San Clemente City Beach stretches alongside this historic 1296ft-long, wood-built pier. The original 1928 pier, where Prohibition-era bootleggers once brought liquor ashore, was rebuilt most recently in 1985. Surfers go north of the pier, while swimmers and bodysurfers take the south side.
Parking in lots near the pier is $1.50 per hour, but good luck finding a spot during the summer daytime peak or on sunny weekends. If you're not driving, trains stop right in front of the pier.
6.19 MILES
Famous for its swallows that fly back to town every year on March 19 (though sometimes they’re just a bit early), San Juan Capistrano is home to the …
20.69 MILES
It's easy to spend an hour in this heartfelt museum of surf artifacts, from a timeline of surfing history to surf-themed art and a radical collection of…
27.67 MILES
From its stately, Spanish Colonial–style shell, the Bowers Museum explodes onto the scene every year or so with remarkable exhibits that remind LA-centric…
28.38 MILES
Follow the giant 10-story cube – balanced on one of its points – to the county's best educational kiddie attraction. About 100 hands-on displays await,…
20.41 MILES
This engaging museum highlights California art and cutting-edge contemporary artists, with exhibitions rotating through two large spaces. Recent…
20.86 MILES
Four miles long but less than a half-mile wide, the Balboa Peninsula has a white-sand beach on its ocean side and countless stylish homes, including the…
16.82 MILES
A few miles of open beach and 2400 acres of undeveloped woodland at this state park let you forget you're in a crowded metropolitan area, at least once…
27.51 MILES
One of SoCal’s best beaches, the sand surrounding the pier at the foot of Main St gets packed on summer weekends with surfers, volleyball players,…
1. Surfing Heritage & Culture Center
2.63 MILES
This foundation gives a timeline of surfing history by exhibiting surfboards ridden by the greats from Duke Kahanamoku to Kelly Slater, and its photo…
4.37 MILES
Surfers won’t want to miss world-renowned Trestles, in protected San Onofre State Beach, just southeast of San Clemente. This beach is famous for its…
4.81 MILES
Adjacent to the southern border of Dana Point Harbor, this mile-long beach is great for swimmers, surfers, surf fishers and tide poolers. You’ll also find…
5.76 MILES
This child-friendly educational center encompasses four separate ocean-centric ‘adventures.’ It is mostly reserved for school groups on weekdays, so it's…
6.13 MILES
Operated by the San Juan Capistrano Historical Society, this board-and-batten construction cottage in the Los Rios Historic District shows off 1880s-era…
6.16 MILES
This Old West–style park lets little ones get up close and personal with llamas, cows, pigs, chickens, and lots of bunnies and guinea pigs. There's a…
6.18 MILES
One block southwest of the mission, next to the Capistrano train depot, this peaceful assemblage of a few dozen historic cottages and adobes now mostly…
8. Mission San Juan Capistrano
6.19 MILES
Famous for its swallows that fly back to town every year on March 19 (though sometimes they’re just a bit early), San Juan Capistrano is home to the …