Spanning almost 4 miles of gorgeous Pacific shoreline, Oceanside, CA, gives a diverse choice of seashores, every with its personal distinctive appeal.
That will help you discover the most effective seaside to suit your vibe, I’ve created this record of the most effective seashores in Oceanside. Organized from north to south, every seaside contains an summary, issues to notice, and instructions and parking info.
Whether or not you’re searching for unimaginable surf or a sandy stretch for household enjoyable, Oceanside, CA, has the proper seaside for you.
Oceanside Harbor Seashore
Why Go: Widest and sandiest of the Oceanside, CA seashores with premier surf.
Oceanside Harbor Seashore is a protracted, extensive, sandy seaside located in entrance of Oceanside Harbor and bordered by two rock jetties. The marina is situated behind the seaside, with open ocean entry on the seaside’s northernmost finish.
This seaside is without doubt one of the finest seashores in Oceanside for lively individuals and households. It contains volleyball courts and a children’ play space. Kiteboarding, windsurfing, browsing, sunbathing, and fishing are well-liked actions at this seaside. It has lifeguards, coated picnic tables, barbecues, fireplace pits, restrooms, and showers.
Noteworthy: Located adjoining to Oceanside Harbor Village, there are a number of close by facilities, together with a wide range of retailers, eateries, and lodges like Marina Inn Resort.
Stand-up paddleboarding and kayaking are harbor favorites. You may hire kayaks and different water tools right here, plus e book crusing or deep-sea fishing journeys.
The seaside has a number of the finest surf, making it an enormous draw for surfers and different watersport fanatics. You’ll usually see surf competitions right here throughout summer time.
Parking and tips on how to get right here: Take Harbor Drive exit off I-5, which is able to carry you proper to the harbor entrance. There are quite a few parking tons on the harbor. Some are free, some free with time restrictions, and the remainder paid.
Even paid tons could have time restrictions. Watch the indicators rigorously when selecting lots. Whenever you pull into the harbor, if you happen to keep left, you’ll come to a tunnel underneath 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 seaside.
Breakwater Approach Seashore
Why Go: Quieter, family-friendly seaside additionally well-liked with surfers and volleyball gamers.
Breakwater Approach Seashore is situated north of Oceanside Pier and south of the San Luis Rey River mouth. The most effective 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 seaside for all your loved ones’s wants. Sunbathing, browsing, and volleyball are the principle attracts of Breakwater Approach seaside.
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 usually kinds right here, creating an epic surf break. For security, keep away from swimming, wading, or enjoying within the water the place the river meets the ocean.
Parking and tips on how 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 also be out there 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 facet of Oceanside Pier with a wider, longer, and sandier stretch of seaside. That is the proper seaside to chill out with family and friends whereas having fun with actions like sunbathing, browsing, swimming, fishing, and volleyball.
There are two lifeguard towers at this seaside. Throughout the summer time, a specific space of this seaside, marked by flags, is closed to browsing however open to all different water actions.
Noteworthy: The Oceanside Seashore Neighborhood Middle 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 tips on how to get right here: Take the Mission Avenue exit off I-5 and go west to North Pacific Avenue. There may be one small pay parking zone close to this seaside, however it fills up quick throughout the summer time. Extra pay parking tons are on the nook of North Myers Avenue and Mission Avenue and east of North Pacific Avenue on Surfrider Approach. There may be additionally metered parking alongside North Pacific Avenue.
Oceanside Pier
Why go: Historic coronary heart of the Oceanside seaside group; backdrop for browsing competitions; reside concert events and occasions at outside pier amphitheater; pier fishing.
You is likely to be questioning how Oceanside Pier made the record of finest oceanside seashores. It’s a pier, in spite of everything.
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 picket piers (spanning 1,942 ft) on the California coast.
Close to the Junior Seau Oceanside Pier Plaza Amphitheater, you’re near the reside performances and occasions which can be frequently 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 area for everybody. There’s a bait store with rental tools on the pier.
If you happen to 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 take pleasure in a leisurely stroll and unimaginable views. A Fifties diner on the finish of the pier has closed however might be changed. Adjoining to the outdated diner, a tiny, new seafood-inspired idea opens in Spring 2023.
Parking and tips on how 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 either side. They embody free parking tons, metered parking alongside streets, and free time-restricted spots and plenty.
On your comfort, the Metropolis of Oceanside Parking Map supplies an entire overview of the parking choices close to the pier. Notice the Oceanside Transit Middle gives free parking tons three blocks away.
Pier View South Seashore
Why Go: Finest seaside within the coronary heart of the motion; entry to essentially the most facilities and actions.
The most well-liked seaside in Oceanside, Pier View South Seashore is situated south of the historic Oceanside Pier in downtown Oceanside.
A large and sandy stretch, the seaside has lifeguards, barbecues, picnic tables, and firepits. Swimming, browsing, bodyboarding, bodysurfing, sunbathing, and fishing are the commonest seaside actions.
This seaside additionally hosts browsing contests throughout the summer time, and the close by Junior Seau Oceanside Pier Amphitheater hosts varied cultural and musical occasions all year long. You’ll discover meals and tools rental distributors right here too.
