Sand City Beach

Located in the city of Sand City, Sand City Beach is a one and a half mile long and wide beach situated on the west side of the city of Seaside. Also known as Sand City Municipal Beach, Sand City Beach is backed by tall dunes and the paved Monterey Bay Coastal Trail.  Sand City Beach is a part of a park named Eolian Dunes Preserve.  Sand City Beach is an incredible spot for beachcombing as you can find colorful sea glass on the beach – because of this, it is advisable to wear shoes while visiting here.

Sand City Beach welcomes dogs on leash and offers a couple of amenities including dunes, trails, and volleyball courts.

There are many fun activities at Sand City Beach including beachcombing, biking, skating, hiking, and beach walking. Please note that swimming here can be dangerous because of high waves and strong rip currents.

There are two ways to reach Sand City Beach – one is using the free parking lot at Sand City Shopping Center and walking 10 minutes west to the beach and the other is parking at the end of Tioga Avenue.

If you are looking for attractions near Sand City Beach, you can drive 11 minutes to Monterey Bay Aquarium that is home to many incredible sea creatures including jellyfish, great white sharks, captive killer whales, rockfishes, African penguins, and the Pacific Sea nettles.  The historic and first surfing museum in the world Santa Cruz Surfing Museum features photographs, videos, and surfboards related to 100 years of surfing history in Santa Cruz, exhibitions, and Mark Abbot Memorial Lighthouse – an awesome vista point to watch the surfing culture and click Instagram-worthy pictures. Another great attraction near Sand City Beach is Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, a lively and famous seaside promenade featuring street performers, bodybuilders, amusement parks, restaurants, tourist shops, a great skateboard park, and kayak and boat riding facilities.

If you get hungry, there are many restaurants within a 10-minute drive of Sand City Beach. The seafood restaurant Rocky Point Restaurant offers surf ‘n’ turf, oysters, fish tacos, and margaritas. If you like Italian cuisine, Il Vecchio has a nice bar and features gelato, pizza, pasta, brodetto, polenta, and risotto. Another good restaurant near Sand City Beach is Mission Ranch Restaurant that serves American comfort food in a farmhouse with pastoral views that was restored by Clint Eastwood.

If you are looking for a hotel near Sand City Beach, you can drive 17 minutes to upscale 4-Star oceanfront hotel Hyatt Carmel Highlands, Overlooking Big Sur Coast & Highlands Inn, A Hyatt Residence Club that features a pool, lounge, restaurant, fitness center, and hiking and diving tours. The 4-Star Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa has many amenities including a lounge, spa, sauna, restaurant, and fitness center. La Playa Carmel is a historic stone-fronted hotel that offers 75 beautiful rooms and suites with an ocean view – and has a nice pool and bar. If you are looking for an affordable hotel near Sand City Beach, the 2-Star pet-friendly hotel Carmel Resort Inn has two restaurants and a café.