The Bay Area's Top 5 Beaches

Need to get away for a day? Maybe even a night? The Bay Area has some of the best beaches in the country, all with their own beautiful and unique characteristics that make each one better than the next. Natural rock formations, aquatic and land wildlife, and views that you will not be able to match will make for some of the most relaxing and beautiful days of the year!

1. Baker Beach

Baker Beach

There are few better places to get such a stunning view of the Golden Gate Bridge than Baker Beach. With the spectacular combination of the Golden Gate Bridge, Marin Headlands, and the wild wildlife playing in the close tides, this beach is the perfect place for a beach day topped off with a barbeque at the killer-view picnic area.
1504 Pershing Dr, San Francisco, CA, USA +1 (415) 561-4323

2. Muir Beach

Muir Beach

/north-america/usa/california/articles/way-more-than-pony-rides-the-best-horse-barns-and-programs-in-la/Located a few miles North of Highway 1 is the small town of Muir Beach, where you will find not only stunning beaches, but also a river of salmon, pastures, and wildlife galore. Other than conventional beach activities like tanning and beach ball, you can ride horses, fish, and boogie board in gnarly waves.
Location of Muir Beach

New Brighton State Beach l © Henry Zbyszynski/flickr

3. New Brighton State Beach

Park

New Brighton State Beach

Have you been to Santa Cruz? Well whether you have or not, New Brighton State Beach is exactly where you want to be in Santa Cruz. The beach is long, large, and clean, and almost year-round you can see otters and dolphins and whales playing very close to the shore. Just a few miles up the road is downtown Capitola and downtown Santa Cruz which have amazing shopping, food, and the exact laid-back culture you would expect from the Santa Cruz hippies.
1500 Park Ave, Capitola, CA, USA +1 (831) 464-6329

4. Panther Beach

Panther Beach

Beach lovers of all ages love Panther Beach because of all of the amazing photo opportunities provided by the massive rock formations and scenic arch. When the tide goes down you are able to walk out and see the vibrant tide-pools that are alive as ever.
California 1, Seaside, CA, USA

Natural Bridges State Beach l © mLu.fotos

5. Natural Bridges State Beach

Park

Natural Bridges State Beach

Have you ever seen sea urchins, anemones, crabs, and sea stars all in the same place at the same time? Well the tide-pools at Natural Bridges State Beach in Santa Cruz are flourishing, and just inland is a large population of California’s finest Monarch Butterflies. Through the park is Moore Creek which runs out to the ocean, forming a salt marsh on its way out.
2531 W Cliff Dr, Santa Cruz, CA, USA +1 (831) 423-4609
By Amanda Jones

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

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