It's not often that a place makes me want to relocate from San Francisco, but this place is close! (OK, maybe not relocate, but try to make more money so I could have a place to stay in the area.) Dozens of cute male surfers for every 2.5 gals is a ratio I fully support. Beautiful views, clean beaches, and good waves are the icing on the cake! The parking lot is small, but it's pretty easy to get parking on the street without having to walk too far. (Granted, I was just there this past weekend, so I'm sure it's probably more crowded in the summer.) There's a pretty steep staircase to get to the beach, but I was able to lug down a huge, heavy beginner surfboard without too much trouble. There's a shower for you to rinse off at the bottom of the stairs and a bathroom up in the parking lot. I can't comment too much on the waves because I've only been surfing a few times and have always stayed on the inside. We surfed here for three days and on my last day I tried to paddle to the outside, but the surf was a little too strong. However, the waves on the inside were perfect for practicing. I'm typing this in March, so the water was chilly and everyone was wearing wetsuits. The water warms up during the summer, but even during that time I'd make sure to wear booties because there are quite a few rocks in some areas. Just typing this makes me want to come down again and go surfing or take a jog on the beach and then head into Encinitas for some Mexican food! read more

Swami's Beach - Beaches Near Me - Encinitas, California

Swami's is more than a beach, wave, and park. Swami's is a vine. There's something for everyone: yoga on the grass, tidepooling for toddlers, and surfing for shredders. Swami's is renowned as a locals-only wave. Make sure to pay deference to those who have surfed the wave before you. Although anyone can get a wave at Swami's, it is important to know the rules of Surfing priority before paddling out in the mix. read more

The land that comprises Swami's State Beach park was formerly owned by the Self Realization Fellowship (SRF). Adjacent to this small but attractive cliff-side lot is what appears to be a miniature Taj Majal-esq temple, hence the name Swami's. Although the temple is not hard to miss, it is quite easy to drive past the entrance to this grand little beach as it rather small. The grassy park section surrounds a parking lot usually reserved for the locals but not technically...they just happen to always be around when the spaces open up. The top section is great for bike pit stops or the occasional picnic. There are bathrooms and benches if you choose to hangout on top. The best bit is of course the view. To access the beach you must walk down a long wooden stairwell and the beach itself can be short when the tide is high. So you may want to think twice before bringing all the kids and their toys, etc. This beach is a premiere surf spot as this break holds its shape during big north facing swells. The locals are territorial however so if you are a beginner you may not have the best time if you know what I mean. During low tides the tide pools come out and they are a wonderful place to explore life beneath the sea. read more

Swami's Beach - Beaches Near Me - Encinitas, California

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i drive all the way from Carmel Valley to enjoy the view during my training :) PARKING: Small lot to park in and gets busy by 8am. A lot of surfers come here so when i come around 6:30 - 7 its a full lot. there are also "usuals" who hang out here. the homies aka homeless guys are nice and wont bother you. one time my family came with me to jog on the beach so we started having a convo at 7am with one of them and mid sentence, he stopped talking grabbed his cruiser bike with all his stuff on it and jetted north on PCH. we were wondering what the heck he was doing and then realize he was racing the on coming road bikers... funny thing is he totally dusted them! my family and i were dying, so hilar! BEACH: In the morning it's low tied so the beach is really flat and good to run on although in the evenings, on a beautiful summer day like today, it was GORGEOUS. so many surfers, runners, families, and beautiful scenery and weather. i usually start from the parking lot and head south for a quick 3mile run. you'll see other people running as well. i did a brick training (bike-run) before and started heading south and circled back around to throw my bike in the trunk and run down to the beach. i know a lot of road bikers head north towards Carlsbad as well. be careful if you're not use to riding on a busy street, its PCH so a lot of cars are commuting. SURROUNDING AREA: after i normally bring my computer with me, i work remotely from SF, then head to a coffee spot to work from. TONS of great and healthy options within a 3 mile radius! read more

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Photos cannot do this place justice. Swami's State Beach is open to the public but almost feels like a private beach area. Although it was the weekend, this place was not crowded. It is such a gorgeous relaxing place. The view from up top is really nice but there is also a long stairway that takes you to the water. If you are looking for place to watch the sunset, this place is the perfect spot. There are many surfers here and a place to rinse off. This place is similar to Sunset Cliffs in San Diego, CA. read more

