Strand Beach is the stretch of sand directly below the gated cliff-top development of the same name, accessed by either a long stairway or — much more pleasantly — by a free public funicular that descends the cliffs in glass-walled cabins. The cabin runs from 8am to sunset.
The beach itself is wide and quiet, with consistent surf and far fewer people than Salt Creek to the north or Doheny to the south. Walking south along the sand at low tide reaches the headlands and tide pools below the Headlands Conservation Area; walking north along the bluffs leads through the gated development to Salt Creek. The funicular is one of those small details that makes a trip more interesting than it has any right to be.