One of Southern California's most charming beach towns, San Clemente, the "Spanish Village by the Sea," is one that's easily overlooked as a coastal destination-but it shouldn't be. From its iconic wooden pier, easily walkable waterfront and endearing downtown, San Clemente is a slice of laid-back Southern California heaven. Sunsets are amazing, beaches are magnificent, locals are friendly and it's a well-loved region for surfers.
Located midway between Los Angeles and San Diego, this southernmost city of Orange County is known for its stunning ocean and mountain views, wonderfully pleasant year-round weather and its enchanting white Spanish colonial-style architecture. The quaint town is so picturesque that former President Nixon chose it as the location for his "Western White House."
Residents here exude an easy, breezy, take-it-as it-comes mentality with a strong sense of community pride. Whether visitors come for a day or a longer stay, one thing is for sure-San Clemente's relaxing vibe along with incredibly beautiful natural surroundings provide the perfect respite from the hustle and bustle of busy daily life.
To get the true feel of what makes San Clemente so special, here are some must-do suggestions.
San Clemente Pier
Southern California is known for its picturesque waterfront and its famous pier is the iconic landmark of its idyllic beach town.
The impressive San Clemente Pier was constructed in 1928 and is now a wooden pier almost 1,300 feet in length. Heavy storms in 1939, and again in 1983, severely damaged the pier, making it necessary to rebuild the structure. A popular place for surfing, sunsets, fishing and beach relaxation, the pier is a magnet for locals and tourists alike. For one of the most dramatic glimpses, a walk among the pilings underneath the pier is quite an experience, providing a unique perspective of the massive structure looming over the Pacific surf.
San Clemente Beach Trail
The San Clemente Beach Coastal Trail is a 2.3-mile-long path with access to the uninterrupted stretch of sandy Orange County shoreline. This wide dirt path is popular with cyclists, walkers and runners. The flat meandering trail parallels the coastal train tracks providing magnificent views of the shore cliffs and the vast turquoise Pacific waters.
Casa Romantica
One of San Clemente's enchanted jewels is Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens. Once the home of Ole Hanson, the city's founder, the award-winning national landmark built in 1927 sits on a bluff overlooking the ocean. Beautifully restored, the property is now a premier nonprofit cultural center with 2.5 acres of lush coastal gardens.
Educational programs include local history, horticulture, literature, art and architecture. Live symphonies are performed on-site and every September, the center features Casa Lumina, a magical magnificent nighttime lighted garden walk enhanced with unique lighting effects.
San Clemente Beaches
From famous surf spots to "endless summer" hangouts, San Clemente has some of the best beaches in Southern California. Sun worshipers, boogie boarders and surfers have many choices due to the miles and miles of white sand stretching along the coast.
T-Street and Trestles beaches are famous surfing venues. Bonfire enthusiasts like us searching for a great gathering spot love both T-Street and San Clemente State Beaches. San Onofre State Beach is one of California's most popular for sunbathers, swimmers, campers, kayakers, bird watchers, fisherman and bicyclists. It's also a great location for viewing offshore whales, dolphins and sea lions.
Surfing Heritage and Culture Center
You can't visit San Clemente and not drop into the world's largest surf museum. Described by ESPN as the "Smithsonian of the surfing world," the Surfing Heritage & Culture Center contains an impressive collection of surf culture treasures, boards and images. The center archives California's rich surfing history in a way that brings their fascinating stories to life.
We loved the impressive surf shack display along with surfboards that have stood the test of time. The museum includes items from famous surfer Duke Kahanamoku's huge redwood planks to the smaller and lighter high-performance modern boards used by today's surfers, and everything in between. Surprisingly, museum entry is free thanks to fundraising galas held throughout the year featuring a "who's who" of surf legends and other committed partners dedicated to keeping the surfing heritage alive.
Seaside Dining
San Clemente hosts an impressive array of restaurants serving up just about everything from fresh-caught seafood and American fare to numerous internationally-inspired eateries. As seafood lovers, we found the perfect place to dine.
Fisherman's Restaurant & Bar commands the entrance to San Clemente Pier. Not only does the seafood-themed restaurant boast panoramic views of the pier, ocean and surfers, but the food here is terrific. The extensive menu offers numerous seafood entrees from Alaska, the Pacific Northwest, California and the Baja coast in a variety of styles.
With so many entrees to choose from along with a spectacular vantage point, it's an ideal spot for breakfast, lunch, brunch, happy hour or a romantic sunset dinner.
Local Breweries
Somehow craft beer and beach towns go together hand-in-hand. And it's always exciting to see new breweries popping up on the scene. Lost Winds Brewery, named after a local beach and surf break, is San Clemente's newest. It's a fun hangout spot with a great selection of brews. Food isn't served in the brewery, however, so food trucks serving pizzas and tacos are on property to provide the perfect accompaniments.
Left Coast Brewing Company began its craft in 2004, boasting a slew of 23-plus awards for their amazing brews. 15 beers are on tap and the brewery features full-time selections, seasonal brews and hard seltzers. Not sure what to choose? Left Coast offers six 5-ounce tasters for sampling.
San Clemente Farmers Market
A local farmer's market has taken place every Sunday morning along Avenida Del Mar in the heart of San Clemente since 1994. Here you'll find carefully-vetted local vendors selling colorful arrays of organic fruits and vegetables, farm-fresh flowers, honey, bread and prepared foods. But it's not about the quality of goods sold here, it's about meeting the friendly locals-those shopping and those who'll gladly offer samples of their wares.
It's well known that Southern California sports a multitude of fascinating beach towns that are wonderful to visit. San Clemente is one where the voice of the sea truly seeks to the soul.
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