Nicest beach with kids near Legoland?

arizonacolbys

Owner of 2 Crazy Labs!
Joined
Aug 9, 2002
We're planning a day at the beach in between our stay at LEGOLAND before we get to DL. Is our best option a beach in Carlsbad - Robert Frazee, S. Carlsbad State or Tamarack? Or is there a nicer option if we drive further North - closer to Anaheim?
 
I would say your best beach for family fun and frolicking in the water would be south, in Del Mar. And further south is La Jolla shores which is even better.
 
I agree with going a little south or much farther north. My kids love Moonlight Beach in Encinitas, or Laguna or Dana Point in Orange County.
 
The beaches in Carlsbad tend to not be white sandy beaches. They are often covered in sea weed and have little sand.

Oceanside (next town north of Carlsbad) has a nice beach next to the Oceanside harbor. There is a large sandy beach with palm trees. There are shops and places to get food behind the beach in the harbor. If you want a family meal at the end of the day, you can walk to the end of the Oceanside pier and eat at the restaurant there.

If you want to head further north, go to Crystal Cove State Beach in Laguna Beach. It is very spread out. Make sure you park in the parking lot next to the historic district. From that lot, you can walk down to the beach or take the shuttle. There are 2 places to eat at the beach there and there are beach equipment rentals on the beach. You'll have beach as well as tide pools.

Not too far south of Carlsbad is Cardiff by the sea. They have a long stretch of beach with paid parking lots at each end. There can be a lot of piles of sea weed there, though.
 


Thanks everyone! Sounds like Carlsbad may not be our best bet for a beach day. What is our best option on our drive day from LEGOLAND heading north to check in at DL - we were hoping to make our beach day that day. TIA!! :)
 
Thanks everyone! Sounds like Carlsbad may not be our best bet for a beach day. What is our best option on our drive day from LEGOLAND heading north to check in at DL - we were hoping to make our beach day that day. TIA!! :)

Legoland is very close to the coast, just get on Interstate 5 north or south depending on which beach you want. Take a look at a beach map for the beaches recommended above and see which works best for you. https://www.californiabeaches.com/maps/ is a good interactive map.
 

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