vista Lagoon is a 200-acre freshwater lagoon in both Oceanside and Carlsbad, and this lagoon is a natural border between the two cities.
Fun Fact- The Buena Vista Audobon Society holds regular bird walks around San Diego County.
Carlsbad City Beach
North County San Diego Beaches
Amenities-no lifeguards, no restrooms, parking in a residential neighborhood
Beach– sizeable sandy beach, a short walk north to enter the Buena Vista Lagoon.
Carlsbad City Beach is part of Carlsbad State Beach, and no surfing is allowed at the beach between May and November. There are several staircases found along Ocean Street to access this beach.
Saint Malo Beach is about a quarter of a mile south of here.
Robert Frazee State Beach
North County San Diego Beaches
Amenities– a ramp ( on Pine St), lifeguards, restrooms, showers, grass park, benches, volleyball courts, Carlsbad Sea Wall Trail going south to Tamarack Beach
Beach– wide and sandy, one of the less crowded beaches
Robert Frazee State Beach is a great beach to run along or walk on. Many rocks are on the beach, so please consider that before setting out.
Terramar Beach
North County San Diego Beaches
Carlsbad Blvd and Cerezo Drive
Amenities– no restrooms, no lifeguards
Beach– narrow, hidden, wet sand at high tide, excellent surfing spot
Terramar beach is a perfect spot to check out the tide pools on a shallow tide.
—>Top Ten Best San Diego Tide Pools<—
Fun Fact- Not so fun, but in 2009 and woman was attacked by a 5 to 6- foot juvenile great white shark. Miraculously, there was no blood and she only got bruises!
South Carlsbad State Beach- North Ponto
North County San Diego Beaches
Amenities– Lifeguard, restroom, pay to park
Beach- Compared to South Ponto Beach, this beach is narrow, with a steep incline to go down, a famous surfing destination.
A free parking lot is next to the southbound lanes on Carlsbad Blvd south of the South Carlsbad Campground.
North Ponto Beach is another prime beach to visit (on a low tide) if you like to get away from the crowds. Watching the surfers climb up and down the bluffs balancing with their surfboards is also fun and makes for great photography.
The photo of the gate door is their not-so-secret entrance.
South Carlsbad State Beach- South Ponto
North County San Diego Beaches
Coast Highway 101 and La Costa Ave
Amenities– lifeguards, restrooms, showers, paid parking lot, outside free parking.
Beach– wide and sandy, undisturbed coastal strand, dunes, and ice plants
South Ponto Beach is on a sand spit that shelters the Batiquitos Lagoon from the Pacific Ocean. I was pleasantly surprised at how big this undeveloped beach is.
—>Five Hidden Gems in San Diego <—
Fun Fact- During the winter months, South Ponto beach is a notorious spot to find polished stones on the shore.
The paid parking lot has an eight-dollar fee. There is the option of parking for free next to the southbound lanes of Carlsbad Blvd, but they fill up quite quickly.
The Bluff Overlook is a spectacular place to sit and watch for any whales or dolphins to pass by the shore!
Before leaving, we wanted to observe the massive compass at the base of the bluff stairs.
Grandview Beach-Encinitas
North County San Diego Beaches
Amenities– no restroom, parking lot in the residential area, wooden staircase
Beach– narrow during high tide, an excellent beginning surfing beach
Grandview Beach is a beautiful little secret spot in Encinitas, CA. Through some research, I discovered that Grandview Beach is a prime spot to learn to surf. Several surf schools teach at this beach.
—>Beaches of Encinitas-A Photo Tour<—
End of Tour
Thank you so much for joining us today!
Which beach are you most interested in visiting? I have a few!
First, I would start the day by visiting the Buccaneer Cafe at Buccaneer Beach. Afterward, I would continue to Terramar Beach’s tide pools on a low tide and finally, end the day sitting on top of the South Ponto Bluffs, looking out onto the water for pods of dolphins or migrating Gray Whales. Well, that is my perfect day. How about you?
I hope that one day you can come and visit these beaches in person!
Please feel free to leave any comments or questions!
Until next time!
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!
Hi Colleen, Thank you for this wonderful, well put together guide to San Diego beaches and the beautiful photos and videos. Now I know important info like whether there will be lifeguards, availability of restrooms, parking, etc. Also, I need to be aware of the tides.
If I was in the San Diego area, I think I would like to go to Buccaneer beach. The food at the Buccaneer cafe looks awesome. I’d also like to go someplace to see dolphins and whales. That would be a real thrill.
What is the best time of year to go to the beach?
Hi Joe! Every day is the best day to go to the beach! The summer months are my favorite, but if you want to experience the wonders of the tide pools, then winter has the lowest tides during the day. Doesn’t the menu look good at the Buccaneer Cafe? Thanks again for visiting! One more thing, being at the beach about 3 to 4 hours before sunset you will have a really good chance at seeing a pod of dolphins right near the surf break.
