This is the first time we've actually stopped and parked at Del Mar City Beach. All the other times, we've driven by and peeked at the ocean! Beautiful beach! It's about two miles long. There is a lifeguard, bathrooms, showers, picnic tables, and more. The area is beautiful and clean. The restaurants around are on the upscale side. The beach is in three different sections. The main area is the swimming pool, parks, brand new surfers. North part is the dog beach. South is where the surfers are. Parking is metered street parking. You can go to residential areas and find a free spot. Look for the signs and read carefully. Overall, a beautiful view of the ocean. It's very relaxing. There's ocean view dining around if you prefer. read more

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One of my favorite beaches. You do have to pay to park but it is worth it. I love that they allow dogs and it is clean and not overly crowded. The water is shallow at some areas so its great for dogs. They also have a volly ball area as well. I came here with my pup and one other person and we stayed for awhile to hang out. It was super comfortable and everyone was super nice including the dogs. It's a lovely beach and will definitely be back. read more

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One of my favorite beaches in San Diego. I only like to go to North County beaches. Haha I've been living here for years, actually -- all my life -- and it's just a consistently good beach! It's clean, lifeguards are cool, there are clean showers and restrooms. Just perfect. TBH to me, parking has always been easy. If you're a local and know there is free street parking in the neighborhood - boom. However, it could be a little wait sometimes as it can be limited but I've always been lucky and found easy parking. read more

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Beautiful beach with lush grass, playground for kids, and picnic tables. Dogs are allowed on the beach and the area is kept quite clean. Great place to hang out and lots of restaurants and eateries within walking distance. The water can be quite crowded with surfers, especially on the weekends. Make sure you are swimming in the correct area as some areas are for surfing only! read more

Best kept secret beach in San Diego. Not really. Vasly 2 mile sandy beach with plenty of parking. ( go find street parking). Dog friendly and human friendly too. Lifeguard tower, clean restroom facility, beautifully maintained grass and clean sand. Park and barefoot walk to the sand. Surf and beach game and swimming. And so close to freeway that you might not expected. Perfect for morning walk. read more

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perfect beach to chill out and read a book on a pretty day! Came here after breakfast with a few friends and then just hung out at the beach for a bit before heading home. perfect beach and relaxing day ! def recommend del mar beach! read more

Beach time in Del Mar, San Diego, California... After lunch, my college classmate wanted to walk on the beach with me. I asked her if we can step into the water. She warned me that it will be cold. Okay... Yes... It's COLD! The breeze was so chilly that I got my jacket from the car. The water felt icy! The wind on my wet feet made me think that my feet were frozen! Haha! I appreciate that there's metered street parking and free parking in the residential area across the street. There's an outdoor shower near the Powerhouse Community Building. There was no shower by the steps that lead from the street at the "Access" sign to the beach. Overall, it was a fun adventure! My classmate said that it's more beautiful during sunset time! read more

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My first time coming out to Del Mar State Beach over the weekend. Its a nice San Diego County beach i feel underrated, and more people should come here to visit. Its right off of the 5 freeway just a few minutes away from Downtown San Diego. Nice places to eat and jog over here. Their waves can be powerful at time for surfing here. Right near the Del Mar Race Track too. You get to have fun of both worlds in Del Mar. Lots of weddings are performed here, and family events. So, we had fun here, and i recommend you at least stop by here once in your lifetime. read more

This beach is perfect for watching sunsets, picnics, grunion runs... pretty much anything. It's wide and long and usually not too crowded. The sand is soft but supportive enough for a beach run and has enough hold to bury your pup. My dog relaxes while buried because the sand probably feels like a weighted blanket. And with the sound of the waves, it feels like heaven on earth. read more

Del Mar City Beach - Beaches Near Me - Del Mar, California

My 2nd favorite beach in SD. Very crowded with limited parking but it's worth the trouble. Near many famous restaurants. Attended a sound bath hosted by Del Mar beach hotel and it was divine. This is probably one of the best San Diego beaches for family-style beach recreation. There is a lifeguard tower at 17th Street, as well as restrooms and showers there. If you were to stay at Fairmont Grand Del Mar, The Grand Beach Services brings hotel guests to this San Diego beach at 18th Street. read more