Noteworthy: The home from the film Prime Gun is instantly 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. Friends of The Seabird Resort and Mission Pacific Resort additionally stroll throughout the road to this seaside.
Parking and tips on how to get right here: Take the Mission Avenue exit off I-5 and go west to North Pacific Avenue. There are two pay parking tons located north and south of the pier.
If these tons 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 Middle gives free parking three blocks away.
Tyson Avenue Seashore and Park
Why Go: Individuals watching; being within the middle of the motion; a grassy park with playground.
Tyson Avenue Seashore and Park is without doubt one of the hottest Oceanside seashores south of Oceanside Pier. The park and seaside are located on both facet of The Strand, the place automobiles crawl by for a take a look at beachgoers and the ocean past.
Tyson Avenue Park, instantly behind the seaside, has a youngsters’s playground and bogs 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 seaside 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 seaside.
The Aqua Café is a basic seaside 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 tips on how 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 seaside 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 Middle 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 seaside; 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 seaside has gotten more and more slender attributable to erosion. Now, even at low tide, the seaside is little greater than a slender strip of moist, hard-packed sand.
Massive boulders line the seaside shoreside and separate it from The Strand and beachfront properties behind it. It’s a “again door” to the extra well-liked seashores on both facet 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 seaside is open to all actions and is lifeguard-protected (Tower 7). No canines.
Noteworthy: There are restrooms/showers and picnic tables on one facet of the Wisconsin Avenue parking zone. Despite the fact that seaside site visitors alongside The Strand is one-way coming towards you, relaxation assured you’ll be able to flip into the parking zone from Wisconsin Avenue. Stairs result in South Pacific Avenue.
Parking and tips on how 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 correct with a U-shaped drive-through. The seaside 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 may additionally be time-restricted. Verify the indicators.
Oceanside Boulevard Seashore
Why Go: A simple entry level for a low-tide seaside stroll; a quiet place to perch atop an enormous boulder at sundown
This small seaside 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 extensive that’s lifeguard protected throughout summer time (Tower 9). It’s an amazing start line for a stroll alongside the Pacific Ocean.
Like many smaller Oceanside seashores, excessive tides usually depart the seaside with hardpacked, damp sand. However you’ll nonetheless discover a couple of solar worshipers getting their tans on right here.
Noteworthy: Oceanside Boulevard Seashore is a serene place to sit down atop the boulders that line the shoreline for a West Coast sundown. Don’t be shocked to see some boulders already occupied with cairns – stacks of stones. This seaside is reserved for swimming, wading, and bodyboarding solely. There are not any bogs at this seaside, however there’s an out of doors bathe to rinse sandy ft. No canines allowed.
Parking and tips on how 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 seaside with the whole lot you want shut by.
Nestled between oceanfront properties and condos on both facet, Buccaneer Seashore is the smallest of the lifeguard-protected Oceanside, CA, seashores (Tower 11).
The family-friendly seaside has all of it — handy lot parking, a grassy park with a youngsters’s playground, a small café, and public bogs, all situated instantly throughout South Pacific Avenue. There’s even a marked pedestrian crossing between the facilities and the seaside.
Noteworthy: Buccaneer Park, throughout South Pacific Avenue from the seaside, has a youngsters’s playground, a big grassy space, basketball courts, charcoal grills, picnic tables, bogs, and showers.
You’ll discover Buccaneer Café right here as properly, the place you will get breakfast, lunch, or snacks each day from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Subsequent to the park is a footpath working alongside Loma Alta Creek for a enjoyable nature stroll or birdwatching alternative.
Canine are usually not allowed on this seaside. Browsing is accessible on both facet of the seaside space however not in entrance of the seaside, the place it’s solely swimming, wading, and physique boarding.
Parking and tips on how to get right here: To get right here, take I-5 north to Vista Approach exit, go west towards the seaside 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 seaside is on the left, parking is on the correct behind Buccaneer Café. No parking charges.
Cassidy Avenue Seashore
Why Go: A neighborhood favourite for a second of Zen; entry level for an energizing seaside stroll.
You’ll wish to watch the tide tables for this seaside, because it’s fully absorbed at excessive tide. The seaside is lengthy and slender and lined with giant boulders shoreside to create an erosion barrier for coastal properties.
This doesn’t depart room for far more than a low-tide seaside stroll. However once more, time it rigorously.
Though lifeguard tower 15 is situated on the seaside right here, there’s seldom a lifeguard current. There are not any bogs 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 picket staircase that takes you all the way down to the seaside. Don’t be shocked 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 seaside beneath. Generally individuals will take their lunch break up high, having fun with the sounds of waves crashing on rocks.
Parking and tips on how to get right here: Cassidy Avenue Seashore is the southernmost public entry seaside in Oceanside. To get right here, take I-5 north to Vista Approach exit, go west towards the seaside to Coast Freeway (101), flip proper and go to Cassidy Avenue, the place you’ll flip left and go straight to the useless finish.
There’s restricted parking on the Cassidy Avenue dead-end. Extra parking is accessible alongside South Pacific Avenue. No parking charges.
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