The City of Solana Beach encompasses 1.7 miles of beach front bordered on the north by Cardiff State Beach, and on the south by the City of Del Mar. The beach front is divided into four main Beach Parks: Fletcher Cove, Tide Beach Park, Seascape Surf, and Del Mar Shores. These beaches provide a wide variety of recreational activities for City residents and visitors. Below is a description of each beach park located in the City of Solana Beach.
FLETCHER COVE, also commonly known as Pillbox because of its history as a WWII Gunnery installation, and is the main beach park in the City of Solana Beach. Located at 111 S. Sierra, at the end of Plaza street where Lomas Santa Fe Boulevard meets the beach, Fletcher Cove offers easy public access. A public parking lot located at the Cove as well as free street parking ensure that parking is seldom a problem for visitors traveling to the beach by vehicle. Fletcher Cove is also conveniently located only a few hundred yards from the Solana Beach train station, providing easy access to those visitors traveling to Solana Beach via Amtrak and the Coaster rail lines. A public access leads from the parking lot to a beautiful beach with excellent recreational opportunities for surfing, surf-fishing, swimming, body-boarding, jogging, and walking. There are public showers and restroom facilities as well as picnic tables and a basketball court located on top of the bluffs next to the Marine Safety Department Headquarters. Lifeguards are on duty year round at Fletcher Cove, from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. during the winter months, and from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. during the summer months.
TIDE BEACH PARK: Located approximately 1/2 mile north of Fletcher Cove, Tide Beach Park can be reached via the public access located at 302 Solana Vista Drive, at the intersection of Solana Vista and Pacific. Parking at Tide Park is limited to free street parking. The park is equipped with showers, but there are no public restrooms. The beach itself is mostly known for its large reef, or "Table Tops," and its beautiful tide pools located at the park's northern border. Tide Park provides excellent recreational opportunities for surfing, surf-fishing, snorkeling, scuba diving, swimming, body-boarding, jogging, and walking. Lifeguards are on duty at Tide Park only during the summer months from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
SEASCAPE SURF: Known to many surfers as Cherry Hill, Seascape Surf is situated approximately 1/2 mile south of Fletcher Cove. Public access to the Beach Park is provided via a stairway located at 501 S. Sierra Avenue. In addition to free street parking, free parking is also available in a public parking lot located across the street from the beach access. Public showers are located above the beach access, but there are no public restrooms. Wide sandy beaches provide excellent recreational opportunities for beach activities such as walking, jogging, and Frisbee throwing. Seascape Surf is also an excellent location for surfing, surf-fishing, swimming, body-boarding, snorkeling, and other water related activities. Lifeguards are on duty at Seascape Surf only during the summer months from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
DEL MAR SHORES: Del Mar Shores is located approximately 3/4 miles from Fletcher Cove at the City's Southern boarder. Access to Del Mar Shores is provided via a public stairway located at 180 Del Mar Shores Terrace. There is free street parking as well as three small free public parking lots located near the intersection of Del Mar Shores Terrace and Sierra Avenue. There are no public showers or restrooms located at the beach park. However, the beach park does provide a scenic viewpoint and excellent recreational opportunities for surfing, surf-fishing, swimming, body-boarding, snorkeling, jogging, walking, and picnicking. Lifeguards are on duty at Del Mar Shores only during the summer months from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.