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Trying a local well loved cafe. Excited . They have s veggie scramble!!!Wearing my BNI shades. Radical !!! Looking forward to my training in the OC read more

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Disclaimer: I don't surf, so this is not a review of the surfing crowd in the waters. As far as I could tell, people like to bundle and clump up in groups out there, making it look pretty dangerous when going after waves. But hey, what do I know about surfing... Beach-wise, Swami's is absolutely wonderful and beautiful - a great place to go to walk, relax, and soak in some sun. The walk along Highway 101, which is parallel to Swami's, is relatively safe as there's a walking lane in addition to a bicycle lane. From Swami's Cafe to Surfer Statue (aka "Cardiff Kook") and back is about 2.8 miles. It's the perfect place to walk, run, cycle, bring your dogs, bring your kids, and relish in the fact that San Diego is, without contest, America's Finest City. Parking can be very crowded on the weekends but it's worth the slight hassle. read more

Swami's Beach - Winter in San Diego. Taken from the stairs leading down to Swami's. - Beaches Near Me - Encinitas, California

One of the coolest beaches for the boarders and the boardettes. This beautiful beach is great from above because you can see so much reef during super clear days. When your lucky and come during low tide, they've got some pretty reefs to check out. The surfers here usually dominate the parking lot but if you come during the right time you can usually find some great parking spots. With some great coffee/food spots nearby, it's awesome to go and just grab a nice simple easy bite and bring it to the parking lot on the benches and dine away. read more

Yet another perfect SoCal beach. This spot is favored by the locals and is not as touristy as some of the places further north. The lot is small, but there is street parking if you can find it. The view from the top is exquisite. The waves crash breaking up azure blue water. If you like to catch a wave, this is the spot for you. A tall staircase leads down to the beach. If it's low tide, tidepools will be exposed, and you can fine where you can find so CAL critters. Leave everything where you find it, this is a marine protected area so you're not allowed to remove anything from this stretch of beach. This is a great spot to dip your toes into the sand, take a stroll south to Cardiff, or just relax. read more

A great beach that not too many people really know about (except for the many surfers), however the parking lot is small. I love this beach located not too far from the SRF Encinitas Meditation Gardens and I would suggest you check out the gardens there too (very peaceful). Once you go down the stairs to the beach, you will be greeted by a peaceful beautiful beach fit for a Swami. read more

I enjoy going to Swami's... it's full of life and interesting props of all walks of life. If you want to sit and bask in the sun, you can and it's safe. The cool ocean breeze is rejuvenating and the ocean smell soothing! read more

Om with a view...(yuk, yuk). For a short period in my young life, I actually humped a rucksack while playing army. That was before I got educated and moved over to the Air Force. In the AF, we flew the shit in versus humping it in. Much smarter. Anyway, one of our Army team members was a guy from Leucadia who surfed and practiced yoga in the most unusual of places. Surfers tend to stick together when in unusual places. I was impressed that he could mimic a human pretzel at every break while everyone else was smoking cigarettes or eating something unappetizing. He would tell me about Paramahansa Yogananda http://www.yogananda-srf.org/py-life/index.html and how to find the Path to Eternal Enlightenment or some shit like that which mostly went over my head...until we got back and he took me surfing at Swami's. The temple that identifies this place is a tip-off you're in another space and time. Truthfully, I already understood the whole zen be-here-now thing, I just didn't go for any tambourine banging or that sort of nonsense. However, the temple gardens are beautiful and the view magnificent. You can totally find your chi here...unless the surf is pumping. Then the chi is in the water. Standing at the top of the wooden stairs overlooking the beach, I saw the light, or was enlightened...whatever. I felt great, had found my chi. I took a deep breath, ran down the stairs and across the sand and into some beautiful head-high, glassy waves. We probably put in 3 hours before exhaustion hit and we had to climb those stairs all the way to the top. I took a deep breath and did the climb. It was no big deal and I guess I just didn't want to leave. But it was getting dark and we had to go. Watching the sun go down from this cliff side garden is a vision right out of Lord Jim and if Joseph Conrad, a quasi-Buddhist himself, had seen this, he might not have sailed his little boat to Hawaii, surfed or written all those fabulous stories. Thankfully he didn't because really, had he known, it was all here in front of him, right now, and we would never have read passagess such as this from The Nigger of the Narcissus: "Good-bye brothers! You were a good crowd. As good a crowd as ever fisted with wild cries the beating canvas of a heavy foresail; or tossing aloft, invisible in the night, gave back yell for yell to a westerly gale." Anyone who thrives on the ocean's wilder elements can dig this passage. And any surfer sitting in the impact zone witnessing an unridden barrel charging their way knows exactly what chi is. It's in the very soul of the man (or woman). Just pass the tambourine to someone else. http://www.beachcalifornia.com/swami.html The photo posted is from this past 5 Dec.Big Wednesday...Chi at Swami's. read more

