Best of San Clemente

14 stories

San Clemente Pier

San Clemente Pier is the city’s postcard: 1,296 feet of wood built in 1928 by founder Ole Hanson, twice rebuilt after storms, still framing the Spanish Village.

Beaches

Lower Trestles (Trestles)

World-class point break; 2028 Olympic surfing venue

Beaches

T-Street Beach

Family + surf beach with pedestrian rail overpass

Beaches

San Onofre State Beach ("Old Man's" / Trails)

Gentle longboard birthplace of California surf culture

Landmarks

Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens

1927 Ole Hanson home, now cultural center; landslide history

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More places

Landmarks

Ole Hanson Beach Club

1928 Spanish-Revival public pool at North Beach

Parks

San Clemente Beach Trail

2.3-mi coastal path linking North Beach to Calafia

Parks

San Clemente State Beach

Bluff-top state campground and beach at the south end

Beaches

North Beach

Northern trailhead, Metrolink stop, Ole Hanson Beach Club

Districts

Avenida Del Mar (Downtown)

Main downtown street to the Pier Bowl

Districts

Outlets at San Clemente

60+ store coastal outlet mall off I-5

Parks

Vista Hermosa Sports Park & San Clemente Aquatics Center

City sports complex with 50m competition pool (2012)

Getting around

San Clemente Pier station

Metrolink/Amtrak coastal stop at the pier

Landmarks

La Casa Pacifica (Nixon's "Western White House")

Nixon's private estate at Cotton's Point (private)

Guides to this list

Best beaches in San Clemente

San Clemente's roughly four-mile coastline is a chain of beaches strung along the Beach Trail. T-Street (Entry 3) is the consensus family-and-surf pick — palm-lined, lifeguarded when busy, with a safe rail overpass and easy pier views. The Pier beach (Entry 1) is the social center. North Beach (Entry 9) anchors the north with the Ole Hanson Beach Club and the cheapest parking. Calafia and San Clemente State Beach (Entry 8) anchor the south, with the state campground on the bluff above. For a quieter longboard scene, San Onofre's Old Man's (Entry 4) is the storied choice just south of town. Every city beach is open 4 a.m.–10 p.m., dogs are not allowed on the sand, and metered parking runs $1.50/hour, 9 a.m.–10 p.m.

T-Street Beach San Clemente Pier North Beach San Clemente State Beach San Onofre State Beach ("Old Man's" / Trails)

Where to surf in San Clemente (by skill level)

- Beginner: Dogpatch at San Onofre (Entry 4) — gentle, forgiving, and the only SUP/kayak launch. Old Man's offers slow longboard waves. - Intermediate: T-Street (Entry 3) breaks both directions with lifeguard oversight and surf-zone rules. - Advanced/expert: Lower Trestles (Entry 2) — a world-class cobblestone point that hosted the WSL Finals 2021–2024 and will host 2028 Olympic surfing; best on south/southwest swell around 4–6 feet per surf sources. Uppers, Middles, Cottons, and Church round out the Trestles complex. All Trestles/San Onofre breaks are inside San Onofre State Beach (6 a.m.–10 p.m., paid parking, dogs off the beach) and require a walk from the Cristianitos or Basilone lots.

San Onofre State Beach ("Old Man's" / Trails)T-Street Beach Lower Trestles (Trestles)

San Clemente with kids

Start at Vista Hermosa Sports Park & Aquatics Center (Entry 12) for the water-play structure, turf fields, the 1-mile loop, and Courtney's Sandcastle universally accessible playground. The Ole Hanson Beach Club (Entry 6) has a wading/lesson pool and swim lessons. T-Street (Entry 3) is the go-to family beach with restrooms, palapas, and fire pits. The Beach Trail (Entry 7) is stroller-friendly on its ADA sections (North Beach–Mariposa; Linda Lane–Pier). Cap the day with the Pier (Entry 1) and a treat downtown on Avenida Del Mar (Entry 10); the Sunday Farmers Market (Entry 14) is an easy family stop.

Vista Hermosa Sports Park & San Clemente Aquatics Center Ole Hanson Beach Club T-Street Beach San Clemente Beach Trail San Clemente Pier Avenida Del Mar (Downtown)

A day in San Clemente for visitors

Arrive at North Beach (Entry 9) — cheapest parking and the northern trailhead — and walk or bike the Beach Trail (Entry 7) south, passing the Ole Hanson Beach Club (Entry 6). Reach the Pier (Entry 1) for photos and lunch at its restaurant, then climb to Casa Romantica (Entry 5) for gardens and city views. Stroll Avenida Del Mar (Entry 10) for shops; on Sundays catch the Farmers Market (Entry 14). Shoppers can finish at the Outlets (Entry 11). If arriving by rail, the Pier station (Entry 13) drops you at the sand — but confirm service first.

North Beach San Clemente Beach Trail Ole Hanson Beach Club San Clemente Pier Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens Avenida Del Mar (Downtown)Outlets at San Clemente San Clemente Pier station

Parking in San Clemente, honestly

Expect to pay. City meters are $1.50/hour, 9 a.m.–10 p.m., at North Beach, Linda Lane, Parque Del Mar/Pier Bowl, and Esplanade/T-Street. The Pier Bowl lot fills earliest on summer weekends — arrive before mid-morning. North Beach offers the best value: select Metrolink-area spaces are $1/day Monday–Friday if you arrive 4–9 a.m., otherwise the standard $1.50/hour. T-Street has no dedicated lot — use bluff meters or neighborhood streets on Paseo de Cristobal. San Clemente State Beach and San Onofre charge $15/vehicle day-use (San O summer weekends ~$20). Annual city meter permits are available online. The Outlets (Entry 11) have free parking including a garage.

Outlets at San Clemente

Living in San Clemente: the neighborhoods

The city mixes historic coastal districts with inland master-planned communities. Pier Bowl and North Beach/the Miramar (Entry 32) are the walkable, historic beach cores. Talega (Entry 34) is the large inland master-planned community up by Vista Hermosa; Forster Ranch (Entry 35) and Rancho San Clemente (Entry 36) are hillside residential/business areas west of I-5. Shorecliffs (Entry 37) sits at the south end near its golf course, and Cyprus Shore (Entry 38) is the gated south-end community that contains the private La Casa Pacifica (Entry 15). Downtown life centers on Avenida Del Mar (Entry 10), with civic anchors at City Hall and the Library (Entry 41).

La Casa Pacifica (Nixon's "Western White House")Avenida Del Mar (Downtown)