Sandy beach
Yes
Hike-in Required
No
Surfing
No
Snorkeling / SCUBA
No
Please respect the outdoors by practicing Leave No Trace. Learn more about how to apply the principles of Leave No Trace on your next outdoor adventure here.

Bob Morris’ Paradise Cove Beach Café attracts a diverse clientele. Families, couples, friends, and individuals all frequent the restaurant. Breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner are served, and drinks are available throughout the day. The Beach Café is unique because it is situated on the sand and its property extends along the beach to a romantic cove. Entertainment, including live jazz, enlivens the dining experience.

If you feel a sense of déjà vu when you step onto the beach, you might be recognizing it from a movie, TV show, or commercial. Blockbusters such as “Charlie’s Angels” and “American Pie 2” were shot here. You are welcome to stroll along the beach during daylight hours. Beach beds and lounge chairs are available for rental, each shaded by a large umbrella. If you want more than a chair to yourself, you can rent an entire terrace that seats 30 people.

Even if you don’t want to use any of the café’s facilities, you can still spend time on the beach. If you are parking a car for longer than four hours you will have to pay a rather steep fee, but many people think that the private pier, clean sand, scenic palm trees, and the presence of lifeguards make the price worthwhile. If you walk along the water’s edge in either direction you will encounter other beaches, some of them private and others public. Point Dume State Beach lies to the west, and the pleasant walk features views of sandstone cliffs. East of Paradise Cove Beach you will find swanky mansions perched above you. You are likely to see surfers in the water as well. At one point surfing was banned at Paradise Cove Beach, but the California Coastal Commission demanded that the ban be lifted. They also advocated for visitors to be able to use the beach for free if they parked off of the property.

Logistics + Planning

Congestion

High

Parking Pass

General Day Use Fee

Pros

Cafe and bar directly on the beach. Event rental space.

Cons

Privately owned. Expensive entrance fee. Limited parking.

Features

Bird watching
Wildlife

Location

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