Best Surfing Beaches In Bodega Bay

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4.35

Refugio State Beach

United States, California, Goleta

Refugio State Beach is a beautiful, family-friendly beach that’s located about 20 miles west of Santa Barbara. The beach is beautiful – it’s lined with 30-feet tall date palm trees that separate the brown sand on one side and a large parking lot and campsites on the other. You’ll find a lot of good amenities here – nice bathrooms, showers, a general store, picnic tables, barbeques, fire pits, and seasonal lifeguards. And there’s also plenty to do – swimming, snorkeling, surfing, fishing, kayaking, whale / wildlife viewing, and tide pool exploration. If you like biking, there’s a three-mile-long bike trail between Refugio State Beach and nearby El Capitan State Beach to the east. The beach is awesome – but there’s a $10 parking fee to enter.

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4.2

Gaviota State Park Beach

United States, California, Goleta

Located along the Gaviota Coast in Santa Barbara County in Southern California, Gaviota State Park Beach - also known as Gaviota Beach - is a small golden sand beach with many rocky portions. This beach is part of Gaviota State Park, which encompasses over 2,800 acres and has a spectacular backdrop of rugged coastal bluffs, dunes, grasslands, lush vegetation, Gaviota State Park Beach & Campground, and the Southern Pacific Railroad trestle bridge that runs above the beach, creating a picturesque setting along the Santa Barbara Channel. Gaviota State Park Beach is part of the Kashtayit State Marine Conservation Area managed by the California Department of Parks and Recreation and is promoted as an ecotourism destination, encouraging sustainable tourism practices that preserve its natural environment and marine life.