Encinitas, CA, USA

Small Snack Guide

“The Encinitas state of mind is this: There’s no better place to live in the entire state, country or world than coastal North San Diego County. And there’s no better place in coastal North San Diego County than Encinitas.”

- Thomas K. Arnold, San Diego Magazine

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San Diego is an amazing American city, but the real “Blue Zone vibes” are to be found a bit further north in the series of smaller towns that dot Highway 101 along the California coast—La Jolla, Del Mar, Solana Beach, Cardiff, Encinitas, Leucadia, Carlsbad, and Oceanside. Each has their own look and feel, and they essentially blend into each other until the seaside splendor seems to abruptly end at Camp Pendleton which is one of the largest and most elite US Marine Corps Bases where it would be wise to not interrupt their year round training.

Of these northern San Diego communities, La Jolla at the southern end is the ritziest enclave where you can dine on handmade gnocchi while watching sea lions lounge in nearby coves. At the northern end is Oceanside which is, shall we say, the most “salty.” Encinitas sits somewhere in the middle, and is essentially the Goldilocks of the bunch.

Here’s a few reasons why Encinitas feels just right…

There’s a bit of elevation, but not so much that walking is too difficult, and the scale of the place is such that you can cover a lot of ground on foot. Every view offers something new to observe: ocean rollers, swaying palms, stylish locals, jealousy-inducing architecture and immaculate vintage vehicles that leave you wondering what all these people do for a living.

Seemingly everything thrives in this urban greenscape, so you’ll catch whiffs of avocado, olive, lemon, fig, peach, aloe, jasmine, frangipani, and bouganvilla to name a few.

The town’s main drag offers a plethora of cafes, shops, bars, and restaurants of all budget ranges. Whether you want to sip a fireside cocktail from a bar overlooking sweeping ocean views, or belly up at the local American Legion, there’s a spot for you. There’s top notch pizza, Peruvian food and powered sugar donuts. The merch at the neighborhood surf shops gives Marine Layer a run for its money. And the local brewery tap rooms plays “The Search for Animal Chin” on the TV instead of “Monday Night Football.”

Within the neighborhood closest to the ocean, there’s various public viewing points where you can watch the sun set over the Pacific from atop 100 foot cliffs. And tucked away right in the heart of all this is the magnificent Moonlight State Beach where you can swim, surf, sunbathe, stroll, yoga, grill, picnic, frisbee, or do any of the other wonderful things that spoiled locals effortlessly enjoy while taking in sun rays and sea breezes.

There’s an internationally known surf spot right off the shore called Swami’s where you can try your luck on 10 foot waves in the winter, or watch from the cliffs above.

The local skatepark is worth a stop whether you or your kids skate or not. It’s a world class open air design that is free to enter. Many of the world’s best skaters live in the area so observing the scene is just as good as taking part.

Even the 7-Eleven at the corner of 101 and D Street has a peculiar pleasantness to it thanks to the classical music that it projects onto the sidewalk which is a tactic the owner says has kept folks from setting up camp in front of his store overnight.

Encinitas’ central location makes it a great home base if you want to venture to the surrounding towns. The closest ones of Leucadia and Cardiff are just a 5 minute drive in either direction and offer plenty of additional sites to explore.