Wearing: hat (old, also love this one) / earrings / sunglasses / swimsuit cover-up dress (under $50) / swimsuit (not shown) / wedge espadrilles / straw tote bag / summer nail polish /

‘Tis the season to go to the beach! If you are local to the San Francisco Bay Area, when was the last time you took a beach day? Sometimes we think of the beach as a place to go to relax, but unfortunately, the summer months bring in a lot of people at the beaches, making them anything but relaxing.

Unless you want your beach day to be filled with activities, you might skip the beach and opt for a spa if you are looking for peace and quiet. Well, maybe that means you don’t know about Rio Del Mar Beach in Aptos!

I’m not trying to spoil the place, but I don’t think tourists will suddenly flood Rio Del Mar Beach if I post about it. Unless you live in the Bay Area and truck in your own picnic, there isn’t anything here for tourists to see. It’s just a beach.

Rio Del Mar Beach is a quiet yet large beach in Aptos, just south of Capitola. While many beach going locals talk about heading to Capitola in order to avoid crowds in Santa Cruz, an even better way to avoid crowds is to head a little further south on highway 1 and go to Rio Del Mar.

This isn’t a beach made to handle a ton of people, despite having a ton of clean sand and space. Rio Del Mar Beach is set up like a local, neighborhood beach. The parking lot is small, and if you end up not finding a space, you will have to park in the neighborhood. If this happens, please oh please be respectful of the neighborhood! Park your car without blocking driveways and adhere to any parking signs that have been posted. It’s better to park a few minutes away than to block a driveway or break a parking rule.

Once you legally park, you can walk over to the beach and enjoy it’s peacefulness. There is a lot of sand, which equates to tons of space for spreading out your blanket. There are a few restaurants in town, but they are small, and you should dress in regular clothing to go. I recommend bringing a cooler with food from home to eat while on the beach.

There is also a really cool, cement boat off a small pier which has been sinking for years. Every time we go to Rio Del Mar Beach the boat is a little farther down in the sea. It’s pretty cool to see, and fun to walk over to and check out.

As always, I recommend going early! The earlier you go, the better chance you have of getting into the parking lot. I also recommend taking a day off work and going on a weekday. This will give you a more peaceful experience.

Shop my affordable beach outfit online:

Summer vacation is already halfway over! Enjoy it and go to the beach!

Thanks for stopping by,

XOXO
Cathy