Southern California’s beaches

Patrick Gudauskas, of San Clemente performs an aerial trick called a “roll” or “rodeo” at Lower Trestles, San Onofre State Beach.  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Surfers Jennifer Holcomb, front, of Long Beach, and Leah Beebe, of Hermosa Beach, make their way through a classic California beach setting as they head out to surf at San Onofre State Beach.  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Dangling on the southernmost tip of Orange County is San Clemente, the affable beach town nicknamed “the Spanish Village by the Sea.” It was conjured into existence by Ole Hanson, an entrepreneur and former mayor of Seattle, who bought the coastal tract in 1925 and required all houses built on it to be constructed with whitewashed stucco walls and handmade red-tile roofs. The same creative restriction applied to civic buildings in the town’s hilly center.


For most of its history, San Clemente kept a pretty low profile, best known as the location of Richard Nixon’s Western White House. But those days are long gone: With five miles of sugary, palm-tree-studded beaches and some of the best breaks in the country found year-round in the renowned collection of surf spots known as Trestles, the once sleepy village has become an internationally recognized surfing destination.

--Pauline O’Connor

A 1951 Ford woodie owned by Mike Chase sits on display on the historic San Clemente pier.  (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

Josephine Rielly, 8, of Los Angeles plays with a colorful umbrella at the Dog Patch section of San Onofre State Beach.  (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

A blue and gold macaw named Jimmy B., after musician Jimmy Buffett, sits above the sand and sea on a beach umbrella with owner Franco Fonte of Laguna Niguel, at Doheny State Beach. With proper atmosphere, Jimmy B. can sing and dance Jimmy Buffett songs. His favorite? “Margaritaville,” of course.  (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

Sea shells are used for checker pieces on a picnic table under a grass-lined umbrella at the Spanish-style Beachcomber Hotel overlooking the ocean and the San Clemente pier.  (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

A vintage record player with surfer music stickers is on display at the San Clemente pier.

The Surfing Heritage Foundation (110 Calle Iglesia, [949] 388-0313) has more than 350 surfboards spanning three centuries, as well as photos and art.  (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

A shark is among the eclectic decor at the Spanish-style Beachcomber Hotel, which overlooks the ocean and the historic San Clemente pier.  (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

Huntington Beach

If you want to learn what waves mean to surfers, go no farther than Huntington Beach, which proudly claims the title Surf City. Here, the water isn’t just a recreational pastime -- it’s a lifestyle. The day begins and ends with glorious sunlight and endless rides, which is why roughly 11 million visitors come each summer to watch the show.

The shadow of a fellow surfer falls across another surfer’s long board beneath the Huntington Beach Pier.

For more in this series exploring Southern California’s beaches, visit our Cruising the Coast page.  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Dane McCrystal, 14, of Huntington Beach zips up his wetsuit as he heads out to surf 2- to 4-foot waves at sunrise near the Huntington Beach Pier.  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Santa Ana winds create a dramatic scene as they lift the spray off large breaking waves, much to the delight of surfers at the Huntington Beach Pier.  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Stepping into liquid at sunset as a surfer glides down the face of a wave at the Huntington Beach Pier.  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

A surfer takes off on a large wave during strong offshore winds at the Huntington Beach Pier. Sunset lights the spray blowing off the wave.  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

A surfer raises his arms during a spectacular sunset at the Huntington Beach Pier.

For more in this series exploring Southern California’s beaches, visit our Cruising the Coast page.  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Kaitlin Schupp, 20, and Delisa Lopez, 21, both of San Diego, make the shape of a heart together with their hands while dancing to Otis Redding at Sunset Cliffs in San Diego.  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Val and Rick Piencka of San Diego strike the pose for their scrapbook next to J. Seward Johnson’s sculpture “Unconditional Surrender.” The larger-than-life sculpture sits next to the aircraft carrier Midway at the San Diego Embarcadero, is 25 feet high and weighs 6,000 pounds. It’s a three-dimensional interpretation of a photo taken by Alfred Eisenstaedt of a sailor kissing a nurse in New York’s Times Square on Aug. 14, 1945, following the announcement of V-J day.  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

A statue of explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, the first European to set foot on the West Coast of what is now the United States. The landmark overlooks San Diego Harbor and is part of Cabrillo National Monument.  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Surfers make their way down the steep cliff and across slippery rocks to the water at Sunset Cliffs in San Diego.  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

The setting sun lights up the steep cliffs as a surfer heads out at Sunset Cliffs in San Diego.  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

A surfer is reflected in a tide pool as he carefully walks across slippery rocks at Sunset Cliffs in San Diego.  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Kite surfer Michael Yudovin of San Diego battles the gusty winds crossing Mission Bay to take flight at “Stinky’s,” a spot along the beaches of Fiesta Island in Mission Bay. The area is called Stinky’s because it used to be a waste dump site.  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

A paddle surfer takes in a sunset on a warm summer day while waiting for the waves at Sunset Cliffs in San Diego.  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

The San Diego Embarcadero is a popular scenic section of the waterfront next to downtown.  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Cardiff / LaJolla

What’s in a name? Tiny Cardiff was named by J. Frank Cullen, who developed the town in 1911, for his wife’s homeland, Wales. (The “by-the-Sea” was added later by another developer). La Jolla, on the other hand, means “the jewel” in Spanish, a reminder of California’s historic roots. Though the names may suggest different (old) worlds, the two are part of a string of beaches that are magnets for surfers, paddlers, anglers and beachgoers.

A look at the koi pond in the Meditation Gardens, Self-Realization Fellowship Temple and Ashram Center, also known as Swami’s, overlooking a popular surf break in Encinitas, Calif.

For more in this series exploring Southern California’s beaches, visit our Cruising the Coast page.  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Under a cloudy sky, a paddle boarder travels across at the La Jolla Underwater Park and State Marine Conservation area at sunset.  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Pamir Saatcioglu of Ankara, Turkey, follows a guide as he makes his way through a cave and past leopard sharks and rugged cliffs at the La Jolla Underwater Park and State Marine Conservation area.  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

After launching over the cliff from Torrey Pines Gliderport, paragliders soar high over the majestic cliffs overlooking Black’s Beach. Black’s is known for its big winter waves, nude beach and paragliding.  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Oliver Devanneaux of San Diego plays in the surf with his son, Eloi, 2, at San Elijo State Campground in Cardiff-by-the-Sea. Cardiff, north of San Diego, is known for its charm and small-village hospitality. Sunny days and cool evenings prevail throughout the year, and afternoon ocean breezes keep the temperature pleasant along the 2.6 miles of pristine ocean beaches.  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

An aerial view of Black’s Beach, which is known as a clothing-optional space. The beach is part of Torrey Pines City Beach and Torrey Pines State Beach.  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

A nude couple take a walk at low tide at Black’s Beach. Access to the beach is difficult because of the high cliffs and lack of improved stairways. The safest access is from adjacent beaches north and south, but these routes may be obstructed by high tides or surf.  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Tall grasses grow on the clifftop where surfers gather at at San Elijo State Campground in Cardiff-by-the-Sea.  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Surfers pass a campfire at dusk along La Jolla Shores in scenic La Jolla, near San Diego. La Jolla is an underwater park and state marine conservation area.  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

A couple watch the fading sunset while a surfer heads out to catch a wave near a beach hut during the last moments of the day at Wind and Sea Beach in La Jolla.

For more in this series exploring Southern California’s beaches, visit our Cruising the Coast page.  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)