The 50 best beaches in Southern California

You’re lounging on your back, saltwater coating your lips, sand between your toes. And you think to yourself: “Now this is a great beach.”

When you visit the 50 beaches from San Diego to Santa Barbara on The Times’ best beaches list, we want you to feel like you’re having one of those oh-so-California beach days. Reporters visited more than 200 miles of coastline, picking through hundreds of beaches. We prioritized ease of use (although some have a more remote feel) and special amenities — like firepits, volleyball courts, camping, surf conditions and views. Most have accessibility options, all but three have bathrooms (cleanliness varies), and they’re almost evenly split in terms of dog-friendliness.

The majority of beaches on the list tend to pass water quality tests during the summer. As noted in their descriptions, a handful don’t have test scores but are near high-scoring sites or received temporary water-quality warnings this summer at limited spots. At a few beaches, the water quality typically meets standards in most areas but not in some sections. Bacteria levels may increase for a variety of reasons, including contamination runoff from storm drains, poor water circulation, water depth and high heat. (A good rule of thumb: Don’t swim near outfalls.) You can check for updates through the county public health departments of Santa Barbara, Ventura, Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego as well as Heal the Bay. Even if water quality dips, there are other ways to enjoy these beaches.

While leisure was our guiding light, our list — which is grouped by county below, starting with San Diego — also underscores the importance of public access. Some of these beaches might not exist as they do today if not for a 1976 state coastal protection law unlike any other in the country. Over decades, the law has been used to save firepits; add bathrooms, parking, trails and acreage; and force a private club to drop discriminatory membership rules.

“The general public in California, they don’t think about public access to the beach because they’ve always had it,” said Linda Locklin, the California Coastal Commission’s coastal access program manager. “There are a lot of insidious ways that public access can be undermined and is being undermined all the time.” Her comments call to mind private guards previously stationed at Malibu beaches.

So in the spirit of recognizing aquatic splendor, we’re also celebrating beach access. “The California coast is California’s commons,” after all, as Locklin said.

— Brittany Levine Beckman