Parque Del Mar

Mesmerizing views, cool ocean breeze, plenty of benches and great shade provided by the many tree’s is what you will find in this park. Adjacent to the San Clemente Pier, this is a definite spot to stop by if you are ever in San Clemente.
I love coming here to relax either with a great book, taking a break after a long run, or simply sitting with that special someone and enjoying the view. I even have a favorite bench that I have been sitting on for many many years.
Lot’s of nearby restaurants nearby and plenty of metered parking nearby so don’t forget your quarters. But parking is free before 9:00am and after 6:00 pm. Plenty to do nearby by and even catch a couple of trains pass by. This park has it all.

This is the parking lot for the pier. There is an upper level and a lower level. There is a good amount of parking, BUT it can be super crowded in the Summer and very hard to find a spot. You must pay by the hour, but it is free after 5:30pm. So don’t pay if you have to, make sure to double check the signs. I’ve seen people pay when it is free and told them to stop haha.
There is a nice little park next to the parking lot, overlooking the ocean. Very beautiful spot with the best view! There are a few benches and tables so you can have a picnic, or just relax and enjoy the view. I have come here many times to just overlook the ocean and/​or eat some pedro’s tacos.
There is also a veteran memorial spot to the side of the parking lot.
Love this area!

The only beach parking near the pier in San Clemente for a slight charge… if you want to call it slight… I cant remember the exact rates and I am sure that they fluctuate depending on the season, none the less, it is the only game in town near the pier.
This lot goes up in tiered rows. The views are great though. There are a lot of palm trees and shrubberies as well. The spaces are not scrunched for micro sub compact cars only as well. This helps for those of us who like to take an SUV to the beach to haul stuff around.
The pay stations are located at the ends of the rows and each spot is numbered for easy reference and payment. The lack of regular trees will hopefully keep the dust away from and the birds from splattering your cars as well. However the shade ends up being lacking. So make sure you crack your windows to prevent sitting in a sauna when you return to your car in the middle of summer.
Enjoy the parking… and avoid the meter maids!

There is not much public parking down near San Clemente Pier except for the saving grace of Parque Del Mar. Located northwest of the pier, where Avenida Del Mar gently arches toward the sea, a grass-​sloped half-​acre park is «dotted with picnic tables and shaded by palm trees,» the LA Times once said. Parque Del Mar is a public metered guarantee that you can find a parking place down at the beach. It is one of San Clemente’s many cliff-​side view areas. The panoramic view-​on a clear day-​takes in the city’s namesake San Clemente Island. Look due north and there is Dana Point Harbor and around the bend-​Laguna Beach.
Parque Del Mar is the perfect location. This is where San Clemente’s Earth Day festivals take place and a local Church has a Bible Study weekday evenings in the park, Take in the view from one of the many benches in the park. Watch the Amtrak and Metro-​Link trains pull up and disembark Check out the surfers catching waves and fisherman (hopefully) catching fish on the pier. Plentiful, metered parking spots help make San Clemente beach-​going that much easier.
I know that people in LA are used to paying for parking at the beach. In San Diego, that is considered an incendiary concept. Still, Orange County did a good job making what could have been a bland beach parking lot into a charming, green lookout spot.