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Beautiful beach that is within walking distance to many great restaurants and shops! The beach is more of a scenic location, for strolls along the sand and surfing, and not so much for swimming. We encountered a lot of people walking along the beach and surfers catching the big waves, but only saw a few swimmers scattered here and there. read more

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Wanted to write one last review from our time in San Diego this past summer for Del Mar City Beach. Mark H's nephew's family lives in SD and goes to this beach often. There's a main park area, Powerhouse Park, that a lot of people go to but many locals head farther down where all the zillion dollar homes are and go to the beach down there instead. I think it was around 22nd or 23rd Street. There are public rights of ways that you can access the beach from. I'm a water baby, having grown up in the water catching waves, spearfishing, shore casting etc etc but have actually never been in the water outside the hawaiian island chain. What a treat it was to be able to borrow a body board and get into the water here to catch some waves. I LOVED IT! Most of the swimmers/surfers had wet suits on but to me the water was the perfect temp, I think high 60s low 70s maybe. I was just in board shorts and it was great. Cool, clear water that just felt refreshing and clean...and being able to ride some waves on top of that, I was in heaven. read more

Del Mar City Beach - Beaches Near Me - Del Mar, California

I was pleasantly surprised to find this is a dog friendly beach! There were so many dogs! There weren't too many people on a Sunday which was awesome, and even with the people who were there, there is enough sand that every group was spaced out, not crowded next to each other. The beach was beautiful, the sand was clean and really had no sticks, rocks, or other dangerous things in it. Beautiful place! read more

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This is the best beach. If you go to 25th street there is a lifeguard and bathrooms. Great beach. Not much parking options.

Beautiful beach with a park and grassy areas to sit. All dogs must be on leash and other activities are determined by the weather/ current etc. yellow green and red flags are placed to let people know which activities are allowed and where. read more

This is a great beach and most importantly it sure is clean. I started my adventure on the north side of the beach next to the San Dieguito River. I favor this northern park of the beach given it's more picturess and it's near dog beach. Not to say the Powerhouse Park, on the other end, is not a nice place, because it is. It's good for families with its restrooms, picnic tables, water, and playground. There's a few for parking in the parking lots. The beach sand is nice and so is the view out to the Pacific Ocean. read more

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Beautiful beach, very clean and lots of space to sit back and relax. Plenty of benches and tables if you want to picnic or even space on the sand. It was pretty crowded when we went (and it was after 6pm). I am not much of a beach runner so I wish there was a little more space to take a walk around the beach but still great place to hang out. We've been for the Rudolph 5k around Christmas time and you walk on the sand, lots of fun. Again very relaxing and actually quiet of you are looking for a place to just chill read more

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A great city beach!!!! This is one of the nicest beaches I have been to and I'm from LA! It was very clean and beauo!! There were a lot of people at the beach when I went on a Monday afternoon, but it didn't feel crowded. It was a beautiful place to watch the sunset! The most difficult part was the parking but I was able to find some street parking a few blocks away. Then I was able to walk the adjoining park and down to the beach. The beach is dog friendly and a must see on a visit to San Diego! read more

Del Mar City Beach - Beaches Near Me - Del Mar, California

I have had a long time love affair with Del Mar's city beaches. The first house that I moved into on my own dime was right up the hill within walking distance and I took full advantage. I had no idea how fortunate I was until years later when I moved up the coast and had to try and park my car to enjoy this fine beach. A sandy coastline makes walking enjoyable, however the ocean harbors reefs that help build up great waves for surfing. This is a beach lover's paradise with easy access from the street. It can get a bit crowded, especially during peak season or Santa Ana wind conditions. People know a good thing and they love the place where the turf meets the surf in Del Mar. read more

My favorite beach in the San Diego area. It's very pretty here, there's a grassy park here with no sand so if I'm not feeling like getting sandy, I don't have to :) and if I want to I can just go down to the sand. Best of both worlds! So the parking could potentially be a problem. If you go during peak hours, you might not be able to find free parking. Also, there are some spots that have a time limit (usually 2 hours) so gotta keep that in mind. Other than that, it's the perfect beach and I enjoy going here. :) read more

