Beaches in San Diego

Match your San Diego beach day to the mood: gentle summer waves, sunset drama, a dog sprint, family facilities, fire rings, or tide pools.

Nine San Diego beaches where the lifeguard is on the tower, the bathroom is open, the playground is in sight of the sand and the car is parked close.

From the broad, guarded sand at La Jolla Shores to two miles of empty coast under 300-foot cliffs — the ten San Diego beaches worth a whole day.

Eight San Diego beaches you can drive to and actually park at — mostly free lots, mostly flat walks, and the arrival times that keep it that way.

Seven San Diego reefs that only exist at low tide — sea stars, octopus, 45-million-year-old clam fossils — with the tide window, the closures and the slick rock for each one.