The Best Southern California Beaches

Voting Rules
Beaches located in Southern California only.

Sunny, Southern California has some of the best beaches around, no matter the season. This list explores the most beautiful beaches SoCal has to offer - everything from iconic beaches like Venice Beach and Newport Beach, to a lesser-known beaches like One Thousand Steps and Aliso Beach. Some of these beaches are staples in movies, and some you may never have heard of until now.

All the beaches on this list are sure to make you crave some time on the sand at some of the prettiest beaches in Southern California. With plenty of beaches to choose from, this list is sure to help you plan that next beach trip - whether it is a relaxing day in the sun on the boardwalk in Laguna Beach, or a day out with your pups at the dog beach in Huntington Beach - there are plenty of beaches to help satisfy your beach craving.  
 

The weather in Southern California is beautiful year-round, so even if you don’t get a chance to make it to these beaches during the summer season, you can still visit them any time of the year! Visiting these beaches off-season is sure to provide you with a more authentic experience in many of these small beach communities and famous beaches across Southern California.

Photo: Metaweb / CC-BY
Ranked by
  • Coronado
    1
    30 votes
    San Diego, California, United States of America
  • Laguna Beach
    2
    61 votes
    Laguna Beach, California, United States of America
  • La Jolla Shores
    3
    26 votes
    La Jolla, California, United States of America
  • Newport Beach
    4
    26 votes
    Newport Beach, California, United States of America
  • 1,000 Steps Beach
    5
    26 votes

    1,000 Steps Beach

    1, 000 Steps Beach - Laguna Beach, California
  • Manhattan Beach
    6
    26 votes
    Manhattan Beach, California, United States of America