St. Orres Creek Beach

Located at the mouth of the St. Orres Creek, St. Orres Creek Beach is a small and secluded beach that has light brown sand. The beach is situated in front of St. Orres Gulch below steep oceanfront bluffs. The St. Orres Creek flows through the beach into the Pacific Ocean. There is a large sea stack present just offshore near the beach. St. Orres Creek Beach does not have lifeguards or any other amenities, so plan your trip accordingly. 

St. Orres Creek offers many fun activities including sunbathing, beachcombing, wildlife watching, surfing, kitesurfing, windsurfing, kayaking, jet-skiing, boogie boarding, bodysurfing, kayaking, canoeing, boating, and jet skiing. If you are planning to go into the water near St. Orres Creek beach, we recommend being careful as the water here is known to have extremely cold temperatures and strong currents. The water near this beach is home to seals, sea lions, and migrating grey whales (between December and April). St. Orres Creek Beach is ideal for those looking for a quiet beach experience as it sees very few visitors. The beach and the blufftop area above it offer incredible Instagram-worthy views of the Pacific Ocean.

Getting to St. Orres Creek Beach is easy - the blufftop free dirt parking lot above the beach is located near 36601 South Highway 1 / Pacific Coast Highway. From this spot, you need to cautiously cross the highway and walk south along a brick wall to get to the access path leading down to the beach. However, getting down from this blufftop area to the beach is hard and unsafe as the access path to the beach is steep, rocky, and situated along unstable bluff sides. In addition, signposts near the access trail recommend against any attempt to get down to the beach. In addition, we recommend visiting this beach weaning appropriate footwear as it is known to have lots of driftwood.

There are many attractions near St. Orres Creek Beach. Studio 391 has interesting artworks on display created by many famous and emerging artists. Bower Park is a community park with pine trees and a duck pond. The park also has a picnic area, children’s playgrounds, and a baseball field. If you are looking for another attraction near St. Orres Creek Beach, Alinder Gallery displays interesting photographs and focuses on the work of eminent photographer Ansel Adams.

If you get hungry, there are many restaurants near St. Orres Creek Beach. The restaurant at St. Orres hotel has an outdoor dining area and serves excellent gourmet dishes.  Gualala Seafood Shack offers delicious seafood including seafood tacos, fish-and-chips, and delicious seafood sandwiches. If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near St. Orres Creek Beach, the modestly priced Gualala Pizza and Bakery offer fantastic pizzas, sandwiches, desserts, and Mexican dishes including nachos, burritos, tacos, tortas, and quesadillas.

If you are looking for a hotel near St. Orres Creek Beach, there are many great nearby options. If you are looking for an upscale hotel, the 4-Star Elk Cove Inn is 40 minutes away by car and offers many amenities including a rooftop deck, a day spa, a beachfront gazebo, a guest lounge, and complimentary breakfast and wine and cocktails. A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star Whale Watch Inn offers many amenities including access to a private beach club, a guest lounge, and weekly wine-and-cheese receptions. As another moderately priced option, the 3-Star St. Orres offers many amenities including a restaurant, a bar, complimentary breakfast, and a spa with a hot tub, a sundeck, and a sauna. If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near St. Orres Creek Beach, the modestly priced 2-Star Gualala Country Inn is located close to some of the major landmarks in Gualala and offers complimentary breakfast.