Which Beach Should You Move Near in Central California?

Central California has that laidback vibe. Find your favorite beach, and move there!

Map View Back To California Bests

Carmel River State Beach

A wide yellow-sanded beach with good snorkeling and diving.

Del Monte Beach

Scenic beach, with pretty bike path set back from the dunes.

Carmel-By-The-Sea Beach

Unusual beach of super-soft snow white sand, an absolutely gorgeous spot!

China Cove and Gibson's Beach

A stunning white-sand cove with clear green-blue waters, baby seals, and cliffs covered in flowers.

Harbor Seal View Point, Moss Landing

Place where harbor seals and sea otters take refuge near a power plant, in a cold, foggy area.

Seaside Beach

A wide stretch of beach with white sand, chilly winds, barking seals, and gorgeous sunsets.

Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park and Beach

A stunning hike overlooking a white sand beach, bright blue-green waters, and a waterfall falling onto the beach.

Asilomar Beach and Conference Center

Conference center filled with ambience and blinding white beach.

Limekiln State Park, Big Sur Coast

Beach that is like a dream! Crystal clear river leading to the ocean and huge white rocks.

Leadbetter Beach

A crescent-shaped beach with rock pools, yellow and white cliffs, and surfers riding small waves near to shore.

Santa Claus Lane Beach

A long perfect beach popular with locals! The water stays shallow for ages making it nice for kids!

Carpinteria Beach and the Tar Pits

Listen to the ocean's roar, and take in the fun festive atmosphere at Carpinteria Beach!

Goleta Beach Park

Festive beach with white cliffs, popular playground, pier, and cafe coming soon.

Gaviota Beach

A cove surrounded by natural shale walls below a railroad trestle.

Refugio Beach

Palm-lined beach with a nice headland and tidepools.

Miramar Beach, Montecito

A beach that is sheltered, with good tide pools

Santa Ynez River

A peaceful spot for an ice-cold swim! You may even see deer run by!

Summerland Beach and Lookout Park

A curved beach and a clifftop park with playground and picnic tables.

Isla Vista Town and Beach

Isla Vista is where many UCSB students live, often ten or more in one beach house. It's a lively town where you can see some wacky sights!

East Beach

A wide sandy beach that's fun for kids! Wonderful for a long walk around the red cliffs.

Bacara Resort Beach

A rugged beach covered in driftwood and framed by dramatic white cliffs.

Hendry's Beach

A popular beach with families and dog owners. Come for a long walk under beautiful cliffs.

Guadalupe Dunes, Santa Maria

Wild, windswept dunes where the set of the Ten Commandments lays mysteriously buried.

El Capitan Beach

A wonderful beach framed by rolling hills and meadow-covered cliffs. Great for swimming in summer!

Campus Point, UCSB

The surfing beach at UCSB- a pretty spot.

Butterfly Beach

Beautiful beach with dark golden cliffs, a small boardwalk that's romantic at night, and visits by dolphins!

Hammonds Beach

A walk under a canopy of tropical flowers to a beach fronted by luxury homes.

Jalama Beach

A wild, pretty beach with a great playground and snack shop.

Surf Beach and Ocean Beach, Lompoc

Good beach for a long stroll in fall and winter, to find sand dollars!

Rincon Beach

Wide desolate beach, backed by high cliffs- prettiest from above.

Rincon Surf Break

The famous Rincon, the best place to surf in Santa Barbara!

Jelly Bowl Beach, Carpinteria

A secluded beach with golden bluffs, little birds running along the shore, a surfer or two, and forest behind.

Port Hueneme Pier and Beach

A wide expanse of desolate beach, with a wildly wonderful pier! This is not your average pier!

Silver Strand Beach, Oxnard

White sandy beach with rock jetty, beach houses, and boardwalk by the harbor.

Marina Park, Ventura

Lovely cove, grassy hills, Spanish galleon ship, playground, walkway out to the point, rocky jetties, and modern beachhouses!

Faria Beach, Ventura

Strip of sand alongside Highway 101- popular with RVs.

Seaward Avenue and the Seven Jetties

A strip of beachy shops and cafes, leading to a sandy beach.

Harbor Cove Beach

Windy beach by the harbor where you can watch the boats come in and fly a kite.

Kiddie Beach Park, Channel Islands Harbor

A pretty patch of sand by a boardwalk in Channel Islands Harbor.

Point Faria Beach

A pretty, curved beach backed by mountains and orchards. Exclusive beach houses line the beach.

Sycamore Cove, Oxnard

Beach with sweet shade trees in a barren area.

San Buenaventura Beach

Large windy beach with fun dunes to play on, a bike path, and a grassy picnic area in a valley set back from the beach.

Surfer's Point (C Street Surfbreak)

An amazing place to watch surfers ride the waves close up and in the shade, at that!

Hollywood Beach, Oxnard

Wide beach with an abundance of white sand in a neighborhood of chic beach houses.

Oxnard Beach and Pirate Playground

Beautiful dunes, cold breezes, hundreds of palms, a bike path, and a huge pirate playground.

Avila Beach and town

Colorful, pretty main street and boardwalk, with great cafes, lovely ship playground, and mesmerizing yellow cliffs.

Elephant Seal Vista Point, San Simeon

Beaches absolutely covered in massive elephant seals, and sometimes their babies.

Spooner's Cove, Montana de Oro State Park

Rugged, beautiful cove with interesting rocks, sea glass, and shells on shore. Rock to climb, and water rushing into cove.

Point San Luis Lighthouse Beach, Avila

Romantic cove with rock pools, shade spots under the cliffs, calm water, and warm weather. Accessible by kayak or lighthouse tour bus.

Eldwayen Ocean Park, Shell Beach

Walkway with benches above the ocean, and steps that lead down to tide pools and beach with reddish-hued sand and lovely cliffs.

Fisherman's Beach, Avila Beach

Empty no-dogs-allowed beach with cute rocky area on the left.

Pismo Caves

Amazing caves that are almost unreal.

William R. Hearst State Beach, Winery, Schoolhouse

Magical beach with lagoon, pier, and eucalyptus forest. Hearst Ranch Winery overlooking the sea. Old schoolhouse.

Wadsworth Stairs (volleyball), Pismo Beach

Stairs surrounded by purple and yellow ice plant, leading down to Pismo Beach. Volleyball, long walks, caves, pier and boardwalk.

Oceano Dunes

Rugged sand-swept place with high dunes, popular with off-road vehicle enthusiasts.

Morro Rock Beach

A gorgeous wild beach at the base of Morro Rock.

Harford Pier and seals, Avila Beach

Harbor beach with hundreds of pelicans and sailboats bobbing in the water. Stunning views, seals barking on a floating dock, and outdoor cafe on Harford pier.

Cloisters Beach, Morro Bay

Wonderful wide and secluded beach, with sand dollars galore, and views of Morro Rock!

Corallina Cove, Montana de Oro State Park

Hike down to a cove with tidepools.

Olde Port Dog Beach, Avila Beach

A long stretch of beach where dogs run off leash. Also nice for parking your car above the beach, to watch the ocean in the rain.

Pismo State Beach

A glorious beach with sand dunes and a boardwalk with lookout area.

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