Pacifica Esplanade Beach — Attraction in Pacifica

Wonderful dog friendly beach! Clean (owners clean up the poop) and well kept. Beautiful! The beach is always changing, somedays it has little seaweed/ocean debris, somedays more. Depends on the tide. I will say that overall my experiences with the dogs and their owners have been mostly positive. There have been a few aggressive dogs and inattentive owners (sort of a trend there). I have had no real attacks or heard of any on the beach. Additionally, please be aware, people bring their young children (as little as a baby unable to walk to toddler). They sometimes don't even have a dog with them but they choose to take their walk on an off-leash dog beach. I've seen these sorts of people get outwardly annoyed when a dog runs past and kicks sand on them, it's laughable (don't spend time with your baby on an off-leash dog beach). It's a nice place overall, but it can get a bit hectic. Don't go if you don't like dogs...

What a great place for off-leash play! The ends of the beach on the North and South are bounded by cliffs/rocks so the dogs aren't able to "escape" the area unless they run all the way back to the stairs. There is a lot of beach area for the dogs to explore and run and play.

There is no water fountain or other services at the beach so bring water and a bowl!

This should go without saying, but plan on your dog being sandy and salty when they get back in your car. There is no dog washing station to clean them after their beach run. Cover your car in a blanket or just be ready to vacuum when you get home.

Parking: on-street only at the top of the cliff. There is no lot or structure. You may have to park a bit away from the ramp entrance to the beach. Be sure you are parking legally.

Tides: Be sure to check the tide level for when you plan to be...

Before, when any reviews were written about the beaches, most people liked to say that the particular place is very good for children and families. Not anymore!!! It is unfortunate that pets substituted children and families in priorities. This beach is atractive, however it is not suitable for children or elderly because this IS the place where people bring their dogs to urinate. As a result, they spread some life threatening bacteria and viruses such as Giardia Lambia, Methicillin Resistance Staphylococcus Aureus, or Campylobaster to name a few. Dogs are also can be victim of the the same bacteria and viruses. I wouldn't bring my dog here. Hopefully, they will not go farther south from this place for the sake of our children or elderly. Finally, a car parking might be a challenge...