In Half Moon Bay, not far from where 92 ends at highway one is perhaps the perfect beach. It has Sand Pacific Ocean Seals Whales Birds Waves Surfers and the best part, only 3 ways in and 3 waysout of this particular beach. Once on the beach you have 30 foot cliff that no dog can climb. Most people and dogs are especially nice. People are there to relax, take in the beach and have a good time. For dogs? It's as though my dog levitates! She knows when we're going to the beach. She asks to go every day but that's not possible yet. The best part is that it's not far from home. I say, get to any beach. My family, Trixie and I can't get enough of this beach. Also, every summer, there are a couple of surf camps for kids! Yes, my son attended a bunch of those camps and will for the rest of his life have a love for being in the ocean, riding a surfboard! A few really great restaurants near by too! read more

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Went here the moss beach was a bust. Oh how refreshing it is to come here and see the waves and the people with their surfboards. The ocean breeze was refreshing and we got to walk on the pathway . Flowers are abound at the side of the beach. It was windy but not too sunny. read more

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Stunning! That's exactly how I would describe Surfer's Beach. My first time at a beach in HMB and this one did not disappoint. It's located in a great area surrounding Sam's Chowder House Restaurant, a local deli store, a liquor store, and many more options. There is packing along the Highway 1 and a parking lot across the street from the beach, so be careful crossing the street. Mr. and I did a day trip to HMB and to wind down, I decided to treat us to dinner on the beach, you know, some wine and dinner with a beautiful sunset on the beach. Although he gave me some grief about it as the beach had a lot of people, we were able to find a secluded place to relax that was away from many people along with a great view. I noticed that this beach is popular for surfers and boogie boarders! Hence the name of the beach: wink-wink! It was great to watch them while enjoying our dinner. Be aware that it does get windy on this beach so make sure to bring layers if you are planning to stay awhile. We had a great time being able to watch the kids and dog playing in the water, along with the birds. There's also a view of the harbor and Mavericks off in the distance. Things to know: -The public bathroom is a good walk away, so give yourself time to find it and don't wait until the last minute. -If you need to use the bathroom, Safeway offers bathrooms for the public. -Across the street, there is a half-pipe skate ramp you can use. -This park is dog-friendly and kid-friendly. -This place makes for wonderful views of the sunset! -Close to the highway I loved this beach and would recommend anyone to check it out. I am happy to say that I will be back to explore more of what HMB has to offer; also, those views of the sunset are to DIE FOR! read more

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By the Sea by Emily Dickinson I started early, took my dog, And visited the sea; The mermaids in the basement Came out to look at me. And frigates in the upper floor Extended hempen hands, Presuming me to be a mouse Aground, upon the sands. But no man moved me till the tide Went past my simple shoe, And past my apron and my belt, And past my bodice too, And made as he would eat me up As wholly as a dew Upon a dandelion's sleeve - And then I started too. And he - he followed close behind; I felt his silver heel Upon my ankle, - then my shoes Would overflow with pearl. Until we met the solid town, No man he seemed to know; And bowing with a mighty look At me, the sea withdrew. read more

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We had a beautiful day here. Parking was a little crazy but we found a good spot. The beach was very nice and clean. Not too crowded at all and the people we did see were very friendly. We decided to go here because it is dog friendly. We kept our dogs on a leash but we ran into a few others who didn't have their dogs leashed. Didn't have a problem with any other dogs but I see how it could turn into one if someone had aggressive dogs. We had a great time and will be returning. read more

This is a small coaster beach where the surfers gather to catch the wave and ride. I came here to kill some time before I had to meet with my party in half moon bay. The weather was a solid 80 degrees sunny with some overcast tendencies. I threw down a yoga mat and relaxed with my feet in the sand- ended up dozing off for a little nap. The people at the park were friendly but let me be in my own relaxation fix. It was the perfect relaxation that I needed before a night of working a show. Parking is kind of crazy so you will need to park across the way in a beat up dirt parking lot and play chicken with the road to cross and get to the beach- but it sure is worth it. read more

