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Solana Beach
Beautiful San Diego Beaches
Stairways to Heaven.
Unlike other spots in North County where the wide, straight beaches are uninterrupted for miles, the coastline in Solana Beach is more convoluted and the cliffs encroach right to the water's edge in places, making them impassible especially at high tide. Fortunately, staircases descend the cliffs at practically every street corner, so every part of the beach is accessible vertically, if not horizontally. This also makes a visit to Solana Beach a more adventurous experience. One staircase might lead you to a deserted locale where you can be alone with your friends and your thoughts; another might lead to a busy beach teeming with surfers, families and fishermen.
The five main spots from north to south include
Seaside, a good surf spot with an outer reef called Table Tops that breaks on big southwest swells;
Tide Beach, with the best sand of the bunch and a patch of reef that offers tidepooling;
Fletcher Cove (also known as Pillbox), another spot popular among surfers; and
Seascape Surf Beach and
Del Mar Shores on the north side of the San Dieguito river mouth, two spots frequented primarily by local residents.
Directions
From INTERSTATE 5 exit Lomas Santa Fe Drive west to Pacific Coast Highway. Continue straight through the intersection to Fletcher Cove or head north or south on Sierra Avenue to explore other the options. Seaside lies directly at the bottom of the hill as you drive north on PCH toward Cardiff.
Offerings
There are lifeguards at Pillbox year-round and at the other beaches during the summer. Facilities are old but adequate at Pillbox, with parking lots here and at Seaside. There's not a lot in the way of public parking on the streets, but most of the residents use private off-street parking, so availability is good. You'll find pizza joints and Mexican takeout food along Coast Highway, and some upscale restaurants on Via De La Valle near the racetrack and in Cardiff just past Seaside. Cedros Avenue, just across the tracks south of Lomas Santa Fe Drive, offers handcrafted furniture, unique art and lots of specialty shops. For beach info call 858-755-1569.
Considerations
Homeowners have done a good job of maximizing their valuable real estate here, but the city has done an equally good job of maintaining public right of ways and safe stairways to the beach. Even with its lean beaches and limited facilities, there's plenty to love about Solana Beach.
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Beach Guide to San Diego's Best Beaches
