Containing the city of Santa Cruz, Monterey Bay is the largest region of the central coast and contains some of the most diverse beaches. City-front beaches, state parks and popular surf-casting beaches are among the more than dozen beaches that stretch along the region's coast. Some of the most popular beaches include Monterey State Beach, which is the region's largest single beachfront, and San Carlo Beach, which is popular among scuba divers. Other notable beaches include Seaside, which features giant white sand dunes, and Big Sur, which has wild beaches that you can only get to by hiking.
Located just south of the Monterey Bay region, San Luis Obispo is smaller and has fewer beach opportunities, though it still delivers in terms of beach variety and opportunities. Pismo State Beach allows for hiking, swimming, fishing and surfing, and it also is home to the largest colony of over-wintering monarch butterflies in the United States. There is even a wheelchair-accessible fishing overhang right over the water. Other San Luis Obispo beaches include the W.R. Hearst Memorial State Beach, which features a 495-foot pier, and the Cayucos State Beach, which hosts historical buildings that now serve as specialty shops.
The Santa Barbara region is the second largest of the California central coast, and it also features a number of notable beaches. Three of the beaches are also state parks: Refugio, Gaviota and El Capitan. Besides these, eight other official beaches mark this region, including West Beach, which typically hosts sporting events, and City Beach, where city crowds flock to on nice days.
The southernmost central coast region, the Channel Islands feature mainland coastlines and five islands that are surrounded by beaches and are protected as a National Park region. Travelers can visit both remote and well-traveled beaches. The National Park Service even offers Santa Rosa Island as a place to camp directly on a 55-mile stretch of undeveloped coastline, though this kind of beach camping is sometimes restricted if deemed dangerous for local wildlife. On the region's other beaches, travelers can expect typical California coastline staples like fishing piers, white beaches and prime surfing conditions.
