San Clemente
As of 2005, the city population was 65,900. Located six miles (10 km) south of San Juan Capistrano at the southern tip of the county, it is roughly equidistant from San Diego and Los Angeles. San Clemente catches swells all year long. Going from South to North, they include Trestles (technically just south of the city line), North Gate (heavily localized), State Park, Lasuens, Riviera, The Hole, Beach House, T-Street, The Pier, Linda Lane, 204, North Beach, and Poche. San Clemente is also the surfing media capital of the world as well as a premier surfing destination. It is home to Surfing Magazine, The Surfer’s Journal, and Longboard Magazine, with Surfer Magazine just up the freeway in San Juan Capistrano. A popular destination for local residents and tourists visiting the region and has been so for decades, all the way back to the days of Richard Nixon. Just far enough south from The OC – Newport Beach, and Laguna Beach with its MTV, San Clemente is old-fashioned and easy-going. The surfing waves are ranked as the best in Orange County, but near the pier, you can take lessons as a beginner. Ideally located between Los Angeles and San Diego, San Clemente is a unique beach town built on hillsides overlooking the Pacific Ocean. It is conveniently located for airport travel with flights at Orange County Airport in Santa Ana. Over 2 million vacationers and visitors annually come to San Clemente, and there are two special segments who find it ideal–surfers and families with kids The city offers 20 acres of sand beach and a 1,200-foot long fishing pier with commanding views of coastal bluff and hills.
