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cabrillo beach, United States

Stay in Long Beach: see the trip Its beds, the way there and every spot near it.

Also within 20 km of Long Beach

All 30 on Long Beach's map

Watch this spot We email you when cabrillo beach is worth the trip.

2026 74th Annual Polar Bear Swim - Flickr - Joey Z1
cabrillo beach. Photo: joey zanotti from Rancho Palos Verdes, CA, USA, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

About cabrillo beach

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.

The spot faces S (172°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (352°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 2–9 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 550 m out (1 in 56). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 15°C in January, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 21°C in August, its warmest (2 mm shorty). For beginners the best months are usually September, October and November, with about 2 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Long Beach. Within 5 km we also list 4 surf spots.

Water about 20°C: 2 mm shorty. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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Book the trip

From Chicago: about 6 h 40 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) to Long Beach International Airport (LGB), direct.

    See flights MDW → LGB · Skyscanner from about £215 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 40 min from the airport to cabrillo beach.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Nearest beds: Long Beach, 11 km (about 20 min by car)Ad

    cabrillo beach is 11 km from the beds: plan on the drive each day you surf.

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.

    Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).

    See all places to stay in Long Beach, 11 km away on Booking.com →

    Closest towns to stay in

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.

  4. Hire and lessons.

    Surf lessons in Long Beach · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Long Beach · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

cabrillo beach on Google Maps · Directions

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One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Forecast

The score for intermediates, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct362 ft13 scrumbling133kJ23°C
Mon 19Oct372 ft12 scrumbling144kJ22°C
Tue 20Oct362 ft10 scrumbling103kJ21°C
Wed 21Oct312 ft11 scrumbling95kJ19°C
Thu 22Oct262 ft11 scrumbling76kJ20°C
Fri 23Oct353 ft5 smushy61kJ20°C
Sat 24Oct192 ft5 smushy27kJ23°C
Sun 25Oct161 ft11 scrumbling27kJ23°C
Mon 26Oct111 ft11 scrumbling15kJ24°C
Tue 27Oct293 ft4 smushy28kJ23°C

Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Energy is the swell's power in kJ per metre of wave, from its height and interval: it grows with the square of each, so a long-period swell hits far harder than a short one the same size. The word under the swell is the wave's shape, our estimate from the sea floor. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to; offshore wind, blowing from the land out to sea, is green and says so.

Your trip, day by day

6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for intermediate surfers. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Direct flight MDW to LGB, then 40 min by road. About 6h 40 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf Ray Bay

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 3 ft at 12 s, offshore wind.

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Surf Ray Bay

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 3 ft at 12 s, offshore wind.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 2 ft at best.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Surf cabrillo beach

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 3 ft at 5 s, wind 4 kn (8 km/h).

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 2 ft at best.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Direct flight MDW to LGB, then 40 min by road. About 6h 40 door to door

The plan picks the best of 4 spots near Long Beach each day: cabrillo beach, Cabrillo Point, Long Beach, Ray Bay.

The trip from Long Beach, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £925–£1,690 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.

WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn MDW to LGB, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag£215–£450
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Taxiairport and back, shared£30–£50
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£270–£455
Food7 days eating out£260–£480
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£115–£190
Total£925–£1,690

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.

Places to eat near Long Beach

Within 2 km of the town centre, listed by how complete the listing is (website, opening hours, cuisine) and whether two sources name it. Not a judgement of the food: we have no reviews. Listings © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Overture Maps Foundation. Credits

Book the trip

Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

Where to stayAd

Nearest beds: Long Beach, 11 km (about 20 min by car) · Booking.com

In the waterAd

Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.