De Anza Cove
Mission Bay, CA
De Anza Cove is a sheltered swimming beach on Mission Bay's northeast corner, with a boat launch ramp and a golf course adjacent, calm enough for a genuine no-surf beach day. It's a real alternative to the ocean beaches nearby for anyone wanting flat water for swimming or paddling.
A genuinely calm, practical bay beach for families and paddlers, a solid alternative when the ocean feels like too much.
How we score beachesThe calm bay water here is a genuinely good pick for young kids or anyone not looking to deal with ocean surf.
A lot serves the beach and boat launch.
Dogs must be leashed and are subject to San Diego's standard beach hours restriction; the only off-leash areas in Mission Bay are Fiesta Island and Dog Beach, neither of which is here.
Sheltered bay water warms up earlier in the season than the open ocean nearby.
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