Pescadero State Beach

A great all-round beach, Pescadero State Beach incorporates sands perfect for sunbathing with rocky cliffs, tidal pools, picnic facilities, and sites for shore fishing. The latter you might expect with a beach that takes its name from the Spanish for “the place to fish”.

The beach covers a length of around a mile in total, divided into two areas separated by the creek that drains the Pescadero Marsh Nature Reserve, a popular birding spot, on the opposite side of Highway 1.

The southern area is composed of a series of small well-sheltered rocky coves with sandy bottoms which largely disappear at high tide. In this area there’s also the chance to catch sight of sea lions and harbour seals, both of which bask on the rocks and hunt in the shallows.

The northern area is wider, and the sands here are better for both swimming and launching into the waves with a surfboard. There are three parking lots for anyone arriving by car, but no dogs are allowed on Pescadero State Beach.