Some of the best surfing in Southern California is located close to The Villas at Rancho Valencia. From Coronado in the south to Carlsbad in the north, San Diego County is filled with breathtaking beaches and great surf breaks to suit any skill level. Whether you ride a short-board, a long-board, paddle-board, or are just learning on a soft top surfboard, there is a great break for you to surf in San Diego, near The Villas at Rancho Valencia. People literally can spend a lifetime surfing in San Diego, where the beach is a defining influence in people’s lives. Once you paddle in after seeing your first mid-summer sunset melting into the Pacific you’ll know why surfing is such an integral part of life here. Also, you’ll be grateful that The Villas at Rancho Valencia are so serendipitously situated for you to easily access all the amazing surf spots in San Diego! Here are a few of our favorites to help get you started.

Coronado Municipal Beach – Home to the world famous Hotel Del Coronado, you'll probably find no friendlier or more welcoming spot than the beaches at Coronado. Within Coronado, there are three distinct zones. The first is North Beach, from Sunset Park to the North Island Naval Base. The coastline faces due south here, and in the summer hurricane season, when steep-angle south swells miss the rest of San Diego, 'Outlet' is the place to be for surf. It's a sanctioned hangout for dogs and has a dozen fire rings nestled up against the dunes. Coronado is also interesting because you can often see the elite Navy SEALS train on the beaches and in the surf.

Pacific Beach – Not the greatest place to surf in San Diego, but with its endless boardwalk and funky beach bars, Pacific Beach is a favorite haunt of college students and young adults living the California Dream. Spring Break, the Fourth of July, and any other holiday make Pacific Beach party-central. A good surf spot is Tourmaline Surfing Park, a surfing-only beach favored for its slow, slopey waves by long-boarders, beginners and windsurfers and kite-boarders, when the wind is up. There's a medium-capacity parking lot here with bathrooms and a small picnic area. There's nothing particularly special about Tourmaline, but it's a perfect place for beginners to try surfing.

La Jolla Beaches - This affluent community is known for luxury homes, fine dining and upscale shopping. But its most amazing assets are the beaches that are open all. Some say that La Jolla Cove is one of the most beautiful places in Southern California. There are quite a few great surf spots in La Jolla. On the southern end there is the world famous reef break at Windansea Beach. Be warned this is a break for skilled surfers only, and due to the relatively small size of the beach, limited parking and limited space to paddle into the break, Windansea is one of the more territorial beaches in San Diego. Further up the coast you find another great intermediate surf spot just south of the pier at Scripps Beach. Just north of Scripps the coastline the beach turns into 300-foot cliffs that protect Torrey Pines City Beach, better known as Blacks Beach. Blacks is famous among surfers for big winter swells, but is better known to the rest of the world as a nude beach. Found in the vicinity of the University of California San Diego campus, Blacks is accessible via a gated private road, jointly owned and maintained by the residents and the university. Unless you can procure a coveted key to the gate, you will have to park above and walk down the road. Quite a hike, but when the surf is up, the trek is well worth it.

Del Mar City Beach – Located near the race-track from 15th Street to The River Mouth, is arguably San Diego's finest beach. It's a fantasyland of architectural dream-houses flying colorful flags on a wide sand beach with good swimming, intermediate surf and easy access at every block.