Great Pictures of the beach in California. I love going to the beach during the day. The sand between your toes and the sound the ocean makes as you soak in the sun is the very definition of a vacation. Carlsbad State Beach- North Ponto looks amazing with the pictures you displayed and the fact it has a restroom, and a lifeguard is a must-see for me. Thank You For this information
I am happy that you enjoyed it! Yes, a beach with a restroom is always on the top of my list too! North Ponto was gorgeous but I would be very wary walking down that hill with a surfboard. Thank you for visiting!
Beautiful beaches. I’ve been thinking about visiting San Diego, so this list comes at a perfect time. My favorite would have to be Wisconsin Street Beach. Being close to all the essentials make it a no-brainer. Although, Robert Frazee State Beach seems like an awesome beach also. Thanks for all the information and videos!
I am glad you liked the information, Brandon! You will not be disappointed. The beaches here are gorgeous, especially on a clear day. If I could give you one suggestion, it would be to visit La Jolla if you happen to come to San Diego. Oh, and do try to make it up to Oceanside, as the pier is so much fun. Thanks again for visiting!
Great site! Seeing the beautiful beaches around San Diego makes me miss being by ocean.
Hi Keith! I live 20 miles inland and only get to the beach very seldom, but when I do, I try to take in as much as possible.Thank you for visiting!
I reside in SoCal and been to San Diego a few times, but have always failed to visit the beach in the area 🙁
I need to def give these beautiful places you mentioned here a visit next time! And I gotta mention the dolphin sightings – we have here a few in the Los Angeles beach cities (Redondo Beach, specifically) and its such a pleasure to watch every time they decide to entertain the viewers with their awesome twists + acrobatics! Your pics are gorgeous, btw!
Thanks for visiting Kseniya! Yes, I love to watch the dolphins! I grew up going to Toes Beach in Playa del Rey and have always loved going to the Redondo Beach Pier…especially checking out the fish market. Say Hi to beach for me 🙂
Last Summer, I was visiting a friend in Encinitas, so I was close to San Diego. This information would have helped me a lot while I was down there. I could have planned my trip better.
As a Northern California native, I have always been jealous of Southern California beaches. They have warmer waters and gentler waves. Up north, you cannot go into the water without a wetsuit. It is just too cold.
Thank you for sharing, and I hope you make it a great day!
Hi Alex! Yes, we do have wonderful beaches here! To be honest, even though the water may be 70 degrees in the summer, I wouldn’t mind a wetsuit as well. Thank you so much for visiting the site!
I love your pictures. They are so beautiful. I have always wanted to visit California. My husband and I are planning to visit California sometime this year. I have bookmarked your page for future reference. I enjoyed reading your article. Very helpful. Thank you so much for sharing.
Thank you so much Hong! I am so glad that you found the information helpful. You and your husband will love it here. Please feel free to contact me if you have any more questions. Thanks again for visiting 🙂
Free parking at Buccaneer beach? That’s pretty much unheard of in my neck of the woods! (Southwestern Ontario, Canada). I think that also beats the residential parking you mentioned above because I’ve tried that here, and the beaches are just tiny. But these look incredible.
One of my main goals in life is to blog full time and be able to travel, and one of my first travel destinations in California, so I am going to make 1000 percent sure I come back to this site when I am finally on that plane.
Palo Alto and San Fran are two places I want to start with. Thanks for a great article Colleen!
I am here to help Michael! I am glad you appreciated the information. Yes, it is a great thing to have free parking! That is usually my prerequisite when deciding on what beach to visit! I would also love to travel and blog, what a great idea. Thank you again for visiting and good luck with the traveling! Here is a reference page for when you are ready to visit! https://70milesofcoast.com/the-beaches-of-san-diego-county
Nice information about beautiful beaches in San Diego. I would love to visit sometime there in my future hopefully.
Hi Ganesh! I am so happy that you found the information helpful. I too hope you can visit one day! Thank you for visiting the site!
Colleen, it’s impressive how some of the beaches you describe and whose pictures you show us are framed by walls of rocks. An outstanding scenario. I haven’t been to the States yet, let alone San Diego area. I guess, however, visiting this coastline must be a must for any tourist, given its variety and beauty.
I shall tag your article for future reference. You never know, I might plan a trip across the oceans sooner than I may think myself 🙂
Hi GiuliaB! Thank you for visiting! Yes, some of those beaches in Oceanside are very small, and I can only imagine what is like down there during a storm. As for the bluffs, they are my favorite. I tell my husband that it is the end of the continent which is 100’s of millions of years old! I hope you are able to visit San Diego one day. Thanks again for visiting this site.