MY BOOGIE BOARDING HAVEN There are lots of outdoor activities people such as walking, biking, running, and fishing. You can add boogie boarding to that list. When I was an adolescent my uncle took me and my cousins to this beach. We were young and foolish when we tried to body surf without any wetsuit. From that moment something about this beach attracted me. Maybe it was because it was an easy drive from my parents' place, which is about 45 minutes away. When I picked up the hobby of boogie boarding the only place I boogie board is this beach. I don't go boogie boarding often. Certain days that I go boogie boarding are Memorial Weekend, on a Friday (if I take a day off from work), my birthday, or in between in the week from Christmas to New Year's. (OK call me stupid for boogie boarding in the icy waters of Half Moon Bay during winter.) Going to this beach to boogie board is relaxing for me as it takes away the stress I have at work. It's a small beach that has intimate appeal. Even on the days where there is a lot of people the crowd isn't overcrowding. My favorite time to go boogie boarding is on a cloudy day where there isn't a lot of people at the beach. It could just be me and the waves as I'm enjoying nature. Yes the Half Moon Bay water is cold yet the environment is serene as there's not overcrowding of surfers or boogie boarders in the water. This beach isn't a glamorous beach as those in Southern California or Hawaii yet it is appropriately named, where it is a haven for those who want to surf or boogie board to be part of nature. read more

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if you're a new surfer or just want something relaxed, come here! It's a nice beach for kids just to run around and newbie surfers to learn. There is a surfing camp that comes here every summer and they're always having a great time :) read more

The most beautiful day I've ever seen in Half Moon Bay was spent walking on this lovely beach. Park on Highway One and make like frogger to get to the beach. Don't worry, just inch your way to the middle and if the dude doesn't look like he'll stop, just dart across the street. Jaywalking is awesome. Too bad it's illegal. Walking on this beach on this day was like a postcard engrained into my head. The unusually warm weather that day was enough to remember for quite some time. Walk all the way down the beach, near the restaurants, and venture into some of the neighborhood of a kajillion dollar homes and oogle at their beauty. For a second, you can dream that one of these days when you win the lotto, I'm gonna buy that pretty little beach house in the corner. Be sure to pick up after yourself you litter bugs! read more

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"Try to act like a local" my niece advises me before heading out into the surf. Well I wouldn't want to embarrass her now, would I?? My sister lives within walking distance of Surfer's Beach so we usually end up here at some point during my visits, whether we are walking the dogs, boogie boarding, or surfing. By surfing I really mean flailing around in the water trying not to piss off the other surfers, but hey, at least I get out there. Last weekend was one of those rare warm weekends on the coast (when all the East Bay-ers flock to the beach). The surf was almost nonexistent & the water was about 50 degrees but we didn't care. I try to get in the ocean as much as I can when I visit cuz I just love it! Plus I invested in a wetsuit & boogie board a few years ago & HMB is the only place they get used. I was out there a good hour & a half with my bro-in-law & niece & we had a ball. My hands & head were numb after 10 minutes so it actually felt warm to me. Can't wait to go again! read more

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I've have been to Half Moon Bay countless times but Surfer's Beach is something I've never been able to check out. The invitation from Els was a hike with her and Miklos, I thought, it may be a good idea since we haven't been hiking in a while. I agreed but then of course this hiking double date turned out to be a stroll in beach with our loverlies. We drove from Barbara's fish Trap to the Pillar Point Harbor, I know right? Really good hiking. We attempted to park as close as we could but the parking area was full so we ended parking a little bit farther. The walk from where we parked was pretty good, it made our arm pits sweat, but that's about it. We walked on the beach towards the end of harbor and walked back on the upper trail on our way back. It was fun and this beach is really nice. I would totally come back here for sun bathing on a warm day, it is secluded enough and the view is amazing. read more

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After exploring the tide pools down the street, we took the kids here to play for a little bit. We parked on the street where all the other cars were parked and crossed the street. Easily accessible from the street, just a few steps and you are already stepping on the sand. The kids enjoyed themselves as they played in the soft sand. I liked how the waves were high farther down the ocean but smaller near the sand. Furthermore, this beach is perfect for boogie boards since the waves of water come out really far. I especially liked how I can sit on the rocks while keeping a close watch on the kids. I was able to walk down the sand but couldn't stay in that FREEZING water for too long. I don't know how the kids were able to do it, but my feet were numb after a few minutes of being in the water. **On the day we went (May 2014), there was a lot of back substance coating the sand near the rocks and street. Not sure what it was, kinda looked like oil. If you see it be careful as it's kinda slippery. read more

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It's small. It's crowded on weekends. Parking is a nightmare. Lots of rocks in the water you May or may not see. Water is not the cleanest due to proximity to working harbor. Plus the people who visit on the weekend trash the crap outta what beach there is! Nicer beaches further south on hwy. 1. Beautiful places just waiting to be discovered. Makes me sad that there is no way visitors to the coast are so incredibly inconsiderate as to leave trash everywhere in their wake! read more