I'm not a beach person mainly because I find most beaches (on the East Coast at least) jam-packed, rowdy, and extremely unsanitary. However, I loved this beach because it was the cleanest I had ever seen! Very well-kept. We did a coastal drive in a convertible from Gaslamp and ended up here. The drive itself was very scenic. Even though it was overcast, this place still took my breath away. If only I could visit more often! read more

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PROS: nice view of the sunset and connected to the Torrey pines mountain. Water wasn't that rough either CONS: small amount of parking, small amount of sand making this beach tiny, baseball size rocks cover this beach too OVERALL: I wouldn't recommend coming to this beach, but if you're near here might as well come and see read more

Del Mar is a really nice "under the radar" beach, which makes it somewhat of a locals spot. Just park your car in the neighborhoods somewhere, find an opening at the end of one of the cul-de-sacs, and voila, you're on the sand. Unless you hang out by the main lifeguard tower, there aren't amenities really to speak of, but sometimes, that's kind of the point. You can watch the locals walk their dogs up and down the sand (not sure if it's legal, but it appears to be tolerated) while you enjoy the sun, surf, and sand, and not much else is needed. Oh, and ogling the eight figure homes... or perhaps I should say third or fourth homes... Is also entertaining. I hope the owners truly appreciate the beautiful setting, since they pay so much for it. As for me, I'm satisfied with a few hours now and then for the bargain price of nothing. read more

Del Mar City Beach is a clean beach that is picturesque.~ -perfect for those "long walks on the beach". -watch the amazing sunset with great views -fine dining nearby -perfect for surfers, swimmers, or those who prefer to just layout -escape the real world for a moment, and take it all in here! A while back I parked by "Seagrove Park" and came in the early summer evening.. went towards this beach and decided to be creative.. climbed up an empty lifeguard tower and posted up with a little sunset picnic. Beautiful Del Mar!! read more

Del Mar City Beach - Birds flying over the coast - Beaches Near Me - Del Mar, California

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Beautiful beach. Dog friendly and not too crowded. But it will be crowded on pony race days.

How could anyone not love this beach!? It's beautiful and so relaxing even on a busy weekend. I love the ease of parking which is reasonably priced and the distance to get to the beach from wherever you end up parking is very short. Lifeguards are present and I feel safe whenever I'm here, compared to other beaches that I've visited in San Diego. The homes are amazing too! I love seeing new ones being built or older ones getting renovated. Always good times and fun under the sun here at the Del Mar City Beach. Can't wait for winter to be over... read more

What a fantastic beach and coastline! Can't put the beauty into words. You must come by and see for yourself. What doesn't suck, is all the cute surfers too!! :) read more

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Visiting from Virginia I had the pleasure getting to know Del Mar beach extensively. It was late July when I came here with the fam bam. The water was cool, the sun was warm and plenty of beach goers were doing salt life things. I was about waste deep wading in the water when I felt a slippery serpent slithering across my legs. Not knowing what the foreign object was I made a hastily retreat back to the shoreline. After about two minutes I decided to go back in the water unaware of the danger that lurked within. Walking just passed the first break of waves, it was then I realized I made a terrible mistake. The next step I took was the one I'll remember for life. Bang! I felt a sudden sharp piercing impact in my foot. Confusion quickly turned to panic and fear as I ran to sore on one leg toward my mates. I got there and took a first glance at my foot. To my dismay, a gushing stream of blood came pouring out of my inside foot. My family quickly ran for help (the younger ones grabbed their phones to take pictures smh). The first life guard on site bent over with eyes wide open and said "gnarly, were going to get you help" to which I replied, I thought you were the help! A second lifeguard quickly arrived on a 4x4 with medic kit. He to was impressed with the amount of bleeding. Almost too impressed to the point I was losing confidence...and consciousness, mostly from the pain. At this point the venom had completely made its way through my leg and I was feeling a tremendous amount of intense pain. A sharp, fiery, deeply intense pain. The lifeguards wheeled me in their quarters where I spent 2 hours on baywatch while the pain subsided. If you want a beach with high energy, great waves, amazing sunsets, and lifeguards that will take care of you if you get stung by a stingray, there's no better beach than Del Mar. read more

