ENCINITAS, Calif.—A Canary Island date palm, 50 years old and 60 feet tall, towers over the main beach in Encinitas in north San Diego County.
The tree at Moonlight Beach, a California State Park, has been granted heritage status and is visible from State Route 1 and Encinitas Boulevard from under the green railroad bridge.
Moonlight is at the center of Encinitas’s 45 acres of beaches, with many beach access stairways, viewpoints, and beach facilities.
On the beach, which offers restrooms and outdoor beach showers, the $3 million Marine Safety Center gives lifeguards a 360-degree view, like an airport control tower.
Just south of the tower and beach, at the end of C Street, the quaint Moonlight Beach Overlook has benches with sweeping views of the sea. Lean over the rail of this modest overlook and enjoy the view of the beach below. A small grassy area provides a nice spot for a picnic or even a yoga class.
At the northern end of Moonlight Beach are three volleyball courts next to picnic tables with tiki umbrellas, lending shade to viewers and those waiting for the courts to open up.
Beach Wolf Restaurant, run by a father and son, serves up breakfast, lunch, dinner, shaved ice, and coffee drinks Easter through Thanksgiving. Next door, a small boutique offers rentals of all kinds—beach chairs, umbrellas, towels, surfboards, boogie boards, wet suits, and more.
Across a walkway on the sand, fire rings for legal bonfires burn every night (and sometimes in the early morning).
In the summer months, the beach bustles with plenty of toes in the sand, and concerts, family movie nights, car shows, surf camps, and more.
The popular band Switchfoot, a rock group from North County, San Diego, holds its annual midsummer event “Bro-Am”—a surf contest, beach party, and rock concert all-in-one—at Moonlight. In June of this year, the beach fest celebrated its 20th year.
In winter, beach traffic ebbs. Locals frequent the children’s playground, a quiet falls upon the beach, and the large winter waves take center stage. A brisk breeze chills the air.
Low tides reveal a large stretch of sand in all directions, from which you can walk—tides permitting—much of the Encinitas coastline. Beware of the sandstone cliffs that suffer from erosion. High tides swallow the sand and push beachgoers further up the beach, which is more rocky.
Moonlight Beach has a designated pathway from the start of the beach to the water for easy access. Surfing is only allowed outside of the swimming zone. The beach is also wheelchair accessible with ramps and adapted surfaces.
The waves here break best during a southwest swell with a rising tide.
Seagulls pose a year-round looming threat. They stalk high above with eagle eyes for opportunities to snatch food—sometimes right out of the hands of unsuspecting men, women, and children. Beware if you’re enjoying a snack on one of several cement tables.
On the eastern portion of the beach, a blue and yellow children’s playground designed for ages 5 to 12 bustles with little ones running in the sand, climbing up and down a giant surfboard, hanging from monkey bars, taking flight on swings, and even sharing toys. To the south and east of the playground, healthy, green grass invites parents to take a breather and allows children to play a game of ball.
Cottonwood Creek sits east of the playground and west of State Route 1. Further east, just off Highway 101, tennis courts are open for public use.
As evening approaches, Downtown Encinitas brims with commerce. At Highway 101 and D Street, sink your teeth into home-cooked Mexican food at Raul’s, an Encinitas institution in the heart of town. The Taco Stand just south of Raul’s is also very popular. If you want to eat like a local, order the taquitos burrito—several taquitos packed inside a flour tortilla.
