Imperial Beach is home to miles of unspoiled, white-sand beaches on the Pacific Ocean. The most accessible portions of the beach are meticulously maintained to ensure beach goers experience a clean environment in which to play, swim, bodyboard and surf. Lifeguards are on station in the daylight hours up and down the beach from the Imperial Beach Pier. Water quality in Imperial Beach is excellent most of the year. The south end of the beach borders on the Tijuana River Estuary which is a mecca for bird and wildlife enthusiasts. High surf and spotty lifeguard service dictates caution if you plan on going in the water south of the end of Seacoast Drive. Obey all signage especially during and after wet weather. To the north, the beach stretches some 6 miles to Coronado. Much of this stretch is fronted by military and wildlife reservations. The northern stretch of beach is accessible, but beach goers are cautioned there is little to no lifeguard service except for Silver Strand State Beach. Obey all signs so as not to encroach on wildlife and military training operations.
Imperial Beach has a long history with the surfing world. Early surfers would frequent Imperial Beach to train and prepare for surfing the big waves in Hawaii. Be sure to take some time on Palm Avenue to peruse the surf board museum along the sidewalk. The boards represented here are those favored by pioneers of the surf community and are marked with the years, materials and surfers who used them while surfing Imperial Beach.