San Clemente

San Clemente is a city in Orange County, California. The population was 63,522 at the 2010 census. Located on the California Coast, midway between Los Angeles and San Diego at the southern tip of the county, it is known for its ocean, hill, and mountain views, a pleasant climate and its Spanish Colonial style architecture. San Clemente's city slogan is "Spanish Village by the Sea". The official City flower is the Bougainvillea and the official City tree is the Coral tree.

San Clemente catches swells all year long. Going from South to North, they include Trestles (technically just south of the city line), Lowers, Middles & Uppers, Riviera, Lasuens (most often called Lost Winds),The Hole, T-Street, The Pier, Linda Lane, 204, North Beach, Calafia and Poche Beach.

One of the most iconic landmarks in San Clemente is the San Clemente Pier. The first constructed pier was built in 1928 and was 1,200 feet long. This pier was built at no cost to the residents and its intention was for fishing and pleasure.

Known as the “Spanish Village by the Sea”, San Clemente has long been known for its Spanish style architecture. 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. The homes in the area range in style, but stick to the Spanish theme for the most part. The area's oldest homes are in Southwest San Clemente, directly south of downtown and "North Beach" area, directly north of downtown. The homes in the Southwest Riviera neighborhood include several new constructions in the Cape Cod style, as well as new modern residences. The more traditional, older homes sit in the Lasuen "boot" district. The neighborhood surrounding Lasuens or "Lost Winds" beach is characterized by a variety of styles in both single and double story fashion, with the traditional Spanish style sprinkled throughout, crafting an eclectic atmosphere. The renovations to historic buildings in North Beach have sparked a revival in the area, attracting new residents and business owners.

San Clemente is also the surfing media capital of the world as well as a surfing destination. It is home to Surfing Magazine, The Surfer's Journal, and Longboard Magazine, with Surfer Magazine just up the freeway in San Juan Capistrano. The city has a large concentration of surfboard shapers and manufacturers including Lost Surfboards, Stewart Surfboards, Cole, Timmy Patterson Surfboards, Terry Senate and Dewey Weber Surfboards. Additionally, many world renowned surfers were raised in San Clemente or took up long-term residence in town, including Shane Beschen, Mike Parsons (originally from Laguna Beach), and many others. San Clemente High School has won 6 out of 7 most recent NSSA national surfing titles. One title was won by Capistrano Connections Academy.