When in San Diego, you must hit the beach, and enjoy the sun and sand. Thankfully, there are many best beaches in San Diego for families. You will be spoiled for choice.
Located in the County of San Diego in the Golden State is the city by the same name, San Diego. It has some of the most awesome beaches in the USA. Thus, choosing a good beach in San Diego can be hard, as they are all very charming.
But what isn’t in California? This state could not have been nicknamed any better than the Golden State. It is truly golden. And sunny.
The US has been blessed with one of the longest coastlines in the world. It also has some of the best snorkeling destinations. But San Diego beaches are special.
The weather is awesome throughout the year. In December and January when you expect things to be really cold, well, you will be surprised to know that the temperature rarely dips below 10°C.
So if you happen to be in San Diego any time of the year, wear your beach shoes and hit the beach. You will not regret it.
Even in the coldest months of December and January, if you do not fear getting a little wet, you can still go for snorkeling. So get your snorkeling shoes on and go have fun.
Or perhaps you would like to do some scuba diving. You will just need your wetsuit for diving. Do make sure you gear up with the scuba diving tank, scuba diving knife and others.
Thus, if you are looking for the best beaches that you can visit with your family, San Diego is here for you. It is perhaps only rivaled by some of the white sand beaches in Florida.
You will never regret going to the beaches of San Diego. They offer incredible fun. You may bring your kids with you, and have fun together. A family that camps on the beach together stays together.
Best beaches in San Diego
La Jolla Shores Beach
If you are looking for a beach in San Diego that has something for the entire family, the La Jolla Shores Beach is the place to be.
This beach stretches for slightly more than a mile. It is a very enjoyable place to be with your family especially during the warm summer season.
It is perfect for swimming, boggie-boarding and you will enjoy some fun-filled outdoor games with the kids at the nearby children’s playground at Kellogg Park.
A visit to this beach also provides you with a chance to watch the sea lions and the seals. In addition, you also get an opportunity to visit the La Jolla Cove that is located in the northern end of this beach.
This protected cove provides the entire family with a perfect place to snorkel and explore various rock pools.
If you do not have or you forget to bring your snorkeling gear with you, there is a shop at the cove that rents out snorkeling equipment.
In addition to engaging in various water sports, you can also have a family picnic at the grassy Scripps Park that is just nearby, as you treat your eyes to the surrounding breathtaking scenic views.
You can also enjoy some delicious ice cream and sandwiches from the nearby shops.
If you would like to stay for a couple of days, there are excellent hotels on the La Jolla Shores Beach. Such include:
- Holiday Inn Express
- La Jolla Shores Hotel
- Pantai Inn
- La Valencia Hotel
- Grande Colonial La Jolla
All these and more hotels are located within the vicinity of the La Jolla Shores Beach. You can spend a few days in San Diego with your kids. You may carry your baby travel bed too if you have a toddler. Any of these hotels offer a true home away from home experience.
Coronado Beach San Diego
Coronado Beach San Diego is located in Coronado Island in San Diego. This beach happens is among the most stunning and family-friendly beaches in San Diego.
The beach stretches for about a mile and a half, and it is mostly made of beautiful sparkling white sand.
The Coronado Beach San Diego is surrounded by stunning views. Because of its mild waves, all the family members including the young kids will enjoy swimming in the Ocean Boulevard, which runs parallel to this beach’s front.
Due to its low profile, this family beach is also ideal for kite flying. This is without doubt one of the best beaches in San Diego. If you would like to go scuba diving, snorkeling or any other water sports, you will find ample opportunities to enjoy.
There is ample parking along the beach and there are public restrooms at various locations along the beach.
If you are planning to extend your visit at the beach, you can get excellent accommodation at the famous Hotel del Coronado that is just near.
Other hotels that you will get at the Coronado Beach San Diego include Coronado Inn and 1906 Lodge.
Oceanside Beach San Diego
The Oceanside Beach San Diego is yet another great beach in San Diego that is perfect for families.
It provides you with a chance to enjoy various family-friendly water sports such as surfing, boggie-boarding and swimming.
There is a surf shack at the beach that rents out a variety of equipment for various water sports at a very reasonable price. Therefore, you should not have any reason as to why you should miss having an amazing time at the beach.
You can even rent a SUP board and have fun in the calm waters. With more than 3 miles of nice sand, this beach is ideal for all types of sports that you can play with your children.
Besides, you can swim on the shallow and calm waters with the kids. You can also choose to snorkel.
There is a playground right at Oceanside Beach San Diego, from where the younger kids can enjoy playing various games.
