San Elijo State Beach

San Elijo State Beach is a long beach that takes up most of the oceanfont land in the community of Cardiff-by-the-Sea in Encinitas, CA. This state park has a large campground facility and a day-use parking area at the north end as well. Several long stairways and ramps lead from the parking areas and camp spots on the bluff down to the narrow sandy beach. Swimming here can be dangerous so look for rip currents and know what to do if you get caught in one. Surfers are the biggest users of San Elijo State Beach and Cardiff State Beach which is just south of here. March-October there is a store in operation near the park entrance that offers rentals, sundries, and food. There is even a Mexican restaurant on-site, but it’s open year-round! The San Elijo State Beach entrance is on the southbound lanes of the 101 near the intersection with Chesterfield Drive. At this intersection there is a famous bronze statue of a surfer that is nicknamed the Cardiff Kook by locals who say the man looks more like a ballet dancer than an experienced surfer. This statue is often dressed up or messed up in some way.