Portuguese Beach
Portuguese Beach is the closest beach to the Bodega Bay Beach Home, located approximately 1 minute away by car this beach is only .3 miles away and is right across Highway 1. Portuguese Beach is surrounded by rocky headlands and is a popular spot for visitors and residents alike.
- Not a swimming beach do to a strong rip current and cold temperatures.
- Dog friendly Beach (on a leash)
- One of the largest sandy beaches in the area
- Restrooms
- Free Parking
Portuguese Beach is a long wide beach between Bodega Bay and the Russian River in Sonoma County. It’s one of the largest sandy beaches in the area. The main parking lot is at the south end of the beach where you can walk out onto a grassy point and watch waves crash on the rocks. There is another pullout parking area just north along Highway 1 that has a steep path to the center of Portuguese Beach. At low tide you can walk the beach up to Scotty Creek Beach which is the only significant beach along this 17-mile stretch that is not part of Sonoma Coast State Park. It’s not safe to swim at Portuguese Beach due to cold temperatures and strong rip currents.
Source: California Beaches
SchoolHouse Beach
Schoolhouse Beach is one of the wider and nicer beaches along this stretch of the Sonoma Coast between Bodega Bay and the Russian River. The large parking lot is just off Highway 1 at the north end of the tiny unincorporated housing community of Carmet. The state beaches in this area are known for fishing, but many of them are not safe at high tide. Schoolhouse and Portuguese Beach next door to the north are both great places to explore at almost any tide level. These beaches are part of Sonoma Coast State Park system. The water is cold and has strong rip currents so don’t swim here.
- Not a swimming beach due to a strong rip current and cold temperatures.
- Dog-friendly Beach (on a leash)
- Large Parking Lot
- Fishing
Bodega Head Beach
Bodega Head is the rocky point that protects Bodega Harbor from the rugged coastline. This popular spot is a fantastic Whale Watching spot as well as picturesque and it is only a 13 minute drive from the Bodega Bay Beach Home.
- Popular Gray Whale Watching spot
- Bathrooms
- Large Parking Lot
- Windy
- Hiking Trails
- Steep path to sandy beach
Carmet Beach
Carmet Beach is a narrow rocky beach in front of the small housing community of Carmet north of Bodega Bay, CA. Carmet Beach is one of many fishing beaches that are part of Sonoma Coast State Park. From the parking lot along Highway 1 there are steep trails that drop down to beaches on both sides. The southern cove is the widest and sandiest and connects to Marshall Gulch Beach. The northern cove extends north along a narrow boulder-filled shoreline that continues up to Schoolhouse Beach. At high tide these beaches can be unsafe because of the rough surf and narrow shoreline. Always watch for random large “sneaker waves” that crash onshore unpredictably.
- Dog-friendly Beach (on a leash)
- Narrow Rocky Beach
- Steep Trails drip down to beaches on both sides
- Fishing
- Parking Lot
North Salmon Creek Beach
North Salmon Creek Beach is right off Coast Highway 1 just north of Bodega Bay. A large parking lot is available, but it can fill up in the summer so look for other pull-out parking areas along the highway if necessary. From the main lot you can walk down short paths to the sand at the mouth of the Salmon River. Surfers are often out in the waves north of the river mouth. Walking north on the sand leads to narrower beaches along the highway with names such as Miwok and Coleman. South of the creek mouth you’ll find South Salmon Creek Beach which has a separate parking lot off Bean Avenue. Both Salmon Creek beaches and many others nearby are part of the Sonoma Coast State Park State Beaches system.
- Dogs permitted
- Bathrooms
- Parking Lot
- Fishing
- Surfing
- Bird Watching
- Wild Life
Source: California Beaches