Ever since moving to SoCal in early 2021, I made it my mission to find the most Instagram-worthy beaches in Southern California from down in San Diego up to LA. I have compiled my favorites here, in order to help you plan your next beach day whenever you find yourself in Southern California.
Considering that I was lucky enough to be born and raised in Hawaii, I tend to consider myself an expert in scouting out the most photogenic beaches wherever I go. Maybe I am a bit of a beach snob, but I find beach days so much more enjoyable when the beach I am visiting is unique and/or gorgeous and/or secluded, etc. This goes for any type of beach day, whether I am there to enjoy lounging in the sun, to explore, or just to take some Instagram-worthy beach photos. If you see any spots you would like to check out yourself, feel free to pin this post on Pinterest to refer back to in the future!
Heisler Park, Laguna Beach
Shop My Favorite Dresses
Oh, Heisler Park. If I had to pick just one beach on this entire list of the most Instagram-worthy beaches in Southern California to recommend, it would be Heisler Park in Laguna Beach. No matter what you are looking for from a trip to the beach, Heisler Park has it.
When it comes to taking photos, there are SO many Instagram-worth spots to shoot. You could seriously spend a whole morning here exploring and shooting multiple outfits if you needed to. My personal favorite spots to take photos here are on the stairs that lead down to the beach, and among the rock formations on the beach. If I had to recommend my favorite time to take photos here, I would definitely say go in the morning. Not only is it easier to find parking, but the angle of the sun really brings out the varied blue tones in the water.
Good For:
Photography, Families, Surfing and watching Surfers, Exploring Tide Pools, Picnics both on the beach and on the grassy area in the park, Swimming, Working Out, Public Restrooms and Shower
Not Great For:
The Beach – There isn’t much sand to work with, so it can get crowded!
Parking – Parking spaces go quickly here, especially on afternoons and weekends. Parking is also metered.
Victoria Beach Pirate Tower, Laguna Beach
Shop My Favorite Dresses
If I had to pick the most unique beach out of all of the ones listed in this post, Victoria Beach and the Pirate Tower would be #1. I mean, don’t the above photos speak for themselves? If this isn’t one of the most Instagram-worthy beaches in southern California, I don’t know what is. The tower was constructed as a personal beach access for a wealthy LA senator in the 1920’s. It got its name and pirate associations from the second owner of the house and tower, a retired Navy Admiral who was obsessed with pirates, who used to dress as a pirate and leave gold coins around the tower to entertain neighborhood children.
Aside from the tower, Victoria Beach itself is very large and family-friendly. The best time of day to shoot the tower is at golden hour in the afternoon, but you may need to be patient if you choose to go then as it is a very popular photography spot. You can’t go inside the tower itself as it is closed to the public, but it is still fun to admire from a distance. There is also a beautiful man-made circular tide pool that looks incredible at high tide. Check out images of it here.
To get to the tower, you need to park on the PCH as the access is located in a residential area with ZERO legal public parking spots. Park on the PCH as close as you can to the intersection at McAulay Place. From your car, walk along McAuley Place until you hit Victoria Drive and make a right. Before you hit the next cross street, Sunset Terrace, you will see a blink-and-you-miss-it public staircase wedged between two houses. Walk down to the bottom of the stairs and take a right to walk past a large rock formation, the tower will be right there!
Good For:
Photography, Families (at actual Victoria Beach), Beach Volleyball, Exploring the Pirate Tower, Picnics and Laying Out
Not Great For:
Parking – There are ZERO legal parking options near the beach access. The beach is in the middle of a residential area that is closely patrolled for illegal parking. Your only option is to park on the PCH and walk 5-10 minutes down to the beach.
Restrooms – I have only been to Victoria Beach briefly a few times, but didn’t notice any public restrooms on the main beach.
Crescent Bay Beach, Laguna Beach
I have only been to Crescent Bay Beach once and only for a short period of time, but I have been meaning to go back ever since. It’s rare to find a beach with such a huge amount of “sand square footage” as I like to think if it, but that still feels very secluded. To sweeten the deal, there are public restrooms which makes it much easier to spend a day here.
As for taking photos, in my opinion the most beautiful photo to shoot here is with the palm trees and cliffs towards the left of the beach in the background. In order to capture this background in all of it’s glory, I would recommend visiting in the afternoon, especially during golden hour. Here are some more images of this beach, as in the photo on the far left I visited in the morning and wasn’t very happy with the lighting in any of my photos. The two photos on the right are from a later trip to Crescent Bay Point Park, which overlooks Crescent Bay Beach. It is an absolutely gorgeous little park and if you are looking to get an incredible view of Crescent Bay, this is how you get it.
