The sun sets over the Pacific just beyond the fog at this blustery beach. Most days here are too chilly for bikini-clad clambakes, but fine for hardy beachcombers and hardcore surfers braving riptides (casual swimmers beware). Bonfire policies are under review, but are currently permitted in artist-designed fire pits only; no alcohol allowed. On Ocean Beach's south end, beachcombers spot sand dollars and 19th-century shipwrecks. Stick to paths in fragile southern dunes, where skittish snowy plover shorebirds shelter in winter.