Swami's Beach - Swami's chi - Beaches Near Me - Encinitas, California

Number 1 I'm a surfer so I'm not giving it 5 stars because of the horrendous crowd in the water. The wave can get amazing on the right conditions and that's when it takes care of itself, but on an average day there is just the combination of cluelessness and entitlement that makes it awful to surf. If I want to ride a longboard I can go out and dominate the old men but I prefer to shortboard and I don't like to contribute to the general clusterf**k that is surfing in the 20-teens. So that sounds like a zero star review but I gave it 4 stars. Why? Because Swamis is one of the best beaches around to bring your kids to. Its far away from a road and the area south of the point (and south of the steps) is one of the more gently sloping and shallow areas around. Even if it is firing at the point there's a natural almost-kiddie pool area that allows the kids to play safely. I feel like I'm giving secrets away but some are worth it. read more

I love Swami's beach, I liked the idea of not being among a swarm of people to find myself among a swarm of MAGGOTS, I understand that there is nothing we can do against the seaweed washing ashore, or the heat, or the flies, but this situation, millions of maggots along the shore ruined my image of this beautiful spot, not without mentioning the unbelievable stench as you come down the stairs, it is easily a mix of the worst full porta potty in 100 degrees, right there, on swami's beach. read more

I know my review is worthless but I had to write it anyways. This beach is: special. beautiful. swimmable. serene. my favorite. (: read more

The actual beach is down below at sea level, so if you're stairs averse, this is not your beach, unless you don't mind walking from one Moonlight Beach a mile north, or the Campgrounds ramp, a 1/2 mile south. I use the stairs as part of my occasional run. One of the many beautiful views found in town. The green area is also shaded virtually the entire day perfect for a picnic. Parking can be difficult in the small lot, but hey, park on 101, and walk in the beautiful sun, take in that that ocean air, and let the breeze carry your glide. read more

This is yet another great beach in North County. Parking can be bad on peak seasons and weekends. Great surf spot most of the year. There are a ton of long boarders here because the waves are usually really slow. This is a great spot to go to if you want to learn to surf. Parking lot is small, but you can also park on the street and even across the train tracks and walk across (don't get caught). Free parking all around. Long flight of stairs to get to the sandy beach with bluff background with a small cave. There is a lot of marine life here so be careful when walking in the water. I have had 2 friends get stung by sting rays here (shuffle your feet). They are usually only around when the water warms up. There are jelly fish around warm water too. There are bathrooms at the top of the stairs as well as a shower, benches, and occasional hippies playing music. A lot of the times there are people doing yoga at the top of the stairs in the grassy section. Great spot to watch the sunset in your car or on a bench. Grab a burrito and come eat it here. read more

Happy YOU year 2016! I absolutely love start running from here. I park at the lot if I can get there early around 6am but come at 0630 you'll park along the street which is totally fine. I start by running south towards the train station at Solana Beach which is 3miles & then turn around for a total of 6miles. My favorite part is smelling the burning of wood by The campgrounds. read more

Great place to watch the sunrise and the surfers parking is limited but it was a excellent place to watch the sunrise early in the morning

One of my favorite beaches in North County. Great for surfing, walking, and dog friendly! read more

Swami's Beach - Happy weekend!! - Beaches Near Me - Encinitas, California

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Great beach. Its located at the south end of downtown Encinitas. It has a nice little park at the very top overlooking the actually beach. This is a very popular surfing spot. However, a lot of walkers/runners will run down the beach on the sand or just above it at the street level on the cliff. There are some small tide pools if you walk down to the beach and head right during low tide. You'll come across some larger rocks covered with Muscles and Sea Anemones. Small fish, crabs, and sometimes random sea life will pop up in these pools. Parking is a bit of a challenge during popular times. There is a very small parking lot at the top of the beach that cant have more then 25ish spots. There is some street parking but keep in mind on beautiful days you will be fortunate to find any close by. read more

