First time at this beach was on a Friday afternoon and it was not busy. There was plenty of parking that you can pay with a QR code. You might find street parking a block or two north of the entrance. This is a nice place to walk along the shore or connect to a hiking trail. The beach was clean and well maintained. It is about 1/2 mile East of the San Clemente Pier. We were able to see the sunset and off to the right, we saw a yoing couple exchanging wedding vows. There is a snack shop, it was closed during our visit, February is considered their "off season," with limited hours. Don't forget to tell'em that Rosemary sent ya! But, bring your owns snacks in case they are not open. read more

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Been coming to this beach for years and it is beautiful! Beware that the parking fee has sadly gone up to around $20 for a day pass, so I recommend parking at a different beach and walking over. The beach trail is well maintained but the stairs have been well loved over the years (still sturdy! Just old!). read more

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Great spot, super clean with friendly service. Highly recommend for a stay in San Clemente!

First time here enjoying summer days and it's pretty calm with big waves. The rinse area is broken but they've got great parking spots. Beach is clean and the lifeguard was in point in letting people know not going to deep in the water since the currant is big. Definitely my go to beach for just relaxing and enjoying California summer days. read more

San Clemente is my favorite Beach in Southern California and Calafia Beach is a hidden gem in San Clemente. There's a solid parking lot and a wide span of beach area to set up camp just a small walk from the parking lot. It's never overly crowded here and they keep the grounds fairly clean. What bums me out is that the restrooms and shower area need a lot of TLC. I'm confident they get cleaned in the morning, but no one pops in during the day to tidy up. Toilet paper supply was low and the floors were disgusting. I also wish they would reopen the snack bar and beach rentals to bring a bit more life back over here. This is a great trailhead for the San Clemente Beach Trail. I recommend parking here (there's a fee), enjoying a nice walk, then returning to the beach for some R&R and beautiful view. read more

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We love this local beach. I almost hesitate to post this cuz then more people will go there and make it crowded! But I guess sharing is caring so.... Pros: Parking is easy on a weekday and you can pay with a credit card. $5 per hour or $15 for all day. Clean restrooms, shower to rinse sand off, short walk from the parking lot to the beach. Really cool mini canyons in the lot that are Insta-worthy! Lifeguards on duty (at least in the summer months). Beach runs along the train tracks. Cool for kids to see. Easy access of the 5 fwy. Cons: stairs only access down to the sand but not as many steps as T-Street and def a much shorter walk than Salt Creek Beach. No soap in restrooms so bring your own! Or at least have hand sanitizer. Snack bar permanently closed. read more

Calafia Beach - Waves are gentle enough to swim and body surf but big enough to boogie board in. - Beaches Near Me - San Clemente, California

Why did Calafia partner with LAZ parking? They used to have machines where you could put in your license and time of stay and pay a reasonable parking fee. Now it appears they have partnered with LAZ parking. I was just charged $20.55 dollars for one hour parking. Horrible service. I noticed the lot was fairly empty and people were walking in after parking elsewhere. That's what I will be doing next time. read more

This is a nice beach with boogie boardable waves and it's very sandy and relatively clean. It's easy to park here but you have to pay. The location is between the SC Pier and San Mateo Point read more

Calafia Beach - Buried alive - Beaches Near Me - San Clemente, California

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Love this beach. Kind of a hidden gem about a mile south of the San Clemente pier. Was told this is where the locals go. You have a parking lot that's relatively on the smaller side but easy access to the beach just across the train tracks. Waves seem to be mild enough to enjoy family time. Good clean beach with restrooms easily accessible. And a few rocks, they seem to have a job of keeping them at bay. There are lifeguard towers that we're not on duty when we happen to go but I told they are there in the weekends. Just keep in mind it's only stairs down to the beach because you have to go across the train tracks. Otherwise great place to take a family and enjoy a good time. read more

Hi Super disappointed with the run down snack shack. No bathrooms.. broken structures that have probably been that way for a long period of time. read more

This is a nice beach. But parking is $15 for beach day use, a lot. Beach is better known as San Clemente State Beach.

