Beer Can Beach(Dolphin Beach, Sumner Beach)

Located in the city of Aptos, Beer Can Beach is a wide beach situated in the town of Rio Del Mar below a bluff and many private homes. Also known as Sumner Beach and Dolphin Beach, Beer Can Beach is a dog-friendly beach with ATMs and a train trestle. 

There are many fun activities at Beer Can Beach including swimming, surfing, hiking, beach walking, and paddle-boarding. 

Getting here is very easy – Beer Can Beach is situated at 1094 Via Palo Alto road where you will find free street parking available. There is a long stairway here that provides an easy access to the beach – this access is named Palo Alto Beach Access. You can also hike down a trail starting from Sumner Avenue which goes through a train trestle directly above Beer Can Beach.

If you are looking for attractions near Beer Can Beach, you can drive 15-minutes to Adventure Sports Unlimited that offer many underwater courses including swimming, scuba diving, diving, and snorkeling. The gravity-defying Mystery Spot is among the most prominent illusion-based tourist attractions – visitors can experience demonstrations that disobey gravity inside a wooden building and while walking up a steep hill here. Big Foot Discovery Musuem is devoted to an American folklore ape-like creature Bigfoot and features tchotchkes from the 1970s Bigfoot boom and the 1980s resurrection with Harry and the Hendersons memorabilia. Another good museum near Beer Can Beach is Aptos History Musuem that is a home to many historical exhibits, photographs, and antiques from Aptos.

If you get hungry, there are many restaurants within a five-minute drive of Beer Can Beach. The upscale Scanderling's Restaurant is a vegetarian-friendly American bar-restaurant featuring breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, and dessert options in an elegant patio setting. Village Host Pizza & Grille is a pizza restaurant that serves pizza, garlic breads, burgers, and sandwiches at very reasonable prices. Another great restaurant near Beer Can Beach is Hong Kong Garden that offers Chinese and Asian food.

If you are looking for a hotel near Beer Can Beach, you can drive four-minutes to the upscale 4-Star hotel Seascape Resort that offers many amenities including a pool, bar, sauna, spa, restaurant, golf course, tennis court, and fitness center. Best Western Seacliff Inn is a 3-Star hotel that was awarded the Travellers’ Choice 2020 Award by Tripadvisor. If you are looking for an affordable hotel near Beer Can Beach, the 2-Star Rio Sands Hotel has a pool and kids club.