Five Less Crowded Beach Towns in San Diego

FIVE LESS CROWDED

BEACH TOWNS

IN SAN DIEGO

I must be getting old.

(In fact, I literally am this month, but I digress - and so early in the blog post, too!)

I can't stand crowds for too long. I remember when traveling in my twenties, I would go with the swarm.

Visit the areas everyone else does. But as I gained more travel experience (euphemism for "got older"),

I realize that such places offer very little in terms of authentic experiences for my taste that I have

developed a relatively low tolerance level for them. However, I will say that I like visiting places at least once and although that was my feeling about San Diego, I have never really felt any true compulsion to return.

Fourth of July weekend presented an opportunity to go somewhere within a short flight from us

and having narrowed down our choices, I figured we'd give San Diego another go, this time staying away

from Gaslamp, Pacific Beach, downtown, and such.

The idea was to explore the beach towns north of SD with Del Mar as our home base.

We had also wanted to feel as though we've gone on a real beach vacation and

although I knew that was a tall order, I had a glimmer of hope that

Southern California won't disappoint.

We drove up and down the coast in San Diego on Highway 101 observing, taking mental notes,

and crossing off those that were too manic for our tastes (i.e. La Jolla - but Bird Rock is cool,

Pacific Beach, etc.). And voila! Five Less Crowded Beach Towns from north to south that redeemed

San Diego in our view. Of course, bicycles and coffee would play a major role (duh), but so is the realization

that the beach vibes are real here, especially in places far, far away from the swarm.

We seriously had no clue the San Diego coast would be filled with road cyclists.

It may be part of the reason we warmed up to Encinitas instantly although we

weren't even on bikes ourselves (it's a prejudice; cyclists = good people).

Stop by at Lofty Coffee Company on 90 N. Hwy 101 in Encinitas for locally

roasted coffee and for a taste of the local beach-surfer-yoga vibe, but if

you need a second cup, go across the street to their roastery

location (they've got seats there too) for less of a crowd,

more of an ambience. Moonlight State Beach at the

end of the road that has a wide white sand beach,

beach volleyball and plenty of elbow room.

On one side of Highway 101 is the Pacific Ocean, the other side is a lagoon.

Cardiff by the Sea was an apparent local favorite of surfers, but in the lagoon area are

kayakers, paddle boarders, and families with young kids playing in the water.

Coffee at Zumbar is rock solid and if you come hungry, there are plenty

of spots here to grab a bite.

I love Solana Beach and I don't even know why! It is the town immediately

south of Cardiff and it just feels cleaner and more put together.

There is a Lofty Coffee in Solana Beach, but really, we came here to check out

the surf shops and, ehem, a bicycle shop. On Sundays, it's worth checking out

the Farmer's Market on Cedros Avenue, but don't miss the boutiques and

interior design shops as well!

Del Mar was our home base during this long weekend, and although a pricey place to stay,

it did make us feel that we are on a real beach holiday. Del Mar is primarily residential so it's a lot

quieter and has a more private feel. Downtown has enough shops, cafes and restaurants

that finding a place to eat is never really a problem. We like Cafe Secret, which serves

Peruvian food - something we don't eat everyday (the empanadas are divine)!

For coffee, cold bevs and healthy bites, try Swell. It is in a strip mall, yes, but they went

through great lengths with the interiors to make it seem otherwise.

The beach at Del Mar was only a short walk from where we were staying at Hotel Indigo Del Mar

and it was fabulous walking just a couple blocks and witness the sun set on the Pacific.

I love it when a place just completely surprises you. Don't you?

Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve is one of my favorite San Diego revelations

because of how I feel really at home outdoors and hiking around a nature preserve, no less!

For a photo gallery and more information about this awesome place, see previous post here.

So there you have it! My list of five! If I missed anything and have any recommendations

for our next trip back, do leave them in the comments below.

I heard Carlsbad is also wonderful, so maybe we can check it out next time!

#welcome #california #travel