I found this beach sort of on accident... Driving down the 5 Freeway, on my way to Camp Pendleton, I was early and decided to detour off the freeway to stall a little. It was a Sunday morning around 10:45am and there was a lot of parking in the lot. It looked like it was paid parking, but I have a handicap placard, so I did not have to pay for parking. There were only about 5 spots full and a ton that were open - maybe it is expensive? As I got out of the car, a train was approaching, and I realized to get to the beach you had to cross over the train tracks. I decided to walk along the trail next to the train tracks, to get in some exercise and kill some more time. It was a beautiful morning, and the view / scenery was amazing. There are a lot of things written in the rocks along the walkway... interesting to look at. I will definitely head back down here one weekend for a nice little hike along the beach. read more

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This is my new favorite beach. I've taken the Amtrak numerous times and have always watch the people playing on the beach while I was on the train. This time, I was one of those people on the beach! Parking was easy at 10am on a Sunday. We walked across the train tracks to get to the beach. It was very mellow, hardly any people on the beach. The water was the right temperature, no seaweed. It was so peaceful being at this beach. read more

This little awesome stretch of sand lies about 1 mile south of the San Clemente pier. The closest access is through a State Parks parking lot. Parking is $2.00per hr. or $14.00 for the whole day. There is no overnight parking. Of coarse you could park at any of the adjacent neighborhoods and risk your neck climbing down a lot of the worn cliff paths. Walking onto the beach gets a little adventures as you have to cross a set of railroad tracks mainly used by Amtrack and the Surfliner trains so pay attention to the crossing signals. The waves in this stretch of beach typically are calm and are great for boogie boards and not so strong swimmers. A couple of lifeguard towers are located on the beach. A little over a mile walk north on the beach you arrive at the San Clemente Pier and have a choice of restaurants or head into town for more choices. The nearby San Clemente State Park Campground is a short walking distance away as well as many hotels and other lodging choices. I am giving this beach a strong five stars because of it ease of access, amenities nearby and the overall beauty. read more

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Mostly locals hang out at this quaint little beach. It's a great spot to ditch the big crowds around the pier. Plenty of affordable pay parking - that is right next to the beach. This is a huge asset because many of the other nearby beaches have congested parking. Bonus - there is a snack stand that sells sodas, soft serve ice cream, shaved ice, and beach essentials (like towels, sunscreen, and sand toys.) The only downside is the sand is not always really clean and can be filled with seaweed and gravel. Also- the beach is not very wide so it can feel somewhat crowded quickly. read more

This beach has two parts - the upper driveway (if you make a left while coming down Avenida Calafia) is actually an rv/camper lot and if you keep driving straight you will come to the lower lot where the beach is located. On a recent President's Day Monday, the lot was only a third full, and the state park was collecting 6 dollars for parking! But looking around, half of the crowd was sitting near or in their car and probably did not pay their fare; there were also no park ranger or meter inspector in sight. Parking fare aside, the beach is beautiful, albeit quite narrow (it's a thin strip of land between the railroad and the ocean). The area immediately south of the parking lot has some beautiful rock formation worthy to explore. There's also a beautiful bench near the rock formation where you can have a picnic while looking out to the ocean. read more

Calafia Beach - Beautiful rock formation worth exploring! - Beaches Near Me - San Clemente, California

This is a great beach to come hangout at for a bit when your on South Side San Clemente. We've gone here many times over the years mostly just to chill or to walk the beach trail. One of the downsides of this beach is how they make you pay for parking you need to call a phone number tell them what space and then pay with your credit card sounds sketchy right? Oh and I can't forget to add that cell coverage sucks here so good luck at calling to pay for parking! All in all this is a great beach the sand cliffs are super cool to look at and have a short hike through them the beach isn't very rocky and there's always a decent surf not huge but good enough for the kids to play around in. My rating of this beach was declined because of the parking situation I really don't like it! Definitely will be returning here soon as its close to the homies house on the South Side Loop! read more

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Great spot tucked down at the bottom of a nondescript hill. We didn't spend a ton of time here but the time we did was great. Aside from the obvious of the sand and the water there are some cool little trails you can wander. The cliffs make for an incredible backdrop and if you're into it, you can hang around and wait to see the Surfliner on its way down to SD. It's also an amazing place to catch a sunset. read more

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EPIC! This place gets booked about 7 months in advanced so plan ahead. The beaches are nice and the restrooms are clean. The walk to the beach isn't bad at all from any campsite and there are patrols roaming by every so often. Be sure to catch the sunset in the evening because it's truly breathtaking. Tip: Day parking is $15. read more

