What is it about Cardiff By The Sea that makes it so different from the other beach communities lining the Pacific Ocean north of San Diego? Well, there’s the ocean, an ecological reserve, a lagoon, fantastic beaches, restaurant row, surf breaks, Cardiff-By-The-Sea bed and breakfasts and never-ending sea breezes. To help you capture the flavor of Cardiff, here are Eight Things You Must Do when visiting Cardiff By The Sea.

1. Go For A Magic Carpet Ride

Look for our $120,000 surfing statue right across Old Historic Highway 101 from the Cardiff Lodge, on the bluffs above Cardiff State Beach. You’re looking for a bronze sculpture of a young surfer dude with his arms stretched out, supposedly riding a wave. The bronze is entitled “Magic Carpet Ride” and the locals have been highly steamed about the statue ever since it was unveiled July, 2008. Local surfers complain that the surfer’s pose does not capture the essence of surfing. Called sissy by some and just too dog-gone feminine by others, surfers have had a field day dressing the statue in pink skirts, stuffed animals, bikini tops, bikini bottoms, lingerie, Fruit-Of-The-Looms and glittering wands. It is one of a kind.

2. Watch The Surfers At Cardiff State Beach

Cardiff State Beach stretches from our bronze surfer sculpture all the way south to Solana Beach with some of the most beautiful coast line in California. The beach is popular with surfers because of the soft sandy bottom and mushy “perfect” waves for long boards. Visitors, photographers and spectators love the views of the surfers from any where along the beach. The nearby bed and breakfasts in Cardiff lodge many visitors who enjoy having lunch at the seaside restaurants while watching the surfers.

3. Take A Hike in an Ecological Reserve

San Elijo Lagoon is one of San Diego County’s largest coastal wetlands. It lies along the Pacific coast between Cardiff-By-The-Sea and Solana Beach, extending inland to the community of Rancho Santa Fe. This mosaic of habitats supports more than 310 species of plants, 21 species of fish, 22 species of reptiles and amphibians, 24 species of mammals and more than 300 species of birds. The new visitor’s center is open to the public seven-days-a-week from 9 am to 5 pm, and is an excellent vantage point from which to explore the Ecological Reserve and its more than seven miles of hiking and jogging trails.

4. Work On Your Tan

Cardiff State Beach is a great beach to have fun. You can watch surfers, work on your tan, read a book, have a picnic, or try your hand at surfing, boogie-boarding or body surfing. Cardiff Beach has been called the Riviera of the West because it has warm water and a sandy beach. You will see people swimming, surfing, bicycling, walking and jogging. These beaches area a great place to stretch and watch sunrise after a night at a Cardiff lodge or bed and breakfast in Cardiff-By-The-Sea.

5. Relax In Your Own Private Hot Tub

The Inn at Moonlight Beach just 2 miles up Historic Highway 101 is a romantic seaside inn located on a hillside above Moonlight Beach. The four guest suites overlook the Pacific Ocean and the quaint beach town of Encinitas and recall a French-European Inn with spotless private baths, wi-fi internet, refrigerator and cable TV. Inquire about the Penthouse Suite with it’s own private balcony and private hot tub with a commanding view of sunsets over the Pacific Ocean.