Limantour Beach

Many coast walkers claim Limantour Beach is the Bay Area’s best beach for walking. Think about that for a moment. In a region that boasts Ocean Beach in San Francisco and Stinson Beach in Marin, Limantour gets the nod from those who know their sand. It’s not crowded, it’s not flashy, it’s not backed by pastel houses and surf shops. It’s long, it’s quiet, it’s gloriously walkable. In the Bay Area’s great beach popularity contest, Limantour is the obscure kid in the corner who turns out to be a champion marathoner.

What makes it so good? First, the sand. Limantour stretches on and on, wide enough to host a soccer match but soft enough underfoot to make every step cushioned. Second, the spit itself. Curious sand spit sojourners want to know: Where does the spit come from? Pacific waves slam against Point Reyes head-on, then deflect southward, bringing with them loads of sand that pile up here. It’s geology by happenstance, and hikers get to reap the reward-a natural walkway between two worlds: ocean to the west, estero to the east.

Along the spit, you’ll enjoy an egret’s-eye view of the pickleweed- and eelgrass-fringed Limantour Estero. Birders love it here-pelicans glide low, black brants stop over in migration, and sandpipers stitch the tide line. Harbor seals haul-out near the western end, sometimes joined by sea lions, all of them looking like tourists who stayed too long in the sun.

And let’s pause for a moment to appreciate what you don’t see: houses. In the early 1960s, before Point Reyes was officially preserved, developers had already bulldozed a road and begun building a subdivision. The National Park Service inherited half a dozen houses and promptly tore them down, returning the spit to the seabirds. That’s a conservation victory worth celebrating with every step.

The spit itself also carries the name of one of California’s great con men: José Yves Limantour. In 1841, he ran his ship aground here, and in later years he ran a far more ambitious scheme-selling land he didn’t actually own. His “grants” covered vast tracts of San Francisco, where gullible buyers paid him for deeds later ruled fraudulent. By the time the truth came out, Limantour was safely back in Mexico. All he left behind was a name-and perhaps a reminder to question anyone who tells you they’ve got oceanfront property at a bargain price.

Whether along San Diego Bay, Morro Bay or Drakes Bay, spit-walking is a special experience because the walker is simultaneously treated to both Pacific and estuary environments and ever-changing patterns of water meeting land. At Limantour, the obscurity is part of the charm. You can have one of the Bay Area’s finest beaches nearly to yourself-and stride out into a landscape that’s equal parts ocean wildness, estero quietude, and historical intrigue.