Good For:
Photography, Families, Surfing, Exploring Tide Pools, Picnics and Laying Out, Swimming, Public Restrooms and shower
Not Great For:
Parking – There are very few legal parking options near the beach access. The beach is in the middle of a residential area that is closely patrolled for illegal parking. There are a handful of legal spots along the side of the road when you first pull off the PCH, but if those are taken your best option is to park on the PCH and walk 5-10 minutes down to the beach.
Seagulls – Now before you laugh, out of all of the beaches listed here, I have never in my life been so heavily harassed by seagulls as I was at this beach. Maybe I was there on an unlucky day, but I didn’t even have food on me but there were at least five of them that kept creeping up to within a few feet of me to check out my camera gear and my flip flops! I must have looked crazy shooing them away every 30 seconds.
Crystal Cove State Park, Laguna Beach
If you are looking for a more rugged and natural beauty background for your next photoshoot, Crystal Cove State Park is the location for you. As the name suggests, it is a California State Park and therefore it does have a reasonable entrance fee. Two main bonuses of this park is that it looks good at almost any time of day, and there is ample parking. It is important to note however, that the beach accesses to get down to the water are full-blown walking trails. If you are down for a walk, then this will be fine for you! I was able to walk in my wedge heels, shown above, no problem! But don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Good For:
Photography, Families, Exploring the State Park Trails, Picnics and laying out, Swimming, Working Out, Public Restrooms and Shower, Easy Parking
Not Great For:
Entrance Fee – Because Crystal Cove is a State Park, there is an entrance fee. It is reasonable, especially if you are planning on spending the day there.
Beach Accessibility – If you want to go all the way down to the beach, be prepared for a bit of a hike. The paths are mostly paved and covered in sand. The way down isn’t bad, but if you have someone with limited mobility in your group, the steep and long hill to get back up to the restrooms and parking lot is really intense. This also can make it inconvenient to take trips to the bathroom.
Table Rock Beach, Laguna Beach
When I first wrote this article, I stated that Heisler Park was my favorite beach on this list. I have since visited Table Rock Beach and now I am not 100% sure which one is my favorite. While Heisler Park has much better amenities than Table Rock, as someone who loves photography and adventure, Table Rock Beach is a very close second. Something about the house at the end of the beach that clings onto the cliff face reminds me of limbo in the movie Inception, and fills me with a sense of magic and wonder. There are also SO many cool spots to shoot on this beach that I didn’t have time to capture before sunset. I would honestly say it has just as many incredible backgrounds to take advantage of as Heisler Park. I seriously can’t wait to go back.
Good For:
Photography – Table Rock beach is now in my top 3 favorite beaches to photograph in SoCal. Seriously, you need o visit at sunset and experience the magic. It is also great for exploring rock formations, having picnics and laying out.
Not Great For:
Parking – Just like Victoria Beach Beach, the ONLY parking option is to park on the PCH and go on a bit of a walk to the beach access and then down a lot of stairs. There is pretty limited parking along the PCH, and if you have anyone with you that has mobility issues this could be a pretty intense walk back up the stairs. It might also be difficult for young children.
Swimming – I struck up a conversation with the lifeguard on duty and he warned me that most of the year, there is a very dangerous current that swimmers can very easily get swept up in, regardless of swimming experience. Coming from someone who was born and raised swimming in all kinds of sketchy areas when growing up in Hawaii, I took one look at the water and immediately didn’t feel comfortable getting in. The rock formations and shape of the beach form a funnel that fills and empties very quickly with the tides.
Restrooms – There are no public restrooms at this beach.
Oceanside Beach and Oceanside Pier
Shop My Favorite Swimsuits
If I had to choose the beach with the biggest variety of photo opportunities on this list, Oceanside would be it. There are endless possibilities for beautiful photo backgrounds, from lifeguard towers, to palm trees, Oceanside Pier, a row of pink cottages, and more, making it without a doubt one of the most Instagram-worthy beaches in Southern California! You can also easily walk over to the very cute Oceanside Harbor for even more Instagram-worthy moments. I live very close to Oceanside Beach so I visit often, and if you are a fellow photography lover you will be pleased to know that there is no bad time of day to take photos here. You will always have a cute photo opportunity with good lighting.
Seriously, if you are visiting SoCal I would highly recommend spending a day in Oceanside. It has a great foodie scene, lots of places to grab drinks, and a generally really relaxed vibe.
Good For:
Photography, Families, Surfing and watching Surfers, Picnics and laying out, Working Out, Public Restrooms and Shower, Exploring the Pier, Staying at a hotel or beach cottage on the beach
Not Great For:
Parking – Parking is very easy to find, but all of it is metered.
