San Diego offers a bevy of interesting hikes. With the average home price being around $500,000, they better be interesting!
To unwind,
typically stop on the way home from work to hike from Cardiff to Carlsbad on
the beach. For picturesque sunsets and “tasty waves”, the beach between Cardiff
to Carlsbad can’t be beat.
Cardiff - Starting
Start this hike by parking just south of
restaurant row in Cardiff. Restaurant row is located to the north of the lagoon
between Cardiff and Solana Beach on Highway 101. Parking is located on the side
of the road, which is right up against the beach. Give me convenience or give
me death!
As you head north,
you first pass Charlie’s and other restaurants. Past the restaurants, you will
come to the beginning of the bluffs that will line the beach to the end of the
hike. San Elijo campground is on top of the initial bluffs and extends for
roughly a mile north. The campground is very popular and the temporary home of
locals and tourist. You can tell the difference by contrasting tans with
sunburns.
Following San
Elijo, you will walk through Sea Cliff County Park with bluffs over 100 feet
high. An area known affectionately as “Swami’s” quickly follows this park. The
name derives from the fact the area above the bluff is the home to the Self
Realization Fellowship Center. This area is known as hot surf spot, but is very
crowded. If you are a bit winded, you can stop and watch 50 or so surfers manoeuvre
for waves. Yes, traffic jams aren’t exclusively restricted to California
freeways.
North of Swami’s,
you will cruise along a long strip of sand hemmed in by 50 to 60-foot bluffs in
the town of Encinitas. For those with a wicked sense of humour, there is a
relatively popular game called, “Watch the house fall.” Yes, the bluffs are
giving away slowly. As they erode, the homes first lose plants, then patios and
so on. They say real estate is all about location, location, location, but
sometimes a beach front home isn’t all that great.
The Encinitas
section of the hike is fairly long. With the high bluffs, you will find
sections of the beach that are deserted. Yes, even during summer. The only
thing breaking up the solitude is Moonlight Beach, a fairly popular beach with
locals. Otherwise, it’s just you, shells and joggers until you arrive at the
end of the bluffs and South Carlsbad. Time to turn around and find the car.
The Cardiff to
South Carlsbad hike is about 5 miles in each direction. The walk is flat and
quick. By the end, you will be relaxed and forget that Bert in accounting is a
jerk. Enjoy.
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