Solana Beach

Small north San Diego coastal city known for bluff-top beaches and laid-back surf culture.

Solana Beach is a small coastal city in the northern San Diego area, known for its bluff-top setting and laid-back surf culture. The beaches here are less crowded than those further south, and in winter you can spot migrating California gray whales from the clifftops.

Fletcher Cove is the main beach access, with a good break for surfers and tide pools to explore at low tide. The Cedros Avenue Design District, a few blocks inland, has an appealing mix of galleries, boutiques, and restaurants that give the town more character than a typical beach suburb.

Guide

Getting There

Solana Beach station on North Torrey Pines Road is served by Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner (direct trains to Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, and downtown San Diego) and by the COASTER commuter rail (connecting to San Diego's Old Town and downtown). The station is an easy walk or short drive from the beach.

By car from downtown San Diego it is about 25 minutes north on Interstate 5; from Los Angeles about 2.5 hours south. There is no airport in Solana Beach; San Diego International Airport (SAN) is the nearest, about 20 miles south.

Guide

Things to Do

Solana Beach is a small city, and most things to do are beach-related or within easy walking or cycling distance of the coast. Fletcher Cove is the main beach access — a good surf break and, at low tide, some interesting tide pools along the base of the sandstone bluffs. The cliffs above are good vantage points for spotting California gray whales during their southbound migration in December and January and their northbound return in March and April.

The Cedros Avenue Design District, a few blocks inland from the beach, is the most distinctive part of town: a stretch of galleries, furniture showrooms, antique shops, boutiques, and cafes that has genuine character without being over-curated. It is worth an hour of browsing even if you are not buying. The San Elijo Lagoon to the north is one of the largest remaining coastal wetlands in San Diego County — a good spot for birdwatching and kayaking. The Coaster commuter rail and Amtrak stop at Solana Beach station, making it an easy base for exploring the rest of coastal San Diego County.