Spanning almost 4 miles of gorgeous Pacific shoreline, Oceanside, CA, presents a diversified collection of seashores, every with its personal distinctive appeal.
That will help you discover the perfect seashore to suit your vibe, I’ve created this checklist of the perfect seashores in Oceanside. Organized from north to south, every seashore contains an outline, issues to notice, and instructions and parking data.
Whether or not you’re in search of unimaginable surf or a sandy stretch for household enjoyable, Oceanside, CA, has the proper seashore for you.
Oceanside Harbor Seashore
Why Go: Widest and sandiest of the Oceanside, CA seashores with premier surf.
Oceanside Harbor Seashore is a protracted, huge, sandy seashore located in entrance of Oceanside Harbor and bordered by two rock jetties. The marina is positioned behind the seashore, with open ocean entry on the seashore’s northernmost finish.
This seashore is among the finest seashores in Oceanside for energetic individuals and households. It contains volleyball courts and a children’ play space. Kiteboarding, windsurfing, browsing, sunbathing, and fishing are fashionable actions at this seashore. It has lifeguards, lined picnic tables, barbecues, hearth pits, restrooms, and showers.
Noteworthy: Located adjoining to Oceanside Harbor Village, there are a number of close by facilities, together with quite a lot of outlets, eateries, and motels like Marina Inn Resort.
Stand-up paddleboarding and kayaking are harbor favorites. You possibly can lease kayaks and different water gear right here, plus guide crusing or deep-sea fishing journeys.
The seashore has a few of the finest surf, making it a giant draw for surfers and different watersport lovers. You’ll typically see surf competitions right here throughout summer time.
Parking and easy methods to get right here: Take Harbor Drive exit off I-5, which can deliver you proper to the harbor entrance. There are quite a few parking heaps on the harbor. Some are free, some free with time restrictions, and the remaining paid.
Even paid heaps could have time restrictions. Watch the indicators fastidiously when selecting quite a bit. While you pull into the harbor, when you keep left, you’ll come to a tunnel beneath the railway bridge. The tunnel takes you to a big, free parking zone with the least time restrictions (Lot 1). It’s additionally farthest from the seashore.
Breakwater Approach Seashore
Why Go: Quieter, family-friendly seashore additionally fashionable with surfers and volleyball gamers.
Breakwater Approach Seashore is positioned north of Oceanside Pier and south of the San Luis Rey River mouth. Probably the greatest seashores in Oceanside for households, it’s a big stretch of sand lined with palm bushes.
There are lifeguards, restrooms, showers, barbecue grills, and picnic tables, making it a one-stop seashore for all your loved ones’s wants. Sunbathing, browsing, and volleyball are the primary attracts of Breakwater Approach seashore.
Nevertheless, in the summertime months, browsing is closed in entrance of Lifeguard Tower 8, so surfers should stroll alongside the jetty to get into the water.
Noteworthy: One of many least populated seashores, the river jetty is the place the San Luis Rey River and the Pacific Ocean meet. A sandbar typically types right here, creating an epic surf break. For security, keep away from swimming, wading, or taking part in within the water the place the river meets the ocean.
Parking and easy methods to get right here: Take the Coast Freeway exit west off I-5, flip left on Coast Freeway and go two blocks to Surfrider Approach, flip proper and go to North Pacific Avenue, flip proper and go three blocks to Breakwater Approach. There’s a pay lot on the nook of Breakwater Approach and North Pacific Avenue. Metered parking can be obtainable alongside North Pacific Avenue.
Pier View North Seashore
Why Go: A quiet, native favourite; sunbathing, swimming, and browsing.
Pier View North Seashore is located on the north aspect of Oceanside Pier with a wider, longer, and sandier stretch of seashore. That is the proper seashore to calm down with family and friends whereas having fun with actions like sunbathing, browsing, swimming, fishing, and volleyball.
There are two lifeguard towers at this seashore. Through the summer time, a specific space of this seashore, marked by flags, is closed to browsing however open to all different water actions.
Noteworthy: The Oceanside Seashore Neighborhood Heart is simply north of Pier View North Seashore. It’s near issues to do in Oceanside, just like the Oceanside Pier and the downtown space.
Parking and easy methods to get right here: Take the Mission Avenue exit off I-5 and go west to North Pacific Avenue. There’s one small pay parking zone close to this seashore, but it surely fills up quick throughout the summer time. Further pay parking heaps are on the nook of North Myers Avenue and Mission Avenue and east of North Pacific Avenue on Surfrider Approach. There’s additionally metered parking alongside North Pacific Avenue.
Oceanside Pier
Why go: Historic coronary heart of the Oceanside seashore neighborhood; backdrop for browsing competitions; dwell concert events and occasions at out of doors pier amphitheater; pier fishing.
You could be questioning how Oceanside Pier made the checklist of finest oceanside seashores. It’s a pier, in any case.