Calafia Beach - Beaches Near Me - San Clemente, California

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Bring your: Swim fins, body board, and if you're a intermediate/advanced surfer, your shortboard. If you're a advanced no leash longboarder, bring it as well. The surf says: "I will come up and pound on the sand. And if you try and ride me, know that I will only let you go in one direction as I'm a very fast and can be a very powerful and punchy wave. That's why body surfers, body boarders, and shortboarders love me. Know that if you're a longboarder of average to below average ability -I will thrash you. I will make you suffer. I will toss you over the falls, if you don't pop up quickly, and will split your log in two and send you home with two boards." For years, I would walk here and eat my bean and cheese burrito lunches or dinners atop the granite boulders watching waves, people, and ocean life, while the Metrolink or Amtrak trains would pass by. I finally decided to Yelp this... It's a spot that most people who I've spoken with and aren't familiar with the area, are even surprised it exists. The awe that I've sensed in their sincerity makes me feel that this is a spot worth sharing with others here on Yelp. If you're not into the whole surfing/body boarding thing, -it's still a very new place to swim as the water shines from gray to a pristine blue-ish sea foam green -depending on the time of day and the amount of clouds reflecting off the surface of the sky. Mostly a local spot and really touristy pretty much all season around -especially weekends. Everyone might be visiting from different places but most people are super friendly and have good intentions and energy. ***Here's a tip: Whenever the algae blooms are in effect. Visit this place at night! It has to be a clear night with the moon shining along the surface of the breaking waves. You will be treated to one of the rarest most spectacular light shows you've ever seen as the waves breaks along the shore. You'll see bioluminescence in it's prime! This is a natural phenomenon that usually happens every year in Sept, but being that weather patterns (hot weather/tropical water) have been whacky, it occurs at times from May through Nov. And by the way, you're welcome : )*** read more

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Very nice state beach. $2 per hour or $15 all day for parking. There's a cafe but evidently not open during the winter. It's surrounded by neat cliffs and unusual houses. There is are miles of hiking trails that start here. Nice wide beach with plenty of sand still. Highly recommend! read more

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Beautiful. Great waves for boogie boarding. Not too crowded, there's bathrooms and a snack shack with hot dogs, sandwiches, snow cones, etc.You have to find meter or street parking, walk across a big walkway and down stairs to get to the beach. Life guards on duty, they were always swimming out to tell people to not go too far out. read more

Calafia Beach - Beaches Near Me - San Clemente, California

This is one of my favorite beaches in south Orange County. It is small, but kind of off the beaten path. It can get crowded on the weekends, but is otherwise great. The parking lot is so close to the beach itself, all you have to do is cross the train tracks. The train itself is part of the appeal. The Surfliner comes by every now and then and provides some good change of scenery for just a moment. The sand is narrow here and is a great beach to take a long walk along. Enjoy! read more

Beautiful! We accidentally stopped here on our way back home to San Diego from a visit to Oxnard. We travel to Oxnard quite a bit and take our dogs with us almost every time. We usually have to stop to potty them in gross gas stations or greasy fast food parking lots, but this place is perfect! The only thing I don't like is that they charge to park there. Regardless, there is a lovely grassy area for the doggies and restrooms for the humans. Beware, though, the restrooms have no lights so you might be peeing in the dark. We were there at sunset and I was terrified using that dimly lit bathroom. I have an irrational fear of scorpions on the toilet seat so not being able to clearly see the toilet seat gave me anxiety. We didn't actually go down to the beach because we didn't want the dogs to get sand in the car, so I guess this review is just for the parking lot which sounds kind of weird, but if you travel back and forth to LA/Ventura/Santa Barbara like we do, this is a nice place for a quick stop. Especially if you travel with dogs. read more

Calafia Beach - Beaches Near Me - San Clemente, California

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Serious wasp problem hundreds of them swarming leftover food and trash cans dangerous to people no joke bathrooms reek smell disgusting from the parking lot its so bad ice cream is expensive at 4.50 a cone probably the worst kept beach I have been to go down father to the next beach read more

