Indio Drive neighborhood walk, Shell Beach
Indio Drive provides a beautiful 1.7 mile walk from South Palisades Park to Cave Landing Trail Parking Lot (3.4 miles there and back)! There is no sidewalk but there aren't many cars, and there are three ocean overlooks that are a delight!
Start at the west end of South Palisades Park, where a path leads out to Indio Drive. This is a quiet, dead end road. It's nice to look at the beach houses and their pretty gardens. After 250m, you come to Florin Ocean Overlook, where a bench offers perfect views of the coastline and the crashing water below. Continue on Indio Drive another 250m to Topaz Ocean Overlook, where you will find another bench with an amazing view! After another 300m, you come to an overlook at the end of Encanto Ave- this one doesn't have a bench. Continue 400m and you come to the Cave Landing Trail Parking Lot, where you can hike along the Shell Beach Bluffs Trail! It goes for 0.4 miles along the cliffs over the ocean with the most stunning views. You can hear the ocean crashing below, and it soothes your nerves. There are lovely plants like agave americana and red bougainvillea along the way. Beach houses that make you envious are on your right. The spiffy path ends, and at this point you can turn around. Or you can continue on a steep (10% grade), more rugged path all the way to Cave Landing and Smuggler's Cave. Not many people continue to the end because it's very steep.
The closer you get to Avila (north), the warmer it gets, so choose which end of the walk to use depending on the weather!
If you have kids, check out Florin Street where you will find Palisades Park Playground, a fun, tall, pastel-colored playground for kids. It has baby swings, a spinner, a tall slide, double slides, and climbies galore.
After your stroll, you can eat at several cafes. Next to South Palisades Park (via Peyton Court then Shell Beach Rd) is a cafe called Marisol at The Cliffs Hotel, with lovely views of the ocean. One building further is Lido, a fine dining restaurant in Dolphin Bay Resort, which has a happy hour 2-5pm with an ocean view. And one further than that is Spyglass Inn, with happy hour on M-F 4:00-6:30pm, with half off pizza and appetizers.
These cafes are all located on the Dolphin Bay Resort Walkway, which is another fun way to extend your walk in the other direction. If you take a little staircase at Spyglass Inn, it leads to the parking lot and then Spyglass Drive, where you can continue your walk to Spyglass Park. From Smuggler's Cave to Spyglass Park is a three mile walk in one direction, all connected through various shortcuts.
You can go even further, but this takes some stretches along the main road each time the oceanfront paths disappear. You cut through a path in Spyglass Park that leads to Seacliff Drive and past Memory Park, then walk along the main road to Eldwayen Ocean Park, along the main road again to Margo Dodd Park and Dinosaur Caves Park, along Shell Beach Panoramic Walk to Sea Crest Vista Point- this is a seven mile walk in one direction, from Smuggler's Cave to Sea Crest Vista Point.
Flowers and a stone wall on Indio Drive.
Cute landscaping on Indio Drive.
Looking out at the wonderful ocean, at the Florin Ocean Overlook on Indio Drive.
The walk starts at South Palisades Park.
Street numbers on the curb are cute, on Indio Drive!
Tufts of grass catching the light on Indio Drive.
Looking south from the ocean overlook.
Waves crashing below, and views toward Avila Beach.
Widowmaker tree by a house with wonderful windows, on Indio Drive.
Flowers in a garden.
Bird rock at a lookout point.
South Palisades Park, where the walk begins. You don't get much better than this!
When you need a little more sparkle in your life, come to the ocean overlook!
The ocean overlook.
Churning water below.
I love the blue-green waves.
Gorgeous view from the ocean overlook.
Indio Drive is pleasant to walk along.
Where the walk begins, on the far end of South Palisades Park.
Flowers in a garden on Indio Drive, near South Palisades Park.
Many people walk along Indio Drive.
Pretty landscaping on Indio Drive.
Cactus and the ocean in the distance.
Florin Ocean Overlook, cactus, and poppies in mid-March.
View from Florin Ocean Overlook.
Ice plant at Florin Ocean Overlook in March.
Poppies and long ornamental grasses at Florin Ocean Overlook.
South Palisades Park, a gorgeous spot to enjoy after your walk.
Flowers all the way to the cliff edge, at South Palisades Park.
A bench with a view of Avila's headland, at South Palisades Park.
Stone wall, and yellow pincushion flowers from South Africa.
Desert pinwheel rose, by a boulder.
Ice plant at South Palisades Park, in March.
Poppies in a garden.
Poppies and other flowers make a delightful mix of color, in a garden.
Orange and cream poppies.
Poppies and Canary Island rose.
Yelow ice plant at Florin Ocean Overlook.
Red pincushion flowers from South Africa in a garden by the sea.
Ice plant at an ocean overlook.
Yellow pincushion flowers catching the light.
Purple flowers and red flowers along Indio Drive.
A profusion of yellow pincushion flowers.
Orange trailing ice plant, in a garden by a stone wall.
Pelican flying by, with a bird rock in the distance.
Pincushion flowers that match the house.
Peruvian Lily, in a garden.
A pointy Jerusalem star flower, with lichen on a rock.
Yellow pincushion flowers.
I like the many shades of green in this garden.
Ice plant and views!
Ice plant and waves.
A potted plant over the sea.
Amazing views of Avila.
This walk follows Indio Drive from South Palisades Park to Cave Landing Trail Parking Lot. You can extend the walk on both ends.
Last Updated: Tue, 09 Sep 2025 22:47:45 GMT
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