Sunshine, Sand, and Sea: Local Beaches To Check Out This Summer
We are at the last week of school and summer is right around the corner. What better way to welcome summer vacation than with a list of beautiful local beaches to check out!
Up first, we have Panther Beach, located in Santa Cruz. This location is less than an hour’s drive away and is the perfect place to visit if you are looking for new beach areas to explore beyond the famous Santa Cruz beach and boardwalk. Known as one of Santa Cruz’s hidden gems, the path and trials leading up to the beach can get a bit narrow, but the journey is completely worth it when you arrive and have a clear view of the sunset adorned with cliffsides in the distance.
South of Santa Cruz, we have Pebble Beach, located in the Monterey and Carmel area. Just over an hour on the road will bring you to this scenic and Instagram-worthy destination. As hinted in its name, this beach is one-of-a-kind because it is full of colorful glass-like pebbles on its shore. It is also known to be home to many Lone Cypress trees, and admiring them is a definite must when you visit. You can visit the Pebble Beach Resort, as well to enjoy many of their services. There are so many activities and views to explore at Pebble Beach, so make sure to bring your best camera to take some memorable photos if you plan a visit this summer.
About a 50-minute drive northwest of Santa Cruz is Davenport Beach, full of cool tunnels, cement arches, and more. If you are looking for a spot to take pictures with friends by the sunset, visit Davenport’s popular pier swing. This swing is a staple of the beach’s attraction as an abandoned pier, a picture-perfect addition to the four arches scattering from the shore into the sea.
These are only a few of many beaches to explore across the Bay Area, but you can always find more of the Bay’s hidden gems on websites like TripAdvisor, California Beaches, and Visit California. In the meantime, make sure to add these to your summer bucket list, so you can welcome 2024’s vacation with a myriad of activities to choose from!
