Asilomar State Beach
Along Sunset Drive, Pacific Grove
(831) 646-6440, parks.ca.gov/asilomar
Bring your spike ball set, bring your frisbee, bring your badminton net – but no games are required to enjoy Asilomar State Beach. Just look out at the horizon where the sun daily dips beyond the ocean (OK, a lot of the time, beyond the fog line). Weekly readers regularly rate this stunning stretch – with a big, sandy beach plus trails wending through the craggy coastline – as the best place to watch the sunset. Or dare to watch the sunset from the ocean – it’s also the best surf spot, cherished for those few precious glassy days when the swell (and the scenery, always) are just right.
