About
A guide written from the sand up
Meet the editor
Luis P Camberos — writer, photographer, Del Mar local
I grew up between San Diego and LA, learned to surf at La Jolla Shores as a teenager, and currently reside in Del Mar. My home break is the south end of Cardiff Reef; my home tide-pool is Cabrillo at minus tide. I started this site because the guides I kept finding for visitors were either dated, generic, or written by people who had clearly never walked the sand they were describing. Every page here is something I would send to a friend.
Editorial standards in one paragraph: every beach, trail, restaurant and surf break in this guide is something I have personally visited within the last 18 months. Live data (surf, tide, weather) is sourced from NOAA and verified providers. No paid placements, no sponsored listings — affiliate links are clearly labeled. Corrections from readers are handled within 48 hours.
San Diego Coastal Guide is an independent, locally-written guide to the beaches, surf, tides, dining, trails, and adventures along the San Diego coast. We started the guide because the city deserves a single, honest, regularly-updated resource that goes deeper than the standard tourist round-up — one that respects both visitors looking for their first fish taco and the locals who want to know tonight's surf forecast.
Every page on this site is written by Luis P. Camberos — a Del Mar local resident, who actually lives and spends time on the San Diego coast. I hike the trails we recommend, eat at the restaurants we list, paddle the kayak tours we link to, and check the surf at the breaks we describe. When something changes — a parking lot closes, a restaurant pivots, a stairway collapses at Sunset Cliffs — we update the guide.
The guide currently covers 21 beaches from Imperial Beach to Oceanside, 8 surf breaks with live conditions, a full tide and moon tracker, 20+ restaurant and bar recommendations, 12 coastal trails with detailed profiles, seasonal events, and a curated news feed. Every entry is chosen on merit, updated at least quarterly, and corrected promptly when readers flag errors.
Our mission
Publish the most thorough, accurate, and useful guide to the San Diego coast — for both visitors and locals — and keep it free. We believe a great local guide should be accessible to everyone, not gated behind a paywall or buried in a tourism board's marketing site.
Our values
Real places, honest opinions, no paid placement. If we recommend somewhere, it's because we'd send a friend there. We don't accept payment for listings, and we clearly label affiliate links when they appear.
Editorial standards
Live data (surf, tide, weather) is sourced from NOAA and verified providers. Editorial recommendations are updated at least quarterly and corrected promptly. Every restaurant, trail, and beach profile is based on a real visit — not a press release.
Coverage area
The full San Diego County coast — from Imperial Beach in the south to Oceanside in the north — including La Jolla, Coronado, Mission Bay, Pacific Beach, Ocean Beach, Sunset Cliffs, Del Mar, Encinitas, Carlsbad, and the surrounding neighborhoods.
What the guide covers
The San Diego Coastal Guide is organized around the things people actually plan around when spending time on this coast:
Beaches
21 in-depth profiles covering parking, lifeguards, water conditions, amenities, and insider tips.
Surf & Tides
Live surf reports, tide charts, moon tracking, and a written guide to reading conditions.
Dining & Nightlife
Curated restaurants, bars, and nightlife spots with pricing, reservation tips, and neighborhood breakdowns.
Trails, Events & Adventures
Coastal hiking guides, a curated events calendar, and adventure recommendations from kayaking to whale watching.
How we research and verify
Every recommendation in this guide starts with a real visit. We eat at the restaurants, walk the trails, surf the breaks, and check the conditions we write about. For live data — surf reports, tides, weather — we source from NOAA, verified buoy networks, and official county agencies.
When readers flag errors — a changed phone number, a closed restaurant, a misleading parking description — we verify and correct within 48 hours. The guide is a living document, not a printed brochure. Accuracy matters more than volume, and we'd rather remove a recommendation than leave a wrong one up.
How we make money
The guide is free for readers. We're funded by display advertising (served via Google AdSense) and a small number of carefully chosen affiliate links to tour and gear providers. Affiliate revenue does not influence editorial selection — every recommendation is made on merit, and we tell readers when a link is affiliate.
We don't accept paid placements, sponsored listings, or "pay-to-play" features. If a restaurant, tour operator, or rental shop appears in the guide, it's because we genuinely recommend it based on our own experience — not because they paid us.
Corrections & feedback
Spot something that's wrong, out of date, or missing? We'd genuinely like to hear about it. Visit the contact page and send a note — we read every message and typically respond within 2–3 business days. Corrections are our highest priority.
Privacy
We use cookies for analytics and advertising. Full details — including how to opt out — are in our Privacy Policy. We don't sell personal data, and we use standard, transparent advertising technology (Google AdSense) that respects user preferences and consent settings.
Connect with us
Whether you're a first-time visitor planning a weekend or a local who's lived here for decades, we'd love to hear from you. Send corrections, story tips, restaurant recommendations, or just say hello via our contact form. The guide is better when readers contribute — and the best tips always come from locals.