Playa Santa Maria del Mar
San Quintin, Baja California, Mexico
Playa Santa Maria del Mar sits along the Pacific coast near San Quintin in Baja California, Mexico, joined with Playa Pabellon in a long stretch of beach. It is one of the most productive clamming beaches in the area, with giant Pismo clams and mussels. Digging is best at low tide, and the sand runs for kilometers.
A wide, quiet beach with productive clamming, though the water is cold and the wind constant.
How we score beachesGo at low tide with a shovel, and wear layers because the Pacific wind is steady. Pack lunch and water.
Park off the access road near the beach. Check current signage for any fees.
The beach is reached from the road over soft sand, with limited facilities.
The Pacific here is cool year round, usually in the mid to high teens Celsius, and morning fog is common in late spring and early summer. Winter brings the larger northwest swells.
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