BEES BEES BEES! If you have an allergy to bee stings think twice about Calafia Beach! The place has many bees in trash cans, on the sand and in the rocks. The shoreline is littered with dead bees just ready for you to step on their stingers. Bad thing if you have young kids walking barefoot. I am a surfer and frequent beach-goer so I will say that the parking is nice (if you arrive early) and the sand is white and soft. However all of the waves are crashing shore break. It is unsafe and not a relaxing location. You can walk up to the pier or just up and down the coast (wearing shoes, of course). My son and I both got stung by bees here yesterday. After a friend put a remedy for pain on my son's sting the bees were actually swarming his body. We covered him with towels and they tried to get inside! The scent of the ointment made more come then before. If you have food, are wearing bright colors or have anything with fragrance on BEEware. You are bound to get stung :( read more

Decent beach. Parking was kind of a nightmare. I arrived when both parking lots were full but managed to find a spot on the hill which took only quarters. $.25 for 10 minutes. The beach was as crowded as the parking lots and we were nose to tail with the people in front, back and to the side. Some teenagers took it upon themselves to use our kiddie sand toys. Water was nice for boogie boarding and swimming. The best part about this beach is the constant stream of trains. My train fans climbed the rocks to get a good view every time a train rolled by. I think there are better beaches in Orange County. read more

Calafia Beach - Train! - Beaches Near Me - San Clemente, California

Clean water, clean sand, life guards out patrolling in boats and at every station. We will come back here. Only down side was girls bathroom didn't have soap in the dispenser. Parking was easy. They allow fires in a fire pit at night. read more

Califia is a FANTASTIC South OC beach! It is right next to the San Clemente State Beach Campgrounds but is metered parking and so it is very convenient for day-use beach goers. There is ample parking for about 100 cars but with the beauty and popularity of this spot, it can sometimes be a hard thing to come by. It is a beautifully clean swimmer's beach with little to no rocks and the waves are usually small enough for body surfing and wading out. There are no bonfire pits but the parking lot boasts a little beach cafe that is open in the summer. It is a sweet little spot at the end of the San Clemente Beach Trail. If you want to start the trail here instead of North Beach, that is an option too but there is more parking at North Beach and you can use credit card to pay instead of Califia's quarter-only meters. All in all, this is a stunning place to spend the day and play. read more

This is another one of San Clemente's great beaches! The parking lot is not huge, considering it gets very crowded in the Summer time. However, that could be considered a good thing because it might just keep the crowd down otherwise. However, it is still a crowded spot in the Summer. You must pay for parking as well. During the Summer there is a Snack Shack you can order some food. They also have a restroom. The San Clemente Beach Trail "ends" at this beach - it is the southern most point of it. To get down to the beach you walk over the tracks and down the stairs. Be careful to watch out for the trains! To the south of the parking lot there are some openings in the cliffs that are very cool. There is a sign telling you to stay out, BUT let's just ignore that right now haha. It is a super cool place to take pictures. I have some photos of me in there and it kinda looks unreal in the photos. Anyways, it is a fun little adventure you may not notice if you are just heading to the beach. read more

Love love LOVEEE this beach. The fam & I traveled up here from Encinitas for a little getaway during the Labor Day weekend - Got there early so there was tonsss of 'metered' parking. We had to stop at a few 7 Eleven's before parking though to get $4 worth of quarters. Not bad at all - just wish I had 'yelped' this beach beforehand to find out just how much each hour was....which BTW is $1/hr, ONLY quarters. Good little restroom/snack bar area - kept clean & nice...except whoever does the staffing there is seriously lacking. After having my husband walk there to get us a few things to eat - he sat & waited for maybe 35 min for his order - which he ended up asking his $$ back for, since they were taking wayyyy too long on. So, given that it was a holiday weekend - they should've had way more ppl working - I used to work at Moonlight Beach snack bar... so I know how this goes. ah well...the beach itself was fab! The train going by is soooo quiet (for a train), didn't bother us at all - just added to the quaintness of this beach. We set up our towels & things on the South end of the parking lot, near one of the lifeguard towers...just between the surf side, and the swim side. Also for being a holiday weekend - we were SOOO pleasantly surprised by the lack of people there. It was exactly what we'd hoped for (coming from Encinitas where I knew our beaches would be a mad house!) Maybe it was the weather (a bit cool early on) - but it ended up being beautiful! The waves were VERY large at times, but we were having a high surf warning down here in SD the last few days, so it was expected. Would've been nice to take my daughter in the water more...but ahh well, can't control the beauty of mother nature ;-) Will DEFINITELY be back, verrrrrry soon!! New fav spot - only 45 min away, nice change of pace from what we're used to. read more

