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Oceanside City Beach and Environs
Loads and loads of room.
Long stereotyped as a military town for its proximity to the Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Reserve, Oceanside has matured into a thriving private sector community and a popular beach destination in its own right. This is North County's answer to
Mission Beach, without the Belmont Park carnival scene and associated boardwalk freak show. What Oceanside's got going for it is a healthy supply of sand beach with relatively small crowd demands. This makes for easy access, fewer parking hassles, and plenty of room to spread out your beach towel. If you're looking to get away from it all, head toward Buccaneer Beach on the south end. If the fast lane is your thing, cruise the The Strand by the pier at the foot of Mission Boulevard. Oceanside is one of those places you can hit on a lunch break for a quick jog, or idle a long summer day away in the sun. There are plenty of family-friendly restaurants in the area (most notably, Ruby's Diner on the end of the pier and the fish & chips seafood joints in the Harbor) and fun '50s style motor lodges (some with pirates and other themes).
Oceanside Harbor, aka The Jetties, is a popular surfing area, especially in summer south swell season. The parking here is a mix of free, paid, metered and private (for slip holders in the marina), and much of it is time-limited, so check the signs carefully before choosing a spot. The early bird parking strategy doesn't necessarily hold true at The Jetties. Surfers typically fill the lots at dawn and vacate them by noon when the onshore wind kicks in and blows out the surf. Lifeguards, bathrooms, showers and places to eat are all close at hand. Fishermen can try their luck off the end of a jetty (beware of high surf and high tides), or surf cast on the south side by the San Luis Rey river mouth. You can also book boat charters out of Oceanside Harbor, launch your own at the boat ramp, or ride a new commuter ferry to and from downtown San Diego. For commuter ferry information in San Diego County, call toll free: 1-866-WaveWay (1-866-928-3929). Outside San Diego County, call toll free: 1-800-974-8885.
Oceanside City Beach, aka The Strand, is the classic West Coast beach complete with boardwalk, pier and wide open sand. The coastline is razor-straight here with a shallow sand shelf that slows and mellows the surf as it rolls in and laps gently on the shore. This makes Oceanside an ideal spot for children to swim or ride the inside whitewater on boogie boards. The outside offers decent beachbreak for board surfing, but it's usually bigger and better up by the harbor. There are a number of small parks along the boardwalk with restrooms, picnic tables, barbecues, and an excellent playground by the pier. Other beach-related attractions include the nearby California Surf Museum and seasonal surf and volleyball competitions.
Buccaneer Beach is a couple miles south of the pier where the beach narrows and the road dips down to sea level. It's a popular spot for kids to practice their surfing with easy access and lifeguard supervision close at hand.
Directions
Head west on Mission Boulevard from the 5 FWY. Mission leads straight to the Oceanside pier. Turn north on Pacific Street to head up to the Harbor or south toward Buccaneer Beach. You can drive down onto the Strand to drop off passengers, but there's virtually no parking here and you're liable to get trapped in a slow-moving traffic parade. Public right of ways become more and more scarce as you head south down the coast, until you ultimately arrive at a gated residential community by the Buena Vista Estuary and the road turns inland over the train tracks. Buccaneer Beach is midway between the pier and the lagoon at the intersection of Pacific and Morse streets.
Offerings
Everything you'd expect in a public beach, with the added recreational opportunities afforded by a yacht basin and municipal fishing pier. A nice, safe spot for swimming and sunbathing, and a great boardwalk for a jog, stroll or bike ride. For info call 760-722-8000.
Considerations
There is a lot of free parking on the residential streets and up near the train tracks, but if you prefer to invest in beachfront real estate, bring quarters for the meters or dollar bills for the self-pay lots. Lifeguards designate separate surfing and swimming areas in the busy season, so make sure you're where you belong if you want to avoid the embarrassment of being scolded over the loudspeaker in front of the whole beach.
Warning
Always stay well clear of rocks, pilings and jetties.
Rating: 
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San Diego Beach Guide - San Diego's Best Beaches
