Photo by John Rubey Sunset at Cardiff State Beach near San Diego

Beat the summer heat by hitting the beach. Here are eight great shores within a four-hour flight of the Valley to help you get the most out of your summer vacation.

Tempe Beach Park may be the only “beach” in town, but it doesn’t exactly conjure up visions of rolling waves and sounds of crashing surf. Thankfully for us Zonies, authentic beaches are only four hours away.

Choosing a great beach is more art than science. Actually, it’s a lot like public art: It’s open to interpretation. And when it comes to what makes a great beach, everyone has a different opinion.

In this case, the emphasis is on cleanliness, amenities, attractions, space, privacy and staying away from touristy kitsch. So enjoy, and remember: You can always buy the dashboard hula girl when you get back.

Ocean Beach, San Francisco, CA

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

Ocean Beach
San Francisco

6 miles west of downtown
San Francisco, 415-561-3000,
parksconservancy.org/visit/park.asp?park=68

Although Northern California’s beach weather is generally cooler and windier than in Southern California, the region still has much to offer. There’s Golden Gate Park, the woody beach trails around the Presidio and, of course, the city of San Francisco in general.

But go around the corner from the Golden Gate Bridge, so to speak, and you’ll find Ocean Beach. The biggest beach in the Bay Area was once a wilderness of sand dunes before 1900. Now the city’s charming Sunset and Richmond districts occupy some of that space, and the rest is made up of open sand extending from the Cliff House restaurant to Fort Funston.

Ocean Beach is great for seaside jogs, bike rides and kite-flying excursions. Stop by the Cliff House for clam chowder, then take the path from the restaurant parking lot to the ruins of Sutro Baths below. The baths were built by Adolph Sutro in the 19th century to accommodate up to 25,000 patrons. It featured six saltwater swimming areas that were refreshed by tidewaters, plus dressing rooms, arcades and restaurants – all enclosed behind 100,000 square feet of glass. Oddly, this watery paradise was destroyed by fire in 1966.

Back on the boardwalk, stroll (or bike) south along Ocean Beach. Expert surfers and swimmers may be brave enough to venture out into these cold and unpredictable waters, but not you. You’re too busy watching artists carve massive, intricate designs into the sand, copping a squat for a quick picnic and then heading up the road to the San Francisco Zoo.

Photo courtesy California State Parks El Capitán State Beach, Santa Barbara, CA

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

El Capitán State Beach
Santa Barbara

17 miles west of Santa Barbara, 805-968-1033,
parks.ca.gov/?page_id=601

The bustle and din of urban life pours out of the Los Angeles metropolitan area like water from a floodgate. Over the decades, it ran its course west along the coastline to places like Santa Monica, Malibu, Oxnard and Ventura before petering out just past Santa Barbara.

From this point, it hits you like a wave of surf: The city – with all of its pesky obligations and digital leashes – is behind you, and one long, uninterrupted stretch of undeveloped coastline lies ahead. Freedom.

The gateway to this cultural time warp is El Capitán State Beach. Situated about 100 miles northwest of Los Angeles, El Capitán faces south toward Channel Islands National Park and offers two unique campgrounds. Stairs run from the beach up to the oak- and eucalyptus-covered bluff, where visitors have access to campfire rings, showers, restrooms, picnic areas, nature and biking trails and other amenities for a family camping fee of $20 per day (plus $7.50 for a reservation fee).

From this height, visitors can also spot gray whales passing by during their seasonal migration. Other marine mammals include sea lions and seals. And a particular group of dolphins gets so close to swimmers and surfers that they are “almost interactive,” says Al Fimlaid, the area’s supervising lifeguard for California State Parks.

“I’ve had them so many times come by me when I’m out there sitting on a board, and they just look at you,” he says. “It seems like if there are more people out there, they hang out more. It’s kind of strange.”

Other visitors may want to try “nature lodging” at El Capitán Canyon nearby. This secluded resort is just up the road from the beach campground and on the other side of California’s Highway 1. It covers more than 300 acres and offers tents (think high-end bedding and throw pillows under an enclosed canvas bivouac) and cabins from $135 to $795 per night, depending on the size, amenities and season.

Still not feeling “El Cap”? Try Refugio State Beach just two miles to the north. Mature palm trees encircle the campground, which has better beach access, a narrower stretch of sand and a more boogie board-friendly surfbreak than El Capitán, Fimlaid says.