The beach is nice, but it smells and has "a lot" of flies/insects. My husband visited today, and got rashes all over his chest/arms. I regret went to this beach... read more

Swami's beach is the most beautiful beach I have been to in San Diego. It is isolated from the city by a cliff and not crowded except on really nice weekend days. Many surfers (both longboarders and short borders) surf the consistent break about 100 yards off the shore. I lived 2 blocks up the hill from Swami's for the summer of 2006 and will always mourn for that summer back. You are not supposed to bring dogs on the beach but I would run with mine often when the sun was going down and it was never a problem. read more

I love this place it has a very cool and calm vibe. I used to go here back when I was a chess teacher in Leucadia, the parking lot is pretty small but its ok. It does have restrooms and a really great view of the beach and the surfers. Its kind of small so you have to know where its at or you will pass it. I believe there are stairs going down to the beach. This is a very nice beach to go to. read more

A nice stop to make! Def good scenery for IG pics.

Gorgeous. Gorgeous. Gorgeous. And to think I'd be reviewing a beach that Robin Z has graced and loved. This was my treat all the way, and a marvelous place to begin my 10-day vacation in Southern Cal. read more

Swami's Beach - Swami beach - Beaches Near Me - Encinitas, California

Beautiful rest spot for walking or admiring he surfers. Lots of benches to sit at and lots of times love music going on near the beach.

When the tide is low this is my go to, favorite place to go tide pooling! There's kind of a lot of stairs, but other than that it's beautiful read more

Beautiful beach. Clean with plenty of room to walk, wade and explore. Mesmerized by the gold flecks is in the wet sands.

Hands down one of my favorites. Encinitas is where I wish to retire. Great beaches, always clean (do your part please). The sights from the beach or above are simply breathtaking. Post card California no doubt. read more

Nice stretch of beach, especially pleasant for a beach walk at low tide. At the top of the cliff the grassy park & parking areas show off a few pieces of art. The staircase leading down is solidly built but does make for a small workout. Lots of folks seem to hang out, enjoying the beauty & friendly atmosphere. read more

Can life get anymore beautiful than this? No really! This place is great.

I had my first glimpse of this beach from the Self Realization Fellowship. Even on a slightly chilly morning, there was a perfectly cloudless sky, lots of sunshine, and cute surfers riding the waves. Peaceful, relaxing, and beautiful - in more than one way. read more

Beautiful! Nice benches that you can sit on that overlook the beach. Came here during sunset. Nice and relaxing. read more

Swami's Beach - Beaches Near Me - Encinitas, California

One of my favorite beach to just go explore or do the stairs, it is also one of Surfers favorite beach. They have a nice grass patch, where lot of people come and hang out on the weekend and do slack-lining and so on. They do have a couple of BBQ Grills as well, if you want to attempt them. Great views from the upstairs and have the basic facilities available. read more

The American Breakfast was really good! And I love all variety of coffees they offer. Bonus: dog friendly too! read more

Swami's Beach - TT is excited to be at Swami's - Beaches Near Me - Encinitas, California

This is a great beach. It is beautiful, and less seaweedy than other beaches along that stretch. Great surfer watching beach with some nice swells but definitely a bit crowded and young if you are actually trying to surf!!. It seems more like a local beach which is awesome so it doesn't get too crowded. Parking isn't too bad and stairs are step but doable. read more

Beautiful beach. Great views. Awesome surf. Just depending on the weather sometimes there are lots of flies in the sand. Usually you're good. Worst case scenario if there are; walk up the beach to moonlight and you're good. read more

Swami's Beach - Just another evening at Swami's. - Beaches Near Me - Encinitas, California

I went to surf at Swami's for the first time today. I was told to surf elsewhere by a couple of guys because they said its crowded and fights happen. I am between a beginner & intermediate so I was concerned so I went there early. I have to say, not crowded, and the people surfing hang out with each other out in the surf. Didn't have to fight the beach break getting out. I had a great time. Learned a lot talking to guys who have surfed all over the world, like surfing in Chile & Peru is awesome. read more

This a good beach, I would say a great beach but on some instances I have noticed an unacceptable level of kook to bro ratio. Other than that the waves were quite tasty with an adequate selection of "lippers" and or "barrels." 3 stars. read more