The reply is straightforward. It’s an iconic fixture that separates Pier View North from Pier View South seashores. It’s a historic landmark initially inbuilt 1888 and one of many longest wood piers (spanning 1,942 ft) on the California coast.
Close to the Junior Seau Oceanside Pier Plaza Amphitheater, you’re near the dwell performances and occasions which can be commonly scheduled there.
Noteworthy: A significant draw is, in fact, pier fishing which doesn’t require you to have a fishing license. With its expansive size, there’s ample house for everybody. There’s a bait store with rental gear on the pier.
In case you don’t fish, it’s all the time enjoyable watching the surfers and marine life play within the water. Seize a espresso or an ice cream and hit the pier to get pleasure from a leisurely stroll and unimaginable views. A Nineteen Fifties diner on the finish of the pier has closed however might be changed. Adjoining to the previous diner, a tiny, new seafood-inspired idea opens in Spring 2023.
Parking and easy methods to get right here: Take the Mission Avenue exit off I-5 and go west to North Pacific Avenue. You’ll see the pier to your proper. There are a number of parking choices surrounding the pier on each side. They embody free parking heaps, metered parking alongside streets, and free time-restricted spots and much.
To your comfort, the Metropolis of Oceanside Parking Map gives a whole overview of the parking choices close to the pier. Be aware the Oceanside Transit Heart presents free parking heaps three blocks away.
Pier View South Seashore
Why Go: Greatest seashore within the coronary heart of the motion; entry to probably the most facilities and actions.
The preferred seashore in Oceanside, Pier View South Seashore is positioned south of the historic Oceanside Pier in downtown Oceanside.
A large and sandy stretch, the seashore has lifeguards, barbecues, picnic tables, and firepits. Swimming, browsing, bodyboarding, bodysurfing, sunbathing, and fishing are the most typical seashore actions.
This seashore additionally hosts browsing contests throughout the summer time, and the close by Junior Seau Oceanside Pier Amphitheater hosts numerous cultural and musical occasions all year long. You’ll discover meals and gear rental distributors right here too.
Noteworthy: The home from the film High Gun is straight throughout the road from Pier View South. Now a retro pie store, The Excessive Pie homes memorabilia from the film. Pier View South Seashore blends seamlessly into Tyson Avenue Seashore and Park, additionally an Oceanside favourite. Visitors of The Seabird Resort and Mission Pacific Resort additionally stroll throughout the road to this seashore.
Parking and easy methods to get right here: Take the Mission Avenue exit off I-5 and go west to North Pacific Avenue. There are two pay parking heaps located north and south of the pier.
If these heaps are full, there’s one other pay parking zone on Myers Avenue and Mission Avenue, only one block east of South Pacific Avenue. Metered parking will also be discovered on South Pacific Avenue. The Oceanside Transit Heart presents free parking three blocks away.
Tyson Avenue Seashore and Park
Why Go: Folks watching; being within the heart of the motion; a grassy park with playground.
Tyson Avenue Seashore and Park is among the hottest Oceanside seashores south of Oceanside Pier. The park and seashore are located on both aspect of The Strand, the place automobiles crawl by for a have a look at beachgoers and the ocean past.
Tyson Avenue Park, straight behind the seashore, has a youngsters’s playground and loos on a big grassy space. Throughout summer time, there’s a pleasant mixture of younger adults and households blanketing the grassy space and the sandy seashore in entrance of it. The park is a well-liked place to picnic.
Noteworthy: Dramatic stairs lead from South Pacific Avenue to Tyson Avenue Park beneath, with a pedestrian crossing to the seashore.
The Aqua Café is a traditional seashore shack-style café tucked behind the park with a menu of tasty, nutritious, and natural eats – dine in, or take out. The café additionally has native music on Sunday afternoons.
Parking and easy methods to get right here: Take the Mission Avenue exit off I-5 and go west towards the ocean, flip left on South Pacific Avenue. The park and seashore are about one-half mile up in your proper.
Parking on South Pacific Avenue is metered, and there’s a paid lot at Mission Avenue and Meyers Avenue. About three blocks behind Tyson Park is the Oceanside Transit Heart parking zone with free parking and a charging station. There are three handicapped parking areas in Tyson Park, accessed off First Avenue and S. The Strand.
Wisconsin Avenue Seashore
Why Go: A paid parking zone proper throughout from the seashore; an entry level to the Pier and Pier seashores; summertime low-tide jog or stroll.
Wisconsin Avenue Seashore is oddly named, as its location is on the nook of South Pacific Avenue and Wisconsin Avenue, not road.
Over time, the seashore has gotten more and more slender because of erosion. Now, even at low tide, the seashore is little greater than a slender strip of moist, hard-packed sand.
Giant boulders line the seashore shoreside and separate it from The Strand and beachfront houses behind it. It’s a “again door” to the extra fashionable seashores on both aspect of Oceanside Pier.
