San Clemente,
California
San Clemente in California is a small city on the Pacific
Coast Highway midway between San Diego and Los Angeles, noted for its beaches,
surfing, and Spanish colonial-style architecture.
San Clemente
San Clemente's city slogan is 'Spanish Village by the Sea' and, like Santa Barbara, it's a pretty place to walk around, with lots of its
houses, shops, restaurants, and other buildings having cream stucco walls,
red-tiled roofs, and windows and doors using dark woods, in Spanish style.
Getting to San Clemente
With average traffic it should take about an hour to drive
to San Clemente from San Diego, and a little more from Los Angeles because of
the heavier traffic. You can take either the Pacific Coast Highway along the
coast, or I-5, which also runs through the city.
Our Pick of the California Guides
You can also take the Amtrak train from either San Diego or Los Angeles to San Clemente, and the city has two stations, including one right by the pier. You might want to think about taking the train, to avoid the hassle of traffic and parking.
Take the Train to San Clemente
When to Visit San
Clemente
San Clemente has an almost perfect climate, so any time of
year is a good time to visit. You might want to avoid February, when it gets
about 1/3 of its annual rainfall, but even that month only sees just over
3" (76mm). There's hardly any rain from May to October.
It averages 310 sunny days a year. December is the coldest
month with average highs of 67F (19C) and average lows of 49F (9C). In August
you can expect average highs of 87F (31C) and average lows of 61F (16C).
What to Do in San
Clemente
Casa Romantica was built in 1927 as a home for the founder
of San Clemente, a real-estate developer named Ole Hanson. It was Hanson who
said he wanted the town to be a Spanish Village by the Sea, and his own home
was designed in the same style. Today it's the Casa Romantica Cultural Center
and Gardens.
You can tour the house, which is on the National Register of
Historic Places. You can also enjoy the gardens, of which there are thirty
different ones including a Butterfly Garden, Native American Garden, and a
Children's Garden. There's also a wide range of activities, including yoga
workshops, poetry workshops, wine tastings, and live concerts, so if you're visiting
San Clemente, check out their events
calendar.
Golf
San Clemente has its own Municipal Golf Course.
In addition, in the hills above the town, there's the Talega Golf Club. This has an 18-hole
championship course which has been voted one of the best in the USA, plus a
driving range, a restaurant, and its buildings are in the attractive Spanish
Colonial style.
San Clemente Beach
Trail
There's a pleasant walk or bike ride to be had along the San
Clemente Beach Trail. It's dog-friendly too, offers some great views along the
way and runs for 2.3 miles (3.7 kms).
San Clemente Pier
San Clemente Pier
Unlike, say, Santa Monica Pier, there's not a lot to do on
San Clemente Pier other than walk along it, enjoy the views from one of the
benches, and maybe dine or have a drink at one of the eating places. It's still
a lovely pier, though!
Yes, now's your chance to learn to surf, and the fact that
they're open all year round tells you something about the San Clemente weather.
Surfing
Despite Huntington Beach calling itself Surf City, San
Clemente also has a right to claim the title. It has numerous surfing beaches,
surfing shops, and surfboard manufacturers. It publishes no fewer than three
different surfing magazines, has a surfing museum (see below), and it's also
home to several champion surfers.
Paddle Surfing in San Clemente
This free museum (donations welcomed, of course) has a huge
collection of photos, videos, surfing memorabilia, surfboards, posters,
clothing, magazines, and books about surfing from all over the world.
Richard Nixon
One notable San Clemente resident was President Richard
Nixon, who lived here from 1969-1980. His home was dubbed the Western White
House, and it's where he wrote his memoirs after leaving the presidency.
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