SAN CLEMENTE BEACH: SMALL YET MEMORABLE BEACH TOWN
San Clemente Beach is in the southern part of Orange County (on the way to San Diego). It is a small, beautiful beach town with cute downtown areas and plenty of extraordinary gift shops, restaurants, clothing stores, and more. It is a perfect destination for spending your vacation or weekends somewhere peaceful with a cute small-town feel.
BEAUTIFUL BEACH PIER AND TRAILS
Right next to the small residential area is a beautiful pier you can walk to. It is small relative to the other ones in big cities but quiet, peaceful, and pretty. You will see people surfing and eating lunch at the picnic tables. Children can play with the sand on the beach, and if you walk more to the right (San Clemente Pedestrian Beach Trail) or left (San Clemente Beach Trail) side of the beach, you will find trails you can walk. They are not entirely stroller-friendly because the trails are relatively narrow compared to other beaches.
CUTE DOWNTOWN WITH UNIQUE SHOPS
The downtown area is about 10 minutes away from the beach by car. So, I recommend driving since you must walk through the residential area and up the hill. There are free parking spots on the downtown streets if you are away from peak hours like lunchtime. There are so many adorable gift shops for babies and children. I have also seen great antique and clothing stores there. I’ve been to Stanford Court Antiques, a well-organized shop with unique furniture and goods from the past. I enjoyed looking at this shop's plates and home decorations with extraordinary designs from the past. Visiting shops that interest you and your family can be enjoyable since this area is kid-friendly with safe sidewalks.
FOOD AND DESSERT TO ENJOY
If you prefer to be near the beach, there is a restaurant called Fisherman’s Restaurant and Bar in San Clemente Pier, and you can have a fantastic ocean view while you enjoy your food. Bear Coast Coffee is a great coffee shop you can stop by across the beach. I’ve been to Orange County Creamery in San Clemente downtown, and they had creamy, authentic ice cream. I saw many restaurants, bars, and dessert places downtown, so walking around this area will be fun, and you and your family might enjoy discovering new places!
KID-FRIENDLINESS AND SAFETY
Compared to the other beaches in Orange County, I give about 4 out of 5 (my opinion as a local Orange County resident) regarding how kid-friendly and safe the area is. I didn’t give a perfect score because some roads are narrow, and walking from the beach to the downtown using a stroller is challenging since you have to go up the hill through the residential area. As a mom, I love that it has a small-town feel that makes you and your family feel safe and comforted and also not as busy as other beaches that always attract tourists.
PARKING
Since it is a small town, plenty of free public parking spaces exist downtown (except during peak hours because they get full). If you find available places without restriction signs in the residential area, you can park for free and walk to the beach. But, the easiest way is to use parking meters located next to the sidewalk on the beach since it is convenient and close to the beach.
In conclusion, there are indeed more things to see and do on the beaches that are popular and have many tourist spots. But, sometimes, we look for peaceful places and appreciate small things and the simple beauty of nature. I always remember returning to San Clemente Beach because I admire the gentle small-beach-town feel I can find here.
