5 Best Beaches near San Francisco

Why it made the list: The postcard: a sweep of sand at the foot of the Presidio with the Golden Gate Bridge rising directly behind it. It's the beach you picture when you picture San Francisco, and the view back at the bridge and the headland is unbeatable, no swimming, all scenery.

Why it made the list: Three miles of wild Pacific coastline along the city's foggy western edge, the biggest, moodiest beach in San Francisco, backed by the Sunset and Richmond neighbourhoods. It's for long windswept walks and bonfires, not sunbathing, and it's atmospheric even (especially) in the fog.

Why it made the list: The most convenient stretch of shore in the city, a restored tidal marsh and beach along the Marina with the bridge on one side and the downtown skyline on the other. Flat, walkable, and the best place to picnic with a bridge view without leaving town.

Why it made the list: Over the bridge and through the hills of Marin, a genuinely wide, sandy, swimmable-on-a-warm-day beach backed by Mount Tamalpais, and the closest thing to a real beach day near the city. The drive over Highway 1 is half the trip.

Why it made the list: Forty-five minutes south down the coast, a string of state beaches, bluff trails and a walkable small town, quieter and often sunnier than the city beaches. It's the relaxed option: a coastal drive, a long beach walk, and a proper lunch in town with no agenda.