Orange County has no shortage of beautiful beaches to explore. I feel so fortunate to call one of the best stretches of beach in California my home! A lot of my weekends are spent at my favorite hidden beaches or exploring new stretches of sand. From Huntington Beach down to San Clemente, these are my favorite beaches in the OC.
Huntington Beach
Huntington Beach Pier
One of the most famous Southern California beaches! Huntington Beach Pier is home to a thriving surf scene, volleyball courts and one of the most scenic piers in California. Parking is $2/hour or $15 for a day pass. This beach is also home to many incredible beachfront restaurants like Duke’s. You can read all of my HB recs in my Huntington Beach Travel Guide.
Newport Beach
Corona Del Mar State Beach
CDM is a Newport Beach staple and one of my favorite spots to catch a sunset in OC. Dogs are allowed on the beach in the evenings too!
Crystal Cove State Beach
Crystal Cove is one of the most beautiful stretches of beach along Pacific Coast Highway. You can find it right in between Newport and Laguna. Parking varies between $15-$25 for a day pass. There are so many incredible hiking trails to explore at Crystal Cove directly across from the beach. Make sure you stop at the iconic Crystal Cove Shake Shack for lunch or a sunset shake!
Laguna Beach
Heisler Park
Heisler Park’s Rock Pile Beach is my go-to for beach days in Laguna. I feel like I’m in Hawaii every time I come here. The palm trees, tropical flowers and endless tide pools make it feel like an island escape. This is my favorite place in Orange County to watch the sunset too! Parking spots are metered at $1.50/hour, but may be hard to come by on the evenings or weekends. You can read all of my detailed Laguna recs in my Laguna Beach Travel Guide here!
Victoria Beach
Victoria Beach is known for it’s famous pirate tower carved into the cliffside—one of the best photo spots in Orange County! The tide pools are also so unique here and swimmable when the tide is right. Parking is a little trickier here—parking on the side of PCH and walking a little ways is typically your best bet.
Thousand Steps Beach
My favorite Laguna beach—gorgeous tide pools, sea caves and waves make it worth the trek. Visit during low tide to access all the beautiful caves this beach has to offer. It may be called Thousand Steps, but there are more like a few hundred steps to access the beach. Make sure you pace yourself on the way up since it’s quite a hike! There is no parking lot for this beach, but you can usually find a spot along PCH during off-peak times.
Aliso Beach
Located between South Laguna and Dana Point, this is another gorgeous beach visible from PCH. The sunset views here are stunning, and there’s conveniently a paid parking lot directly on the beach.
Dana Point
Doheny State Beach
Doheny is by far my favorite beach in Orange County! I usually can’t go a week without stopping by for some sun or a sunset beach walk. The surf scene here is fun to watch, and Doheny is one of the least-crowded beaches in OC. Since it doubles as a state park, there are also camping facilities, fire pits, barbecue grills and a marine conversation center on-site. Parking is $3/hour or $15 for a day-pass.
San Clemente
San Clemente Pier
This pier is my favorite in California and one of the least-known scenic spots in OC. It took me quite a while to even discover the pier, but it was unforgettable when I stumbled upon it during sunset one evening. San Clemente Pier features a restaurant and plenty of cute coffee shops and hotels right across the street!
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