Later in the afternoons, the entire family can enjoy taking a walk along the stunning pier. There is also ample parking along the beach.
Oceanside Marina Suites, Oceanside Inn & Suites, Beach Terrace Inn and Portofino Beach Inn are some of the most affordable hotels on the Oceanside City Beach San Diego.
Moonlight State Beach
The Moonlight State Beach is an ideal beach destination for families. This wide sandy beach is very clean and it provides it visitors with various facilities, which include showers, restrooms, picnic tables, fire pits and concessions.
In addition, a store right on the beach rents out various water sports equipment. This ensures that you do not miss the chance of enjoying different beach and water sports.
The kids will particularly enjoy playing in the kid’s playground that has lots of green places and various kid-friendly play structures.
The older kids and the adults will also enjoy playing tennis or volleyball at the provided courts. This beach has a gradual slope that makes it more fun and safer for the kids.
Unlike the other popular beaches in San Diego, the Moonlight State Beach never gets crowded. That makes if perfect to spend the entire day there as a family.
With lifeguards on the beach, you get the safe feeling in your mind. You can have a day’s fun with the kids here and you will not exhaust all the things that you can do.
On this beach, you will see why San Diego is nicknamed America’s Finest City, right there on the Pacific Coast.
Cardiff State Beach
The Cardiff State Beach is a white sandy beach located in the northern part of San Diego.
The beach has enough parking spaces just next to it giving you an easy time transferring your snacks and sporting provisions from your car to the beach.
The beach’s gentle slope makes it ideal for families with younger children. Sliding through the warm sand is a lot of fun.
The Cardiff State Beach also has plenty of public restrooms. Food trucks are also common near the beach especially during summer season, giving you a chance to treat your family with various, snacks, foods and drinks.
You can engage in several fun activities here such as collecting shells, sunbathing, building sand castles and walking in the water.
When the tide is low, you can take a walk on the sand and visit the nearby Tide Beach Park, where you can explore tide pools at the cove.
You can also swim in this cove but if the tide is a bit high, it is recommended that you prevent the kids from swimming here.
Del Mar City Beach
The Del Mar City Beach, which stretches from the Powerhouse Park. It goes northwards all the way up to the lagoon entrance at the San Dieguito River. This is a very popular family beach in San Diego.
Among the main reasons why this beach is many families’ favorite is that it has plenty of clean restrooms, a grassy park, lifeguards and a playground where kids can enjoy playing various sports.
The grassy parks provide a place for the entire family to enjoy an awesome picnic during a sunny afternoon.
This place receives many visitors during the sunny days. It can be hard to find a parking space near the beach.
You can however find a parking space in areas near the beach but you will have to walk for a while.
The experience that you will have on the Del Mar City Beach is very rewarding such that you will forget all the walking.
Mission Beach
If you are looking for the best beachfront in San Diego where you will enjoy unending fun and entertainment, the Mission Beach is a perfect destination.
This beach is known for is calm waves that are ideal for the entire family including the younger kids is next to the famous Belmont amusement park.
At the amusement park, you get a chance to ride in the giant roller coaster with your kids, treat them to some good snacks and food, play tons of fun-filled games and even win various fun prizes.
You can rent bikes, skateboard, rollerblades and surfboards among other sports equipment for a great beach sporting experience.
You will also enjoy a breathtaking ocean backdrop of the Mission Beach from the amusement part, and various facilities at the beach such as showers, restrooms and lifeguards.
September, October and even November are some of the best times that you can visit this beach. However, the weather dulls a bit in November. But remember, even in December, the temperatures do not dip below 10°C.
Ponto Beach
The Ponto Beach in Carlsbad near San Diego is a small but very beautiful and family friendly beach.
This beach is dearly loved by most of the locals because it is great for surfing and swimming. During the peak seasons, there are lifeguards on duty to supervise your safety and that of your kids when swimming or surfing.
The beach has a flat shoreline, which makes it perfect for younger kids to enjoy playing on its sand while keeping safe.
It has many clean and easily accessible restrooms. In addition, there are ample parking spots on the street and dedicated parking lot where you pay to park your car. The good thing is that you can never struggle with parking at this beach.
Torrey Pines State Beach
This awesome beach actually doubles up as a beach and a nature reserve. This beach has tons of family friendly activities to enjoy as a whole family.
To begin with, there is an extensive park that you can explore and if the kids are much younger, you can head straight to the beach.
If the kids are much older, do not forget to bring your hiking shoes and explore the massive landscape and beautiful terrain.
Those that would rather be at the beach, the northern part is more family friendly because there is plenty of parking spots and restrooms.
