Capistrano Beach:
San Clemente’s Gorgeous Next-Door Neighbor
Situated at the southern tip of Dana Point, the charming community of Capistrano Beach is a favorite destination for residents and visitors in San Clemente. Capo Beach, as many locals know it, is rich in history, renowned for its beauty, and remarkably laidback given its genuine exclusivity.
San Clemente’s gorgeous neighbor is home to postcard-perfect Capistrano Beach Park. Accessible to everyone, the beach offers parking, views of the San Clemente Pier and Dana Point Harbor, volleyball courts, showers, concessions and desirable waves for area surfers. Train lovers will enjoy its setting along the Amtrak and Metrolink line. Leashed dogs are welcome around the clock during the off-season and off-hours during summer.
Capistrano Beach also welcomes outdoor lovers with its array of scenic parks, including Capistrano Beach Park, Mira Costa Park, Louise Leydon Park, Palisades Gazebo Park, and Pines Park, which is famous for magnificent ocean views from the top of its bluffs.
About one hour north of Oceanside and Carlsbad, and 90 minutes or so from downtown San Diego, Capistrano Beach offers a gateway into Dana Point, Monarch Beach, Laguna Niguel, Laguna Beach, Crystal Cove, Newport Coast, Corona del Mar and Newport Beach.
Capistrano Beach real estate includes a wide variety of homes, ranging from single-family residences, carefree condos and beach cottages to sprawling mansions and custom beachfront homes. Perhaps the area’s most coveted address, the gated Beach Road enclave offers a one-of-a-kind setting with all residences located directly at the edge of sand. The community began in 1924 and grew to become a collection of classic California beach cottages, many of which remain with their timeless character intact to this day. Other cottages have given way to award-winning architectural masterpieces, with some representing ultra-modern contemporary style and others recalling the elegance of Mediterranean estates. Every home at Beach Road offers the extraordinary—and exceptionally rare—advantage of a property line that extends across the sand to the median high-tide mark, allowing space for private fire pits and patios at the edge of the Pacific Ocean.
Other neighborhoods include Azul Circle, California Homes, Capistrano Bluffs, Capistrano Heights, Harbor Walk, Palisades, Sand Castle Homes, Sea Bluff Villas, Sea Breeze and Seascape. Dana Bluffs and Mill Pond offer stylish townhomes, and the high bluffs of Capo Beach offer homes with breathtaking views of Dana Point Harbor, Catalina Island and the Pacific Ocean.
Once known as Rancho Boca de la Playa, Capistrano Beach beholds a fascinating history. Development of the area began in 1925 with homes on the bluff and the Capistrano Beach Club built along the shore. In 1929, the Petroleum Securities Company, helmed by Edward L. Doheny, became the new owner of the Capistrano Beach development. In 1931, Doheny donated more than 40 acres to the California for Doheny State Beach. During land excavation in 1929, the prehistoric bones of a mastodon were discovered and taken to the Los Angeles National History Hall for display.
With Capistrano beach directly to its north, San Clemente is in great company. Its epic scenery, legendary surf, rich history and sought-after real estate combine to create a shining example of Southern California’s world-famous lifestyle.