Most Polluted Beaches in California
Located in the city of Santa Monica, Santa Monica State Beach - also called Santa Monica Beach - is an extremely popular three-and-a-half mile long beach that has light brown sand. Santa Monica State Beach is comprised of three smaller constituent beaches - Santa Monica Beach - North Beach (which is also known as Santa Monica - North Beach and Santa Monica North Beach), Santa Monica Beach - Pier Beach (which is also called Santa Monica - Pier Beach and Santa Monica Pier Beach), and Santa Monica Beach - South Beach ( which is also called Santa Monica – South Beach, Santa Monica South Beach, and Ocean Park Beach).
Santa Monica State Beach attracts more than 10 million visitors each year, is 245 acres in size, and has a famous 1,650 feet-long pier named the Santa Monica Pier. Santa Monica Beach - North Beach is towards the north of the Santa Monica Pier. Santa Monica Beach - Pier Beach is located around the central portion of Santa Monica State Beach and this portion of Santa Monica State Beach has the Santa Monica Pier. Santa Monica Beach – South Beach is located to the south of the Santa Monica Pier.
The area around the Santa Monica Pier in Santa Monica State Beach is also frequently visited by scuba divers and snorkelers. Depending on the time of the year, you can see many animals in the water near Santa Monica State Beach including seals, sea lions, migrating gray whales (during summer and winter), and orcas (during winters).
If you are looking for a quieter beach experience, you can visit Santa Monica Beach - North Beach because this beach has fewer visitors as compared to other parts of Santa Monica State Beach.
Santa Monica Pier
is an iconic pier that was initially opened in 1909 and has been designated as
a Santa Monica
Historic Landmark - this pier offers a large variety of things
to do including a popular amusement park named Pacific Park that has the world’s only
solar-powered Ferris wheel, fun rides for kids (including a 1920s
carousel), an arcade, an aquarium at the end of the pier named Heal The Bay
Aquarium, and interesting concessions and shops. This pier also has multiple restaurants, and
many street performers regularly perform here.
The pier also offers amazing views of the Pacific Ocean and it is also a
popular site for fishing and wildlife watching.
If you are planning to fish from the Santa Monica Pier or from any part
of Santa Monica State Beach, please follow the
local fishing regulations that can be found on the website of California Department of Fish and
Wildlife.
If you like biking, skating, or skateboarding, the Ocean Front Walk (also called the Santa Monica Boardwalk) is a long and wide concrete path that passes through Santa Monica State Beach and offers an amazing oceanfront jogging, biking, and skateboarding experiences - this walkway also passes near some great restaurants and shopping stores. The portion of this walkway that is located within Santa Monica Beach - North Beach is also called the North Beach Trail and this portion also has interesting artwork that is inspired by local plant and animal life. A portion of another famous biking trail named the Marvin Braude Bike Trail (also known as The Strand) is also located along Santa Monica State Beach - this popular 22-mile oceanfront biking, jogging, and roller-skating trail mostly runs parallel to the coastline of the Santa Monica Bay.
Located in the seaside resort town of Capitola, Capitola Beach (also known as Capitola City Beach) is one of the major beaches of the town and is bustling with visitors. This is due to Capitola’s popularity as California’s oldest resort town, and because Capitola Beach has a waterfront featuring a colorful backdrop of vibrant Mediterranean-themed buildings. Capitola Beach is part of a 3.5-mile-long bay area called Soquel Cove that is located on the eastern Santa Cruz county shoreline. The beach has been named the 16th Best Beach in the Top 50 Beaches in the United States list in 2022 by Randall Kaplan, the world's foremost beach expert who is known as "Mr. Beach.” Rocks near the western part of Capitola Beach ensure that the waters are calm there, making it ideal for a swim along the coast. The eastern part of the beach experiences waves, which makes it popular among surfers. Although the beach area has lifeguards on duty only during special events and tourist peaks, the beach offers a number of amenities, including restrooms, showers, concession stands, boogie boards, umbrellas, chairs, and sitting areas. The beach area does not allow dogs.
Located within Pillar Point Harbor, Pillar Point Harbor Beach is a narrow beach with light brown sand. The beach is situated below the blufftop residential area of El Granada. Pillar Point Harbor Beach is protected by two jetties present around it, which ensure that the water here is calm and the beach is not constantly eroded. Pillar Point Harbor Beach does not have lifeguards. However, it does have restrooms and a boat launch.