Cardiff State Beach - Seaside Beach offers many fun activities including swimming, sunbathing, beachcombing, surfing, skimboarding,paddleboarding, kayaking, tidepooling, canoeing, surf-skiing,surfing, bodysurfing, kitesurfing, windsurfing, boogie boarding, diving, snorkelling, wildlife watching, kayaking, canoeing, boating,and jet-skiing. A surfing reef-break is present near Cardiff State Beach - Seaside Beach, making the beach a popular surfing spot. Moreover, divers and snorkelers can explore the vibrant flora and fauna present near the underwater kelp beds and the rocky reef near Cardiff State Beach - Seaside Beach. The water near the beach is home to a variety of animals including seals, sea lions, dolphins, and migrating grey whales (between December and April). You can also explore the tidepools present in the reef near the beach at low tide which contain a variety of animals including sea anemones, crabs, and sea urchins. However, if you are planning to go into the water near Cardiff State Beach - Seaside Beach, we recommend being careful since the water near the beach is known to have rip currents. Cardiff State Beach is located on the western end of San Elijo Lagoon, which is a part of a large ecological reserve known as San Elijo Lagoon Ecological Reserve and Nature Center ( the nature center is located at 2710 Manchester Avenue, a seven-minute drive away from the beach) and which offers a variety of walking and biking trails for exploring the interesting flora and fauna of the lagoon and the wetlands around it. The nature center also has interesting exhibits on the lagoon’s natural history.