It’s additionally a gathering spot at sundown when people and {couples} line the boulders to look at the solar’s spectacular descent into the Pacific Ocean. The seashore is open to all actions and is lifeguard-protected (Tower 7). No canine.
Noteworthy: There are restrooms/showers and picnic tables on one aspect of the Wisconsin Avenue parking zone. Regardless that seashore visitors alongside The Strand is one-way coming towards you, relaxation assured you possibly can flip into the parking zone from Wisconsin Avenue. Stairs result in South Pacific Avenue.
Parking and easy methods to get right here: Take I-5 to Oceanside Boulevard, exit west towards the seashores, flip proper on South Pacific Avenue to Wisconsin Avenue, flip left, and go down the block-long hill.
A parking zone is on the proper with a U-shaped drive-through. The seashore is throughout the road. Paid lot. Avenue parking is metered or time-restricted north of Wisconsin alongside South Pacific Avenue. Parking is free alongside South Pacific Avenue south of Wisconsin however might also be time-restricted. Test the indicators.
Oceanside Boulevard Seashore
Why Go: A simple entry level for a low-tide seashore stroll; a quiet place to perch atop a giant boulder at sundown
This small seashore on the finish of Oceanside Boulevard is barely greater than Buccaneer Seashore, the smallest of the Oceanside seashores. You’ll discover a sandy space about 200 ft huge that’s lifeguard protected throughout summer time (Tower 9). It’s an awesome place to begin for a stroll alongside the Pacific Ocean.
Like many smaller Oceanside seashores, excessive tides typically depart the seashore with hardpacked, damp sand. However you’ll nonetheless discover a number of solar worshipers getting their tans on right here.
Noteworthy: Oceanside Boulevard Seashore is a serene place to take a seat atop the boulders that line the shoreline for a West Coast sundown. Don’t be stunned to see some boulders already occupied with cairns – stacks of stones. This seashore is reserved for swimming, wading, and bodyboarding solely. There are not any loos at this seashore, however there’s an out of doors bathe to rinse sandy ft. No canine allowed.
Parking and easy methods to get right here: Take Oceanside Boulevard from I-5 to South Pacific Avenue and park there or alongside different close by streets. No parking charges.
Buccaneer Seashore
Why Go: A tiny, family-friendly seashore with every thing you want shut by.
Nestled between oceanfront houses and condos on both aspect, Buccaneer Seashore is the smallest of the lifeguard-protected Oceanside, CA, seashores (Tower 11).
The family-friendly seashore has all of it — handy lot parking, a grassy park with a youngsters’s playground, a small café, and public loos, all positioned straight throughout South Pacific Avenue. There’s even a marked pedestrian crossing between the facilities and the seashore.
Noteworthy: Buccaneer Park, throughout South Pacific Avenue from the seashore, has a youngsters’s playground, a big grassy space, basketball courts, charcoal grills, picnic tables, loos, and showers.
You’ll discover Buccaneer Café right here as nicely, the place you may get breakfast, lunch, or snacks day by day from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Subsequent to the park is a footpath operating alongside Loma Alta Creek for a enjoyable nature stroll or birdwatching alternative.
Canines will not be allowed on this seashore. Browsing is out there on both aspect of the seashore space however not in entrance of the seashore, the place it’s solely swimming, wading, and physique boarding.
Parking and easy methods to get right here: To get right here, take I-5 north to Vista Approach exit, go west towards the seashore to Coast Freeway (101), flip proper and go to Cassidy Avenue, the place you’ll go left to South Pacific Avenue, flip proper, and go a half mile. The seashore is on the left, parking is on the proper behind Buccaneer Café. No parking charges.
Cassidy Avenue Seashore
Why Go: An area favourite for a second of Zen; entry level for an energizing seashore stroll.
You’ll wish to watch the tide tables for this seashore, because it’s utterly absorbed at excessive tide. The seashore is lengthy and slender and lined with massive boulders shoreside to create an erosion barrier for coastal houses.
This doesn’t depart room for far more than a low-tide seashore stroll. However once more, time it fastidiously.
Though lifeguard tower 15 is positioned on the seashore right here, there’s seldom a lifeguard current. There are not any loos right here, both. For these causes, there could also be higher seashores for households with children.
Noteworthy: On the finish of Cassidy Avenue, you’ll see a strong wood staircase that takes you all the way down to the seashore. Don’t be stunned to search out somebody meditating on a bench on the high of the steps or to see a non-public marriage ceremony ceremony on the seashore beneath. Typically individuals will take their lunch break up high, having fun with the sounds of waves crashing on rocks.
Parking and easy methods to get right here: Cassidy Avenue Seashore is the southernmost public entry seashore in Oceanside. To get right here, take I-5 north to Vista Approach exit, go west towards the seashore to Coast Freeway (101), flip proper and go to Cassidy Avenue, the place you’ll flip left and go straight to the lifeless finish.
There’s restricted parking on the Cassidy Avenue dead-end. Extra parking is out there alongside South Pacific Avenue. No parking charges.
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