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Best Oceanfront Hotels in California

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The two hike-in environmental campsites at this state park, 12 miles south of the village of Big Sur, sit on a ridge just above an eight-foot waterfall that drops from the cliffs to the cove of a beautiful little beach. Tourists often overlook it because of its proximity to Big Sur's bigger and more famous park, Pfeiffer Big Sur, but the shoreline views from this campsite are unbeatable.

You'll wake up to the smell of redwoods and sea spray, hummingbirds buzzing around you and sea lions barking from the cove. Curl up under a tree with Jack Kerouac's novel Big Sur and greet the occasional jealous hiker who didn't have the foresight to book a camping spot.

Tantalisingly — or frustratingly — there's no direct beach access from the campsite so while you are above the beach with truly staggering views of white sand and ocean, you won't be doing any paddling. The foot lighthouse at Pigeon Point has been protecting ships since Originally the dwelling of the lighthouse keeper, Pigeon Point Hostel is perched on a cliff 50 miles south of San Francisco, surrounded by ocean and scrambling distance from a beach called Whalers Cove.

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The sheltered and south facing Whalers Cove is perfect for — ahem — whale watching, but also attracts a sky of birds. A cliff-edge hot tub can be rented by the hour so you can soak yourself at sunset while staring out at harbour seals on the rocks.

The hostel is split into four different houses, each with a living room and kitchen. The houses sleep 15 people and there are only two private rooms available, the rest sleeping up to six people. There are picnic tables, a barbecue, and plenty of board games for the evenings. The hostel is crouched in a sheltered valley of the Point Reyes National Seashore and offers the only lodgings available within the boundaries of the park.

Although far from luxurious, the laid-back atmosphere and staggering location makes it a top pick for budget oceanfront sleeping in California. Guests congregate around patio picnic tables to eat breakfast while geckos sun themselves on nearby rocks, and there's a gas grill for cook outs in the evening. On the hike down from the hostel to the vast, often empty expanse of Limantour Beach you'll see foxes, hawks, pelicans, perhaps some bobcats or coyotes, and if you're very fortunate you might see tule elk.

A nearby estuary attracts myriad bird species to the beach and, sheltered by the Point Reyes peninsula, the skies and surf turn spectacular colours at sunset. Dorm rooms have 10 beds per room and the hostel has one private room.

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You might find yourself the only camper at this remote campground, right on the sands of Gold Bluffs Beach where gold was apparently once panned — hence the name. Bald eagles circle the foot cliffs behind you and Roosevelt elk regularly venture down to pad over the 10 miles of golden beach that stretches out beyond your tent.

The campground offers barbecues, fire pits, wind shelters, picnic tables, restrooms and solar showers. To get to the park you travel down a narrow, unpaved road until you reach the end of the line, and then there's nothing to do but toast marshmallows and roam the beach. Register and pay at the visitor centre.

California's top 10 beach hotels and places to stay on a budget

If I were planning to disappear, I'd head for the Lost Coast of California where ethereal black-sand beaches float in the mist like the set of a sci-fi movie and dramatic cliffs appear at the ocean's edge. In the early 20th century, California's highway system decided that the Kings Range and the Sinkyone Wilderness were impossible to build roads or railways through. The area became "lost" and is still mostly wild, although more accessible than it used to be.

Shelter Cove is the only community within a mile stretch of wilderness in northern California and the Beachcomber Inn is a tranquil, romantic escape from the world.

It has six "units" which they'd call "suites" if they were posh. Some of the rooms have kitchens and fireplace stoves, others have private decks or a private barbecue area, but basically they're all simple clean rooms with views of the ocean. There's not much to do in the town but Black Sand Beach, with its wildflowers and driftwood, is a strange and memorable place to lose yourself. Just north of San Francisco's Golden Gate, perched above Red Rock Beach on the rocky base of Steep Ravine Canyon in Mount Tamalpais, 10 rustic wooden cabins have become so popular that they get booked up seven months in advance.

Water Canyon Campsite, Santa Rosa, Channel Islands

There's a trail from the cabins directly down into the seclusion of Red Rock Beach with its dramatic ever-changing landscape of hot springs, rocks, sand and beached starfish. Falling asleep at night you'll hear waves crashing on the rocks, and yawning your way out of your cabin on a clear day you might see the Farallon Islands in the distance or whale-fins flicking in the surf. Rumour has it that it's sometimes possible to see the snow-capped mountains of Sierra Nevada miles away. A word to the wise, Red Rock Beach is clothing-optional so don't be surprised to see the odd naked man making sandcastles.

If pre-planning fails, there are also seven walk-in tent sites. Orange County's beach hotels are along the south-facing beaches , with excellent views and lots of activities nearby. Many of them are in or close to towns where you can walk to dinner or go shopping. San Diego beach hotels are harder to find than you might think. California has more than 1, miles of coastline.

Some of it is rocky and isolated, especially in Big Sur and along the coast just north of San Francisco.

But there are plenty more places where you'll find some nice California beach hotels. The California beach hotels listed below are the best ones in other parts of the state.

Northern California 5 Star Luxury Hotels

They're arranged from north to south. The links below will take you to Tripadvisor, where you can read guest reviews, see photos and compare prices from several sources all in one place. Pismo Beach has more hotels right on the ocean than just about anyplace in California. They include:. Share Pin Email. Just about miles south of the Oregon border, Trinidad has a couple of beach hotels: Dream Inn Monterey: Shoreline Inn , On the Beach.

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