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Pacific Beach
Sunbathers in Pacific Beach
California Dreamin'.
Pacific Beach, with its endless boardwalk (three miles from here to the
Mission Bay Harbor Channel) and funky beach bars, is a favorite haunt of college students and young adults living the California Dream. The heavily trafficked boardwalk is a fascinating exhibition of contemporary style and beach culture. Tattooed skateboarders rub elbows with study-weary grad students as bronzed beauties cycle past in bikinis.
Tourmaline Surfing Park where the rugged headlands of
La Jolla end abruptly, is a surfing-only beach favored for its slow, slopey waves by longboarders, beginners and (when the wind is up) windsurfers and kiteboarders. There's a medium-capacity parking lot here with bathrooms and a small picnic area. There's nothing particularly special about Tourmaline, but it's a perfect place to try your hand at surfing.
North Pacific Beach from Tourmaline to Crystal Pier is the 'calm before the storm' that is P.B. proper. Families tend to prefer this quieter stretch of beach with its lifeguard supervised swimming areas and facilities at the ends of Law and Diamond Streets.
Pacific Beach from the Crystal Pier to Pacific Beach Drive offers regular lifeguard service, bathrooms and pockets of dedicated parking at Grand Avenue and PB Drive. You can find anything from bicycle rentals to biker bars along the coast here, and more of the same as you head inland up Garnet Avenue for many blocks. Swimming and surfing are segregated throughout P.B., the latter being mediocre here at best. There's always a party on the beach and on the boardwalk, especially on any sunny summer afternoon.
Directions
From the 5 FWY take Garnet Avenue west all the way to Mission Blvd.
Offerings
Beach, boardwalk, bathrooms, year-round lifeguard service, and more shops, bars and eateries in one place than you could ever dream possible. Call: 619-221-8899 for info.
Considerations
Parking is a nightmarish prospect throughout Pacific Beach. Best bets are the lot at Tourmaline Street, and side roads on the north side of the pier. Alcohol is permitted only on the beach and only between the hours of 12 noon and 8pm. The boardwalk is a thriving parade of non-stop activity and entertainment. If you decide to join in, try to go with the flow, keep your eyes on the road and limit your speed to 8mph. Follow all posted regulations and parking signs to the letter of the law, they are strictly enforced here.
Rating: 
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San Diego Beach Guide - San Diego's Best Beaches