Restrooms – Oceanside Beach covers a pretty long stretch – from one end to the other it is 3 miles long. In that whole expanse, there are a handful of public restrooms. If you are planning on spending all day at the beach, be careful to pick a spot within a reasonable walking distance of the closest restroom.
Moonlight Beach, Encinitas
If you are in the Carlsbad/Encinitas area and are looking for a beach to visit, I would recommend Moonlight beach. The extremely tall cliffs that drop off into the ocean are visually striking, and this beach looks especially gorgeous at sunrise or sunset. It is very easy to find parking as well, which is not something that you can say about most beaches in Southern California.
Good For:
Photography, Families, Exploring Tide Pools, Beach Volleyball, Public Restrooms and Shower, Easy and Free Parking
Not Great For:
Accessibility – Depending on where you park, it could be a pretty long walk if there is anyone in your party with mobility issues. There are ramps you can walk on, but it can be a pretty long incline to get back to your car. Also, the beach isn’t that easy to walk on. Almost the entire expanse of it is littered in stones of varying sizes, so you really should keep your shoes on or at least watch your footing.
Laying out/picnics – Because of the stones mentioned above, it is almost impossible to find a comfortable spot to lay out a towel or a blanket. Bring beach chairs if you are planning on staying for a while.
La Jolla Cove, San Diego
Visiting La Jolla Cove is on pretty much every “Top Things To Do in San Diego” list, and for good reason. This is without a doubt one of the most Instagram-worthy beaches in Southern California, and one of the most iconic places to visit in San Diego. The cove itself is gorgeous, especially in the morning when then sun is at the right angle to show of the various shades of blue in the water. It is also great for photographing the many seals and sea lions that like to take naps along the shore. Taking photos here might require some patience as La Jolla gets extremely busy!
Good For:
Photography, Families, Exploring Tide Pools, Kayaking and exploring the coastline, Observing Seals and Sea Lions, Picnics both on the beach and on the grassy area in the park, Swimming, Working Out, Public Restrooms and Shower
Not Great For:
Parking – Parking anywhere near La Jolla Cove is notoriously horrendous. I have never been able to get a parking spot in this area anytime I arrive after 9-10am. I still highly recommend visiting, just plan accordingly.
La Jolla Cove Secret Swing, San Diego
Does this swing look really cool? Yes. Are you technically supposed to visit it? No. However, considering that I clearly went out of my way to find this spot, I figured it only makes sense that I tell you how to get there too. While the swing is lovely to photograph, please note that there are warning signs about the danger of rocks falling in the area that you need to climb down to access the swing. It is also a pretty intense but short trek to get down to the swing, you need to have your hands free in order to use the ropes to get down there.
To get to the swing, park at the La Jolla Cave Store (another really cool place to take photos!) and to the left of the storefront you will find an entrance point onto the Coast Walk Trail. Once on the trail, head to the right/north until you reach a white bridge that spans a gorge. You do have to walk for a few minutes to get to it from the cave store and it is impossible to miss, so don’t second guess yourself. After taking literally two steps onto the bridge, look to your left and down and you will see the beginning of the very short and very steep path down to the swing. If you have crossed the white bridge, you have gone too far. Happy exploring!
Good For:
Photography, Exploring the Coast Walk Trail, Observing local birds
Not Great For:
Literally anything else. Because this is a “secret spot” and not an actual beach park, there is no way to spend a day here. There are pretty much no places to sit other than the swing, and there are no public facilities of any kind.
Parking – Parking anywhere near the Cave Store, where you need to start the hike to the swing, is even more limited than parking for all of La Jolla Cove. You would need to arrive either very early in the morning or just before sunset.
Windansea Beach, San Diego
Shop My Favorite Swimsuits
If you love surfing, watching surfers, or taking photos of surfers, Windansea Beach is the place for you. When I first visited the beach, I didn’t realize that it was such a surfing hotspot and I am not going to lie, I felt a little awkward setting up my tripod and posing for the camera. But if I am being honest with myself, everyone was probably too focused on the surfers to notice! Seriously, this beach attracts a lot of surf photographers with huge lenses, who were totally enthralled with what was going on in the water. This beach also looks incredible at sunrise and sunset.
Good For:
Photography, Surfing and watching Surfers, Parking is pretty easy and there are no meters!
Not Great For:
Picnics and Laying Out – Windansea Beach is a very rocky beach with very little sand, especially when the tide is high. Unless you are willing to lay out your towel on a giant rock, that is.
Public Restrooms – I have been to Windansea beach a few times, but have never noticed a public restroom.
Which beaches do you think are the most Instagram-worthy beaches in Southern California? Also feel free to let me know in the comments if I missed your favorite beach!
