Best anchorages and harbours in California

A1 ‘La playa’ anchorage

Designated weekend anchorage in the Shelter Island Yacht Basin, San Diego Bay, between San Diego and Southwestern Yacht Clubs.

• Sheltered NW, N, NE, W, E, SW, S, SE

Alamitos Bay Marina

Largest of the three City of Long Beach marinas, on Alamitos Bay between Naples Island and Seal Beach, California.

Benicia Marina

Marina on the Carquinez Strait at Benicia, Solano County, California, on the north shore of the channel linking San Pablo Bay to Suisun Bay.

City of Long Beach: Rainbow Harbor

Public harbour in downtown Long Beach, California, between Shoreline Village and the Aquarium of the Pacific.

Dana Cove

Designated anchorage in the west basin of Dana Point Harbor, on the Orange County coast of California.

• Sheltered NW, N, NE, W, E, SW, S, SE

Emerald Bay

Mooring cove on the north-west shore of Santa Catalina Island, California, with a sand beach and a sand bottom.

• Sheltered NW, N, NE, E

Emery Cove Yacht Harbor

Private 430 berth marina on the Emeryville Peninsula, East Bay shore one nautical mile north of the San Francisco Bay Bridge.

Encinal Basin

Anchorage in Encinal Basin on the Alameda side of the Oakland Estuary, California, on a mud bottom.

• Sheltered W, E, SW, S, SE

Glorietta Bay

Managed anchorage in a small bay on the east side of San Diego Bay, off Coronado, southern California.

• Sheltered W, SW

Little Harbor

Cove on the Pacific side of Santa Catalina Island, California, with a campground and fresh water ashore.

• Sheltered NW, N, NE, E, SE

Morro Bay

Anchorage in Morro Bay harbour on the central California coast, set behind the 23-million-year-old volcanic plug of Morro Rock, on a sand bottom.

• Paid
• Sheltered N, NE, E, SE, S, SW, W, NW

Oceanside Yacht Club

Yacht club founded in 1963 at 1950 North Harbor Drive within Oceanside Harbor, on the Southern California coast.

Pier 32 Marina

Marina on San Diego Bay at National City, on the south-east shore of the bay near Chula Vista.

Redondo Beach Marina

Marina within King Harbor at Redondo Beach, on the Santa Monica Bay coast of California.

Santa Barbara Harbor

Public harbour behind a 1928 detached breakwater on the California coast, with about 1100 berths and visitor moorings on first-come basis.

Shoreline Marina

Large municipal marina in downtown Long Beach, California, between the Queen Mary and the convention centre, opened in 1982.

Sun Harbor Marina

Marina on America's Cup Harbour at Point Loma, on the inner west side of San Diego Bay, five minutes by road from the airport.

Fifth Avenue Landing

Boutique superyacht marina on San Diego Bay, against the Convention Center on the downtown Embarcadero in California.

Alameda Public Dock

Short public pontoon on the Alameda side of the Oakland Estuary, opposite Jack London Square.

Channel Island Harbor Marina

Marina inside the man-made Channel Islands Harbor at Oxnard, southern California. Around 400 berths from 24 to 60 ft plus end-ties up to 100 ft.

Southwestern Yacht Club

Private members club on Shelter Island, in the Shelter Island Yacht Basin on San Diego Bay, California.

Cuyler Harbor

Bight on the north-east shore of San Miguel Island, the westernmost of California's Channel Islands and part of the national park.

• Sheltered NW, N, W, SW, S

Avalon Harbor

Main harbour of Santa Catalina Island, on the south-east shore below the town of Avalon, with a sand bottom.

• Paid
• Sheltered SE, S, SW, W, NW

Coronado Cays Yacht Club

Private members' yacht club on San Diego Bay at the Coronado Cays, Coronado, California, with a marina of about 58 berths.

Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina

Hotel marina in downtown San Diego, California, on San Diego Bay beside Seaport Village and the convention centre.

Sheraton Hotel & Marina

Hotel marina on Harbor Island in San Diego Bay, on the north shore opposite the airport runway, with berths for visiting yachts up to 60 feet.

Descanso Bay

Mooring field and anchorage on the east end of Santa Catalina Island, California, immediately north-west of Avalon Harbour.

• Paid
• Sheltered W, SW, S

Monterey Basin General Anchorage

Open anchorage in Monterey Harbour, on the Monterey Peninsula in California, within the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.

• Sheltered E, SW, S, SE

Monterey Municipal Marina

City-run marina at the south end of Monterey Bay in California, sheltered behind a stone breakwater and adjacent to Old Fisherman's Wharf.

Port San Luis

Open harbour on the central California coast, about 1.3 miles west of Avila Beach in San Luis Obispo County.

• Sheltered N, NE, W, NW