Catching Rays and Waves Just a Short Drive South
When Malibu looses its zest, and Venice’s breaks just won’t do, SoCal has a multitude of beaches that can scratch that sea-loving itch. If you don’t mind a quick 2 hour car trip south, Carlsbad offers some impressive sandy banks with rocking waves.
Carlsbad is a sleepy little resort and residential area just about 45 minutes north of San Diego. Don’t let the sleepiness fool you though, the high property values, and stunning locale make this one of the wealthiest communities in California, and the nation. Yet even with the surrounding wealth, on the beach you definitely don’t feel any snobbery.
Catching rays on Carlsbad's shores.
The beaches in Carlsbad a small, usually a little rocky, fairly uncrowded and boast good waves. Individual beaches are broken up by sea walls. The cliffs are definitely less dramatic than in other areas of the coast, and are usually pretty easy to carefully climb down to the shore.
Tamarack Beach, Warm Water Jetty and Terramar Beach are the most popular for waves. Carlsbad State Beach (also called Tamarack because it is located at the end of Tamarack Ave) is a four mile stretch with decent sets and dark sand. This beach has a small parking lot and restrooms available. Warm Water Jetty aptly named due to the fact it gets a little heat boost from water that is pumped from lagoon just across the street. Terramar is just up the street from Tamarack, and is named for the surrounding neighborhood.
All of these Carlsbad beaches are scattered with rocks and have dark nearly black sand. When the sand is churned in the waves, it twinkles in the sunlight like glitter. It’s kinda magical.
While this STCer hasn’t braved the waves to try full on surfing, it remains one of
Carlsbad waves are perfect for bodyboarding.
my favorite spots for bodyboarding. For the uninitiated, bodyboarding is a kinda like lazy man’s surfing, but is quickly becoming more popular and challenging unto it’s own. Actually, according to Wikipedia, it’s the “fastest growing sport of all time.” Basically, you take a small, rectangular piece of hard foam board and thrust it under your mid-section with arms partially extended as you ride down the face of a wave. Imagine surfing on your belly. While you aren’t standing, thus saving a little face as you don’t fall into a wave, you can still definitely get drilled by great ocean swells, and get a good sinus cleansing. But, it’s super fun.
The best part about these beaches is the lack of a scene. While L.A. has hoards of beautiful people tossing volleyballs and frisbees, sometimes you just want to relax and not feel pressure to be beach body perfect. These Carlsbad beaches usually offer more space between groups, as well as, a crowd of families or low key people just looking to catch some rays. The vibe is chill and sleepy, just like this darling little seaside town. – Lori Bartlett
