Travel Guide to Dana Point and San Clemente: The Best Things to Do in 72 Hours
Our trip to Dana Point and San Clemente was a bit on a whim and I felt so lucky that it turned out to be one of the cutest areas we’ve ever visited in SoCal. My goal is always to find California towns with photo worthy scenery, fresh and healthy eats, and if I’m lucky a colorful mural to brighten up my feed. We got everything on my checklist and then some!
Best Spot for Morning Coffee
Have you ever tried an Horchata Latte? Well at Bear Coast Coffee you’ll have your opportunity. There’s two locations, one in Dana Point and a second in San Clemente. You can also order matcha here which is another favorite hot beverage of mine!
We went to the San Clemente location because of it’s prime spot right on the pier. The coffee shop is located on Avenida Victoria which has a walking trail along the coastline, perfect for a morning coffee walk.
Hipster Tacos for Lunch
One of the best benefits of California is the plethora of fresh Mexican-Inspired eats. A local favorite is Lupe’s Mexican Eatery, located in Dana Point. My hubby ordered the carne asada tacos and I had the grilled veggie burrito, both tasted amazing. The horchata was literally one of the best we’d ever had, and my husband is a harsh judge of Mexican food (horchata is a traditional Mexican beverage made of rice, vanilla, milk, cinnamon and sugar).
Afternoon Sweet Tooth Cravings
South Swell Ice Cream is where all the cool kids get their sugar fix in San Clemente, with creative ice cream creations like The Basic Witch - an ice cream sandwich made of vanilla ice cream dipped in gourmet chocolate, covered in moist spice cake and drizzled with pumpkin spice icing. Are you drooling yet?
Coastal Kitchen in Dana Point
Coastal Kitchen has a modern and stylish atmosphere with fresh and tasty eats. You can frequent this spot for either lunch or dinner, they’ve got excellent menus for both. This is also a great spot to enjoy happy hour drinks, they have a full bar menu with beer, wine and crafted cocktails. And don’t forget to give the dessert menu a glance… the pumpkin bread pudding caught my eye!
Be prepared to spend a little extra money, this restaurant is best for times when you want to ditch the budget and indulge a bit.
San Clemente Pier & Avenida Del Mar
As I mentioned earlier, the San Clemente Pier is a great place to spend some time during your vacation. There’s easy beach access so you could totally plan your beach picnic from this starting point. If you’d prefer to keep your feet out of the sand, you can walk the paved trail and enjoy ocean views.
Avenida Del Mar is a main strip that runs through San Clemente and ends up at the pier. You’ll find ample options in dinning, shopping and general sightseeing.
For all you hot mamas, there’s also a beach playground for the kiddos right across the street from Bear Coast Coffee at the San Clemente Pier.
Girl in the Curl Surf Lessons & Rentals
If you’ve always pictured yourself as a surfer catching waves, you can book surfing lessons with Girl in the Curl Surf Shop. Students range from 5 years old to adults and all the lessons take place at Doheny Beach in Dana Point. If you’re already a surfing pro, you can opt to rent surfboards, wet suits and bodyboards.
Doheny State Beach
Doheny State Beach is one of the popular surfing beaches in Dana Point and is also home to the annual Ohana Music Festival. Most recently in September 2019 the Red Hot Chili Peppers headlined the beachside show.
The Doheny Beach is filled with very soft sand, it’s a great spot for a beach day and picnic. The waves are usually ideal for splashing and body surfing. Grab a picnic lunch and enjoy a quintessentially perfect California day.
Mermade Market
The Mermade Market is an annual outdoor and indoor market featuring crafted goods from local makers. The lineup of vendors is impressive, and even more awe-inspiring is the impeccable collective taste and aesthetic the entire market seems to have. It feels like they selected all of my favorite Etsy sellers and put them together in a marketplace next to the beach.
Check the Mermade Market website for upcoming events, and you can even attend a workshop if you feel like working those creative muscles.
Maison Cafe + Market
We had a really sweet lunch at Maison Cafe. They did a great job accommodating us with Scout and made her a special plate of toddler-friendly scrambled eggs. The restaurant atmosphere is warm and cozy, while still being modern and country chic. The menu is filled with healthy and flavorful food options.
Salt Creek Beach Tunnel
This colorful mural of the classic surfer van can be found inside the Salt Creek Beach Tunnel. It is a pedestrian tunnel that leads to the beautiful Salt Creek Beach, one of the favorite local beaches in Dana Point. Although it is a public beach, the entrance and parking lot is right adjacent to the Ritz Carlton. During our visit there was ample parking (you do have to pay the parking meter).
To find this mural enter this address into your GPS - 33333 Pacific Coast Highway, Dana Point.
