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Sandy beach, is great for diving, swimming, sailing, snorkeling, and windsurfing.

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California contains over a thousand miles of beaches ranging from flat, sandy expanses to rocky shores. While, the beaches are diverse and beautiful along the California Coast, there are hundreds of miles of oceanfront bathing, swimming and surfing beaches with a warm climate tourists can enjoy all year long. Framed by the Pacific Ocean, sights include bejeweled Santa Barbara, Wine Country, trendy Los Angeles, Hollywood and Rodeo Drive shops, Disneyland, laid-back Huntington Beach, sunny San Diego, surf crazy Santa Cruz and Santa Monica. Not limited to beach destinations, however, we've visited and written about Sacramento, Gold Country, Redding, South Lake Tahoe and even Big Bear Lake. There's a treasure trove of California vacation locations with endless things for tourists to see and do. By the way, Californians love Las Vegas so we've expanded to include coverage of that getaway and other great places outside the state.

There are almost 50 places where nudity or topless sunbathing is allowed or tolerated. These nude beach locations include Blacks' Beach, the most popular nude beach in the country and the nation's oldest nude beach (San Gregorio, where people have been going topless since 1967).

Be aware that laws regarding nudity and behavior vary by location and fines for going topless (or all the way) are stiff in some places. I have made every effort to provide accurate nude beach information, but the responsibility for knowing the law is yours.

Northern California: From the Oregon border to Santa Barbara
Beach characteristics: Pocket beaches along rocky shoreline; a few white-sand beaches

Sand type: Coarse to fine; tan, gray and white. Gravelly in the north.

Water description: Generally, swimming is impossible because of cold temperatures and dangerous currents. Large waves.

Southern California: From Mexico north to Santa Barbara

Beach characteristics: Wide, sandy beaches. Pocket beaches in rocky areas.

Sand type: Tan to off-white, fine to coarse.

Water description: Water is chilly, hitting only the low 70-degree mark in the summer. Large waves break onshore, which makes for good surfing. Swimming is challenging to dangerous. Rip currents can pose a threat.

Safe Travelling Tip for South America

Personal Safety Suggestion for South America

Top Beaches

Carmel Beach

Carmel Beach, for one, is a tranquil cove of blue water bordered by soft white sand and cypress-covered cliffs (the tides are deceptively strong and dangerous, so be careful if you chance a swim).

Hermosa Beach

Have fun with volleyball, paddleball or beach ball, while creating a golden tan or toning up. Surfboarding, skateboarding or boogey boarding are all here.

Long Beach

As you drive along the coast of Long Beach, don't be fooled by the sight of the bright pastel islands just off shore; far from natural, they're actually oil-drilling platforms in disguise.

Surfrider Beach

Surfrider Beach here was the surfing capital of the world in the 1950s and early 1960s, as seen in the Beach Blanket Bingo movies of Annette Funicello and Frankie Avalon (the surf is at its best in late summer).

Malibu

Malibu, at the top of the bay twenty miles north of Santa Monica, is a whole other world, its beach-colony houses owned by those famous enough to need privacy and rich enough to afford it.

Zuma Beach

Five miles along the coast from Malibu Pier, Zuma Beach is the largest and most crowded of the Los Angeles County beaches.

Point Dume State Beach

Adjacent Point Dume State Beach, below the imposing promontory of Point Dume, is a lot more relaxed.

Pismo Beach

Just outside San Luis Obispo, on Pismo's 23-mile stretch of prime beachfront, flip-flops are the shoes of choice and surf wear is the dominant fashion. It's all about beach life here, so bring your bathing suit, your board, and a good book.

Ocean Beach

Ocean Beach, six miles northwest of downtown, rivals Pacific Beach in its surfing and party atmosphere, although Ocean Beach has a more down-to-earth, bohemian feel, and is replete with excellent secondhand music shops.

La Jolla

A more pretentious air prevails in La Jolla, an elegant beach community just to the north that mystery writer Raymond Chandler once described as "a nice place - for old people and their parents."

California Beaches

1.	Best Beaches
2.	Nude Beaches
3.	Beautiful Beaches
4.	Bocachica Beach
5.	Playa Blanca Beach
6.	Rosario Islands
7.	San Luis Beach
8.	Bocagrande Beach
9.	Mission Beach
10.	Pacific Beach
11.	Mission Bay
12.	La Jolla Beaches
13.	Coronado & South
14.	Encinitas Beach
15.	Del Mar Beaches
16.	Ocean Beach
17.	Sunset Cliffs Beach
18.	Torrey Pines
19.	La Jolla Cove

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Disclaimer: We've tried to make the information on this web site as accurate as possible, but it is provided 'as is' and we accept no responsibility for any loss, injury or inconvenience sustained by anyone resulting from this information. You should verify critical information (like visas, health and safety, customs and transportation) with the relevant authorities before you travel.