Expert: Steve Summers - 3/7/2010

Question
My wife and I will be staying in Dana Point the last week of July. We would like to spend a day at a beach, and from the research I done, there seem to be many from which to choose. We're perfectly willing to travel anywhere between these 2 cities. We'll travel on a weekday to limit the crowds. Relaxing on the beach and going for a swim to cool off are our main objective, and the cleaner the water the better.
We would appreciate your recommendations !

Answer
Hi Frank,

Here's a rundown on the state beaches, north to south. Most of them have clean water:

Doheny State Beach: This is probably my favorite. It has a grassy area with trees, in addition to the sandy area. This is unique among the state beaches in the area. You are also close to the Dana Point Harbor, so you can stop by and have a meal at a nice restaurant if you choose.

San Clemente State Beach: Very small beach town, with small beach town atmosphere. Nice beach, and the interesting feature here is that the RR tracks run right by the San Clemente Pier. Kinda cool if you don't want to drive... you can take the train to the beach.

San Onofre State Beach: This is my least favorite. You're right next to the highway, and it's quite a little hike down to the water. IMHO, it's mainly for hard core surfers. Good surf break, but not a great beach in my opinion. I may get flack for this from the surfers, but that's how I feel.

South Carlsbad, Moonlight, San Elijo: All very nice beaches with bluffs. Take your pick, they are all nice.

If you need help deciding, check out healthebay.org. They have a list of beaches that are graded by cleanliness.  Some beaches have better grades than others.

Have fun!