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What comes to mind when you think of visiting one of California’s beaches?
In all likelihood, you could easily circle them on a map as contiguous counties stretching from San Diego to Orange County and ending somewhere around Santa Barbara.
Honestly, there are a lot of underrated beach towns in the state, and what you may not know is that you can fly straight in without ever setting foot in one of the Golden State’s major cities.
Let’s take a look at the map to reveal a lesser-known beach town in Northern, Central and Southern California, all with their own airports – including one open to the public for the first time in years as American Airlines will launch a new flight this winter.
Monterey: Northern California’s coastal paradise
Al Roker doesn’t need to tell you that the further north you go, the colder the weather gets this time of year.
Despite the chilly weather, you can still enjoy the coast during the day, with consistently beautiful temperatures in the 60s in winter.
Monterey is a relatively small city with only 30,000 residents. But don’t let size matter here as there is plenty to do and see.
Located along California’s ‘Central Coast’, with nearly 100 miles of scenic coastline, it’s safe to say Monterey is basically NorCal, as it’s less than 2 hours from San Francisco and almost dead even with Fresno on the map .
A popular surfing spot and fishing community, the beach is best experienced with decadent seafood, blissful sunset walks and aquatic life on display in the famous Monterey Bay Aquarium ($65 entrance), the second largest in the world.
The reason is that swimming can be difficult due to sightings of common sharks and unpredictable currents.
Good news is that there are plenty of beach spots nearby where you can lounge in the sun and in safer conditions, including the fairytale beach town of Carmel, California, or enjoy a 4-hour whale watching tour at sea. as low as $75.
Getting to Monterey is easy with nonstop flights from major airports across the country, including popular hubs like Seattle, Dallas, Las Vegas, Denver and Phoenix.
San Luis Obispo: perhaps California’s best kept secret
If you’ve ever taken a road trip through California, you may have passed through what’s known as “SLO.”
The city itself is packed with surprises as one of California’s most charming cities with hospitable residents. historical missionsand underrated wineries that will make you forget all about your Napa plans.
The wine scene may seem like more of an escape from spring to fall, but winter is still a great time to visit, with far fewer crowds at vineyards like Biddle Ranch Vineyard or even wine bars with perfect ratings on Google Like Region.
But San Luis Obispo serves as a great gateway to some of California’s most underrated beach towns, at least in the central region of the state.
Pismo Beach may be famous, but Morro Bay is a surprising festive escape this winter with events like the Illuminated boat parade December 7 and fun community tree lighting.
Plus, there’s one of California’s best European-style Christmas markets nearby Cambria.
But where Morro Bay really shines is in its natural beauty, such as the otherworldly Morro Rock, a volcanic plug reminiscent of St. Lucia’s famous Pitons, along with seasonal wildlife sightings such as whale and monarch migrations.
No matter how you want to experience this treasure trove of hidden gems, there’s no need to fly to another city and make the trek here.
SLO has direct flights from major hubs such as Dallas, Los Angeles, Seattle and Phoenix.
American Airlines gives Carlsbad a chance to shine
It’s no secret that San Diego is one of the most beautiful beach cities in the country no matter the season, but what isn’t widely known is that the landscape of air travel in the region is about to change.
American Airlines launches its first flight from Carlsbad (CLD) February 13 from Phoenix – and it’s a game changer!
After this pristine beach town’s multiple failures in offering a secondary airport to San Diego, serving the likes of Long Beach, Burbank and Ontario LA, a major player has now entered the chat.
American and Carlsbad both hope the new flight will have a domino effect to draw more vacationers to San Diego’s beautiful north side, home to upscale resorts and less crowded beaches.
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This article originally appeared on TravelOffPath.com
The opinions expressed here are solely those of the author, and not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included in the post.
