San Mateo Beaches

There are a lot of excellent reasons to locate a beach in San Mateo, CA. Getting outside in the fresh air, swimming in the water, and spending quality time with your friends and family to name a few.

Locating a great swimming beach in San Mateo with plenty of room for beach activities is easy. If you need some guidance with finding a beach near you, start by finding one using the table below. Enter the beach name, a city, or a zip code to filter results.

San Mateo Beaches

The majority of beaches in San Mateo, CA are open for everyone, however many are closed to the public. Be sure to look at the beach’s website to see if you can go to the beach without breaking any rules. Fairly often, beaches will only remain open during certain months of the calendar year or for certain times of the day.

Beaches could be temporarily closed because of water quality concerns caused by temporary occurances such as bacteria, stormfall runoff, or algal blooms. Check the website of the beach before you go to the beach for water quality updates.

San Mateo, CA Beach Rules

While different beaches in San Mateo may have various rules for using their beach, you should expect to abide to the following rules for every beach in San Mateo that you go to.

  • Don’t swim outside of the swim region.
  • Don’t consume alcohol at the beach.
  • Never disobey a request from the lifeguard on duty. If they ask you to stop doing something, then you have to do it.
  • Only visit the beach during specified hours.
  • Even if a lifeguard is supervising the beach, know that you’re swimming at your own risk.
  • Look for signs for guidance on beach fires because they could be illegal or you must follow strict fire rules.

San Mateo Beach Travel Tips

  1. Insects like the beach too. If you wish to go to the beach in the morning or late in the day, you should anticipate that mosquitos, biting flies, beach hoppers and other annoying insects may be an issue.
  2. Bring enough layers. Even if you are expecting a warm day in San Mateo, it is important to know that the temperature at the beach can change without warning. It’s especially necessary if you are planning on going swimming, so bring plenty of warm items including sweaters, blankets, sweatpants, and socks.
  3. Research the restroom layout. Bathroom details could be the last thing on your mind before you plan your beach visit. But nobody wishes to be caught in a situation when you gotta go to the restroom immediately but you can’t find one nearby. If you’re unable to find bathroom information on the beach’s website, then you can plan on the fact that a public bathroom or porta potty is not open. Try to use the restroom before heading to the beach.
  4. Bring spare towels. Remember to bring many dry towels prior to going to the beach. Bringing towels is particularly important if you are bringing little kids to the beach or if you are planning on getting in the water.
  5. Get there early. It can be tough to find a parking spot at some beaches in San Mateo. Arriving early will ensure that you find a good spot to park your car as well as a great spot on the beach.
  6. Keep items dry. It may be easy to find a backpack, grocery bag, or waterproof duffle bag to store beach necessities like pillows, buckets, a speakerinflatables, and lifejackets. However, these types of bags trap moisture from evaporating, leading to mildew problems and keeping beach essentials from airing out.
  7. Will the beach have lifeguards? Many large San Mateo beaches will have a lifeguard supervising, however you shouldn’t assume that a lifeguard being at the beach. If you are concerned about yourself, young children or others that you will be swimming with, it’s a good idea to pack properly sized life jackets for anoyone that require them, and also understand that you’re swimming at your own risk.
  8. Pick Up Garbage. Do not contribute to the issue of litter on beaches. If you bring something to the beach, you must pick up after yourself. Make sure to throw away your trash in an appropriate trash or recycling bin.