We stared out at the Pillar Point and after walking around there and getting our picture fix there, we wanted to do the obligatory walk on the beach. Situated a bit south of Sam's Chowder house is indeed cars lining both sides of the street and you really do have to watch out for the peeps crossing the busy Hwy 1. We found a spot on the opposite side, and found ourselves playing frogger as well. But most peeps seem to know the game, and many drivers kindly stopped to let the pedestrians (namely us too) cross unharmed. The first striking thing is the view into the ocean, local birds, the boulders lining shore. Once getting down there we found a couple of boulders to sit on and just enjoyed people and nature watching and listening to the surf. Some parts of the sand on this beach does have a black kind of sand with glittery gold flecks in it. Now the bad part, getting down to the shore, and getting back up to the street. There seems to be 3 ways. 1) going down to the stop light walking the "trail" down to the shore. 2) going down a steep caved in area by a sign before getting to the stoplight. 3) climbing down the boulders. No way I was going down the boulders, and I wasn't sure if I could navigate the steep incline that most people opted for. We went the trail, and there were parts of that trail that were precariously narrow. I imagine this beach is part of the State Beaches, if so PLEASE BUILD SOME SAFE STEPS. If not HMB or El Granada, PLEASE BUILD SOME SAFE STEPS. There were even a few young peeps in bare feet that traversed the boulders. My feet hurt for them...lol. I got pics of the boulders, but didn't think to get that precarious slope. Perhaps a regular visitor will post one soon. Not too crowded early in the day. Got busier later with mostly sun bathers and folks just chillin on the beach. A few surfers catching some of the waves. Most peeps did a good job of picking up their garbage with only one or two bottle caps spotted during our walk. Constant cool breeze from the sea I loved, wifey, not so much. lol We really would like to visit here again, but I'm getting older, and without a safer way to get up and down the slope itself, I'll probably pass. Frogger I can play, lol, especially with kind drivers. read more

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Surfer's beach. The Jetty. That's beach where surfers and beach go'ers park on the shoulder of the 1 and run across playing a true to life game of frogger. This was where I cut my teeth learned how to surf oh so many moons ago, still because of memories that I have attached to this place, it holds a great space in my heart. While the surf here can very inconsistent, most of the time the surf conditions will be relatively tiny to flat as a lake; and often potential surf is spoiled by the really shallow beach break. Although every now and then, with the right SW to W swell, with NE to E wind direction usually with a incoming high tide are my preferred times to rip. I prefer to tuck in closer to the jetty which makes for a nice little right. (It's that big rocky area that sticks out and separates us from the harbor.) Most of the surfers I've meet out in the water for the most part are a pretty friendly bunch, on some level they may view it as the school of fish mentality, a few more surfers in the lineup, the lower the chances of running into a bigger fish, that or you no longer have to out swim a shark, just swim faster then the slowest surfer. It is worth saying while I haven't had any issues with localism at this beach, if you are still new to surfing you might want to sit a little further outside as some of the more advanced surfers in this area might not like you learning near them. Plus closer to the beach break there are several rock formations that will really ding up you or your surfboard. So if you are new to surfing and/or don't feel like combating the crowds you sometimes get in certain parts of Pacifica, sometimes on a few rare days, this is worth a stop to check out, unstrapping the board and running across the freeway and surfing for a few hours battling hypothermia. Some people come here for some beach life, (believe me it is nothing compared to beach life in SOCAL.) picnics, field trips and even photo ops. But regardless of whatever floats your boat, if you drive past here, be kind and yield to the people running across the freeways, they don't like dodging traffic anymore then you would like scraping them off your hood. read more

This place is awesome...located right off the highway. You gotta park on Highway 1...so be extremely careful crossing the street. Love going here! Not many people during the weekdays..maybe they just don't want to risk dodging the cars. Lots of surfers and body boarding going on. This usually takes up the northern side of the beach and if you aren't a local here...keep your children away from this side. These guys take their surf serious. Great to watch them ride the waves. The southern part of this beach is best for those seeking to lay out and catch some rays, build sand castles, have a picnic or just walk along the waters edge. Dogs are welcome here as well. Traffic bites green weenies! The highway consists of two lanes, one northbound and one southbound. All it takes is one fender bender and you might as well park and watch the sunset. It's really hit or miss....50-50 chance you'll be stuck in some sort of traffic jam. Best suggestion....make this an all day trip. Unwind, relax and enjoy the Cali coast. read more

