Seal Beach
Seal Beach, CA

Seal Beach is a wide, easygoing swimming and surfing beach anchoring a genuinely small-town beach community, with the Seal Beach Pier and its restaurant at the center of it. It's a quieter alternative to the bigger Orange County beaches just south, with a real neighborhood feel along Main Street a block inland.
A genuine small-town beach feel that's increasingly rare on this stretch of coast, worth it for the pier and Main Street alone.
How we score beachesMain Street, a block inland from the pier, has the town's restaurants and shops if you want to make a day of it beyond the sand.
Fee lots and metered street parking serve the beach and pier.
Dogs are not allowed on the city beach or pier at any time, even on leash, though leashed dogs are welcome in the city's other parks and public areas.
Cool water into early summer, most comfortable for swimming from August through early October.
More Pacific Coast beaches

Zuma Beach
Malibu, CA · Pacific Coast
A wide stretch of sand backed by the Santa Monica Mountains, with reliable swells that draw surfers year-round and plenty of room to spread out even on busy weekends.

Huntington City Beach
Huntington Beach, CA · Pacific Coast
Known as Surf City USA, with a mile-long municipal pier, consistent breaks for surfers of every level, and a laid-back boardwalk scene along Pacific Coast Highway.

Main Beach
Laguna Beach, CA · Pacific Coast
Tucked between rocky headlands, with tidepools to explore at low tide, calmer coves for swimming, and an arts-town backdrop of galleries and cafes just steps from the sand.