Backstory: left my apartment near the beach to drive 2 hours south to another beach for Memorial Day weekend. Things worth noting: 1. Ample metered parking. Some of the meters failed, so hopefully you'll luck into one of those. Otherwise, bring a lot of quarters. I had to go the cafe/snack bar to get quarters which required a minimum purchase. So... for change I had to pay $1.75 for water. 2. You have to cross railroad tracks before you hit the sand. Yes... you heard me.... right before you hit the sand. Interesting. So periodically throughout the day, trains will be tooting through while you're laying on the beach. Not necessarily a bad thing... just... interesting. Weird, perhaps. Never experienced that before. 3. Beach space was a bit on the narrow side. When you walk past the tracks, you go down steps to get past a cliff of rocks, and then you reach the beach territory. The space between the rocks and the water is not much. The fact that it was Memorial Day weekend didn't help with the space though. Being more accustomed to the beaches of Venice, Santa Monica, Marina del Rey, and Catalina... I'd just have to say that Calafia was only "ok" for me. I think next time, I'll need to hike up and down Calafia beach to find better areas to hang out. read more

Features: Sandstone cliffs. Railroad tracks with trains passing north and south. Sunset's over America's Pacific coast. Hardpacked trail east of a berm for easy beachside strolling. All alongside a bustling town life. Sunset Magazine's recent article inspired me to check it all out: http://www.sunset.com/travel/california/seeing-san-clemente-00400000017492/ Angelenos and San Deigoans... consider bringing out of state guests here to show off our state! read more

Fantastic spot to go hit San Clemente State beach without a state parking pass, bring quarters for the machine, cause they will get you otherwise. Bathrooms are usually clean and there's a place to rinse off afterwards. If the tides low head north and walk to the Pier and back, you'll take in a lot of great scenery and introduce yourself to some great sandy beaches... - If you surf keep an eye out for other surfers and that will let you know where to paddle out, crowd is usually friendly... read more

I love this beach. Which is why I got married on it. Been coming here ever since I met my husband 11 years ago and we will continue to come here till the end of time. It's perfect. read more

Great beach, nice snack bar, restrooms pretty clean and showers. Parking was so close. I got there at 10 am and it was not crowded, but by noon it was packed. read more

Hidden gem! My favorite unspoiled sunset location. The sandstone cliffs and hills nearby make it feel like a hidden little pocket of serenity, it's very secluded. The beach here is narrow, sloped, isn't rocky at all and anywhere you place your stuff the water is just a short walk away. Tides keep the sand very clean and flowing here, like sand dunes. It's a great beach for families and fairly unknown to visitors, so parking isn't usually a hassle except on the weekends. Last couple of seasons the waves have been on the shallow side here and break close to short, perfect for swimming or some amateur bodyboarding. Stand up paddle boarding and kayaking is popular here too, but bring your own as this is not a commercial beach, so no rentals. Trains pass here from time to time, right on the beach. It's so unique and really adds to it's character (trains are fairly quiet so it's not annoying). My only issue here is that the parking lot pay system is a hassle, remembering your spot number. And I wish they had a couple of fire pits. But overall I love this beach and hit it up as often as I possibly can. read more

Calafia Beach - Beaches Near Me - San Clemente, California

Nice waves, close parking, lots of families. Trains run regularly behind the beach and honk it's horn. Great place to spend the day, but the width of the beach shrinks considerably as the tide comes in, so don't find a spot too close to the shore or you'll be moving back as the day wears on and it can get crowded. read more

Calafia Beach - Beaches Near Me - San Clemente, California

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Absolutley LOVE this place. I go here twice every summer because it is truly a wonderful place. The whole city of San Clemente is something worth admiring. The people are kind, the food is awesome, and the beach is beautiful. This campground is right on the beach, it's just a short 15 minute or so walk down to the waves. I love this place because it reminds me that vacations are important for the mind, body, and soul. Other important info... -Bathrooms are super well maintained. -Nightly prices during the high season are still super reasonable. -Quite time is at 10 PM - respect the campground rules and head to the water! read more

I agree with the other review below... BEES BEES BEES! There were a ridiculous amount of bees everywhere! So many u can't even get a treat at the cafe. Plus the beach was super rocky. The waves were good for bodyboarding though. read more