The San Clemente Pier is one of the most iconic landmarks in this California coastal community. Located midway between Los Angeles and San Diego, the city of San Clemente is famous for its ocean, hill, and mountain views.
The city’s pleasant climate is conducive to strolling on the beach or city streets. The Spanish colonial-style architecture is reminiscent of a bygone era.
Th pier is perpendicular to the San Clemente Beach trail, which starts at North Beach and goes as far as Califia, extending over 2 miles along the shoreline. The pier hosts Fisherman’s Restaurant and Bar where you can and experience the waves crashing below. The pier’s wooden structure has existed since 1928. Storm damage necessitated its repair in 1939 and again in 1983.
Downtown San Clemente restaurants and shops are adorned with red tile roofs, cream stucco walls, and dark wood doors and windows. The historic “North Beach” area is home to San Clemente’s Casino Building and Ole Hanson Beach Club, which were renovated in 2010 and 2016.
In 1969, President Richard Nixon bought part of the H. H. Cotton estate, one of the original homes built by one of Hanson’s partners. Nixon called it “La Casa Pacifica” and was nicknamed the “Western White House,” a term for a President’s vacation home. It sits above one of the West Coast’s premier surfing spots, Trestles, and just north of historic surfing beach San Onofre.
I captured this image in black and white because of the dramatic contrast between the sky and the sea. You can purchase a copy of San Clemente Pier in my store.
