Crystal Cove State Beach

You approach Crystal Cove by foot along scrubby bluffs, or by the little $2 shuttle that coughs you down to sand and sun. The first thing is the sound, a low grinding surf and gulls arguing over kelp. The beach spills under dramatic cliffs, with tidal pools glinting like jeweled hollows when the tide goes out. There are restored, weathered cottages huddled above the sand and a small restaurant that smells faintly of frying seafood and coffee. Walk the bluff trails for ocean panoramas, and bring shoes for the rock pits; one side breaks into whitewater among boulders, the other is calm enough for wading. It is tidy, semi wild, and populated by people who hike in, not drive in. Count the old 1930s cottages as you head back up the path.