Silver Strand State Beach S

The name “Silver Strand” sounds almost too good to be true-like some marketing gimmick dreamed up by developers. But here’s the surprise: it’s real. The sand here is flecked with millions of tiny shells that shimmer in the sun, giving the shoreline a silvery sparkle when the light hits just right. Add dependable sets of surfable waves and five miles of wide, soft sand, and you’ve got one of San Diego County’s most appealing-and, curiously, underappreciated-beaches.

I’ll admit, Silver Strand doesn’t make the best first impression. If you’re just zipping down Highway 75, what you’ll notice are four aircraft-carrier-sized parking lots and, across the way, the Navy’s futuristic communications towers-straight out of Star Wars. But step out of the car, walk a few yards past the asphalt, and suddenly you’re on a strand that feels wild, windswept, and surprisingly free of crowds. For a beach with parking for 2,000 cars, solitude is still possible here.

Head north, and the sand eventually takes you all the way to Coronado’s world-famous red-roofed grande dame, the Hotel del Coronado. Head south, and you’re walking toward the Tijuana Estuary and the very edge of the continent. This is what makes a place like this special: not just a beach outing, but a stepping stone on a journey that can stretch the entire length of California.

Wildlife knows the value of this place, too. Brandt’s cormorants, gulls, terns, and sandpipers all work the shoreline. Offshore, you might spot California sea lions, or if luck is with you, a small pod of porpoises breaking the waves. On the quieter bay side, reached via pedestrian underpasses beneath Highway 75, herons and egrets wade through the shallows of the Bayside Picnic Area, part of San Diego Bay’s larger estuarine ecosystem.

There’s history here as well. During World War II, the Navy built the Amphibious Base that still anchors the north end of the beach. Today, you’ll pass by military training grounds, a reminder that this slender spit of land has strategic as well as scenic value.

If you’re looking for variety, Silver Strand offers a “two-for-one” coastal experience: ocean surf on one side, calm bay waters on the other. Spend the morning beachcombing on the Pacific, then duck under the highway and have lunch bayside under a shaded ramada. A word of warning: on the ocean side, beachcombing can get quirky. Tide and tide-poolers alike toss up all kinds of oddities, from seashells to sea junk, which local artists sometimes fashion into driftwood-and-plastic sculptures.