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Beautiful place to watch a sunset The beach is always clean, no piles of seaweed Sand is soft, no rocks or pebbles (not like in Torrey Pines) You are most likely to find parking near 24th or 25th streets, there is also a small paid lot but its always full. Its a very family oriented beach, lots of kids The Del Mar beach is connected to the dog beach Grassy area in front of the beach is great for a day picnic and strolls read more

Del Mar City Beach - Beaches Near Me - Del Mar, California

There is a lot to like about Del Mar, shopping, dining and spectacular views. This just isn't a beach I go to very often! This beach has limited parking (so arrive early) and parking in lots can be very expensive. If you can snag street parking remember to bring enough change for the meter. This beach is insanely crowded. There are tons of people and I just don't find it very relaxing. It has some great amenities like a restroom and a playground for the kiddos so there are some perks. I feel like I've been in San Diego too long if I'm giving a beach three stars, but if you want something more low key with better parking and less people check out Pacific Beach or even pop up to Oceanside! If you want some hustle and bustle than this is the beach for you! read more

What a glorious beach! There are beautiful places to sit and relax. There are places to hike up above and look out. There is even a section in Del Mar that qualifies as a dog beach for furry friends. read more

I love this beach! The sand is so bright and clean! If you want California style photo shoot with beach and gorgeous view of coastline - this is a great spot! Be careful with a railroad, trains are so fast and silent sometimes :) read more

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Great spot for morning walks or taking the kids to boogie board. Family friendly and fun! read more

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Lovely beach with ample space... However I had a hard time finding free parking. Everything that appeared free was taken (Tuesday afternoon). There were tons of metered spaces however they weren't cheap. There was a public parking lot nearby inside a housing complex (follow the signs) that was $2.00/hour and I thought that was too much so I drove closer to the beach. Those meters asked for $3.00/hour but I just gave in. I still prefer Solana Beach as it has more sand space and more free parking options (at least that's how it seemed when I came). read more

I was staying at a hotel nearby and decided to walk here to see the sunset. It ended up being quite a treacherous walk down a steep slope but was well worth it! I got to see a spectacular sunset, the colors were amazing! read more

This beach encompasses the area from 15th st. near Seagrove Park and Powerhouse park, all the way to the north towards Del Mar Dog beach. We parked the car at nearby Jake's Del Mar restaurant and took a romantic walk cliff side over looking the ocean. The bonus is a walking path which leads to a small garden and then onto the (unfenced!!) train tracks. The bf and I had fun walking along the tracks, but watch your kids closely: that Amtrak train barreling at you with speeds greater than 35mph will definitely ruin your day. (and the rest of your days after that ...) What I love most about this beach is the expensive homes that line the bluffs. Beautiful to look at and made me jealous that I'll never be able to afford one. Thank you for making me feel poor, Del Mar. read more

I enjoyed people watching. Nice friendly beach, very kind people. Many older couples taking walks along the waves. Even got a chance to see an older cute couple take the cutest coolest selfie read more

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Such a beautiful beach! We were in town with family and this was the closest beach to their hotel so we spent the afternoon here and had a wonderful time. White sandy beach, not too busy either, plenty of room to spread out. Easy and free parking if you take the time to look and be patient a bit. The views here are amazing, close to the downtown area of Del Mar and they have public bathrooms as well. Very well maintained and a great stop while passing through the area! read more

Fun in the sun. Pristine water. Lots of people... (and hard to find parking). Poseidon restaurant. Surfers, body boarders, and swimmers enjoying the waves. Sunbathers lounging in warm sand. A nice walk up to Dog Beach. Great day in Del Mar. read more

What can I say?? It was an awesome day on the beach at Del Mar. All the summer crowds were gone, 90 degrees out and not a cloud in the sky! I spend the afternoon strolling with my girlfriend and watching the surfers catching some pretty nice waves. No better place to spend a Sunday afternoon. read more

Del Mar City Beach - Beaches Near Me - Del Mar, California