There are over 1,000 miles of beaches in California, many with names written in stone. Sometimes, however, beach names are assigned by locals as a way to refer to particular sections of sand that tourists may not understand. In places such as San Clemente and North San Diego County or along the San Mateo and Santa Cruz region, for instance, surfers have given their beaches pet names based on characteristics of waves and wave breaks that surfers love.
When visiting beaches or just passing through, if you look and don’t see a sign signifying the name of a beach (which is often the case,) a local will tell you a name right off the bat. When you head back to look at your literature and maps, that name may not appear, especially when it’s a local’s-only moniker. Throughout California you’ll find beaches named for people, cities, and descriptive words for characteristics of that beach.
Here are just a few examples of names you may see. Read more!
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