This has become my new surfer school ground. I love the begginer friendly waves that are easy for me to practice on. I love that this beach is not as busy as the main state beach. Now not having a bathroom nearby sucks, but you know all the fish are doing it in the water, why not you? This beach has got me exicted about taking my new board out and fingers crossed I will stand up by the end of this summer. read more

Ey tourists, don't trash our beach. Kooks. PACK YOUR TRASH read more

This is one of my favorite places to surf when the waves are right. Sadly, too many times I've come here only to be disappointed by the complete absence of waves. When it's breaking, the spot is fun. It seems to be best in the winter. Unlike it's big brother, Mavericks, which is nearby, the Jetty is usually pretty manageable and a decent place for all levels of surfers. When Linda Mar is crowded or closing out, this beach can be a great refuge. Not great parking (there's a paid lot or the side of the road) and no showers, but this could be one of your favorite surf spots if you try it out. read more

Waves here are cool. They bounce off of the rock wall, and reflect back for weird peakyness. However, the seal crap can smell really bad here. read more

An amazing beach for the kids, dogs and friends. We go here almost every weekend to let the dog be a dog. He chases waves, birds and dogs. Every dog here is friendly and so are the people. Sometimes it gets a bit cold but that's to be expected for NorCal beaches. There's a lot of room and never super crowded. Check out Mugsy's day at the beach! https://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=130497657042135&comments read more

This is the best place to enter the beaches of Half Moon Bay. Park on the street for free then go down the stairs to access the beach. From there you can walk many miles south on the beach. This beach also allows dogs. read more

No dogs are allowed off leash on Coastside beaches, to my knowledge, and there can be a rank smell near the jetty (on the harbor side) where the water regularly tests positive for e-coli due to run-off, according to San Mateo County Health Department. Pet waste is blamed as an issue yet, many dog owners seem to flagrantly walk their animals off-leash here and elsewhere where the signs are posted. It is a great place to come for recreation such as strolling along the sand, swimming, surfing or a beach picnic. At the Harbor there is a boat ramp launching area so sport fishermen bring their watercraft on trailers and park them after launching their boats to go out on the ocean to fish for the seasonal marine catch. There also is a place that rents kayaks as well. Parking for Surfer's Beach is problematic because many years ago the City of Half Moon Bay elected to paint the West curb red (indicating no parking) along the beach side of Highway One, so now Beach-goers must park on the East side of the Highway and jay-walk across the Highway to enjoy the beach. This is annoying to those drivers sitting in Weekend traffic and dangerous for families toting coolers, beach equipment and chairs plus small children across a busy highway. But, thanks to the City, what choice do they have? Surfers must also cross with their boards as well, but they seem to get across quicker due to habit and acquired jaywalking skills. For many years there were only inaccessible public restrooms, (thanks to the lessor if the RV lot keeping them locked) but there are now some port-a-potties visible from the road, due to continuous complaints. No snack bars, but the nearby El Granada Market, Spanglers, has glorious gourmet treats plus a deli. And there are lots of restaurants at the Harbor as well. read more

Ahhh the jetty. I got much love for the place, where I learned to surf and passed it almost everyday of my life. Even just sitting on the rocks and watchings the sunset with the radar thingy in the backround is an event everyone should experience read more

It was my first beach to surf! I like to come here, as it's not as crowded as Pacifica.

Great beach. Below is a kqed summary re the radioactivity comments http://blogs.kqed.org/newsfix/2014/01/09/a-dose-of-straight-talk-on-fukushima-radiation-rumors/ read more

I go here all the time to surf. This is a fun place, usually less crowded than Linda Mar and less intimidating than Montara. The waves are rarely spectacular, but it's usually a good time as long as you don't mind seals that swim right up to you and a good chance of climbing through a seaweed swamp. read more

Surfing on top of being a cool beach to hangout, what more do I want? Maybe a little more room to stretch out when the tide is high and the crowds are large, but hey, I'm not complaining. Great beach to people watch, and to watch some surf / bodyboarders and to hang out and watch the pelicans that are constantly gliding over the water. Good beach for beginning surfers to learn. read more

Nothing like going to the beach on a semi nice day after days of rain. This is one of the best beaches in Half Moon Bay. This is a great place for kids, dogs and really for everyone who enjoys the water. Tranquility at its best. read more