The soft sand on the Torrey Pines State Beach provides families with a perfect place to hold a beach picnic and a safer place for the kids to play.
There is a lagoon area where the kids can explore beneath the highway overpass.
Silver Strand State Beach
The Silver Strand State Beach on the San Diego Bay is one of the finest family friendly beaches in San Diego.
The beach has calm waters that are perfect for swimming, fishing and sail boating. The calm waters also make this place a perfect spot for kids and shell lovers to collect various seashells.
Next to this beach is the Silver Strand Park, which provides families with great recreation and camping areas.
During summer, the park provides its visitors with fire rings, where they can enjoy a great cookout of the variety of fish that they are able to catch at the beach.
This is also rated as one of the best beaches for camping. So if you can find out the relevant information, you may be able to get a camping spot. Bring your camping gear and be ready for a whopping great time.
Solana Beach
At the Solana Beach City, families get a chance to enjoy a great time at waterfront parks as kids amuse themselves in the tide pools.
In this Oceanside city, there are many things to do, and many beaches to visit. Del Mar City Beach, Dog Beach and Fletcher Cove Park are just a few of the places that you must visit.
Solana Beach City is also popular for art and various music venues that the entire family will enjoy.
On one of the beaches, visitors can explore numerous caves. However, it is somehow secluded and a bit difficult to access but the visit is totally worth it.
You may also want to go to the Cedros Design District, where you can take your family for a treat of wonderful cuisines and affordable shopping for clothes and other items.
In Solana Beach City, you will find some of the best beaches in San Diego.
The Children’s Pool Beach
The Children’s Pool is a small kid friendly beach that is partially protected by a sea wall. The initial intention was to create a protected area where kids could swim but over the years, a lot of sand has filled the walls creating a small beach.
This beach is picturesque and it provides its visitors with a panoramic view of the nearby beaches that include the Shell Beach on the north and the Wipeout Beach on the south. It is perfect for swimming, surfing, fishing, boating and scuba diving.
There is a permanent lifeguard station on this beach that is controlled by the San Diego Lifeguards. This is nice and they do ensure that your kids are always safe while in the water.
The other facilities provided at this beach include fire pits during the summer season, restrooms, showers, parking spots, a playground, picnic grounds, a basketball court, and a volleyball pitch.
The Children’s Pool Beach has a pier that provides a great viewing spot for harbor seals. However, this beach is closed to public access from Dec 15 to May 15 every year because it is the harbor seal pupping season.
Imperial Beach San Diego
The Imperial Beach is located just a few minutes’ drive from Tijuana Mexico. During the summer season, this beach is popular for hosting the US Open Sandcastle Competition.
It is one of the best beaches in San Diego, with a lot of things to do. The beach is also home to more than 300 bird species.
It is a good family friendly destination for bird watching. Remember to pack your binoculars and bird book to try and identify some of them.
The waters of this beach are perfect for swimming or surfing. There are also numerous trails on the beach, on which you can take beach nature walks as a family.
The beach has a pier which makes it an ideal fishing spot. It offers you with incredible views of the Los Coronado Islands.
While at the Imperial Beach, do not forget to visit the popular Surfboard Museum. It is just a few minutes’ walk away.
Pacific Beach San Diego
The Pacific Beach is located right between the La Jolla and the Mission Beach. The beach that stretches for 2 miles long is perfect for family strolls and other beach activities.
It is also one of the most famous beaches in San Diego and hence it attracts huge number of visitors.
Pacific Beach is perfect for swimming, surfing and scuba diving, and the rental shops that are found at the beach will give you the equipment that you require for these water sports at a small fee.
There are lifeguards who are on duty on a daily basis, in order to ensure that you and your little ones are safe in the water.
There are also numerous restaurants where you can sample various cuisines as well as bars where couples can enjoy a drink or two.
Tourmaline Surfing Park
This is a hidden treasure located in the North Pacific Beach. It is popularly known for sail boarding, surfing and swimming.
This beach is split into two areas, one of which is specifically designated for swimming and the other for surfing.
There are lifeguards on this beach always. You can be assured of your own safety and those of your kids.
This place usually quiet and peaceful, hence an ideal place for a family to bond, relax and spend some quality time together. Parking is in plenty and you will enjoy other amenities such as showers and restrooms.
Conclusion
These are just a few of the best beaches in San Diego that you can visit with your family anytime of the year. However, do note that to engage in watersports like scuba diving, the best time to visit is August, September, October and November. Visibility is good, there is some warmth and your children can enjoy some water sports.
