San Clemente

San Clemente is a city by the beach in Orange County in Southern California. It is called the "little Spanish village by the sea" because many of the buildings have a rustic and antique Spanish look to them. People from San Clemente pride themselves on the laid-back and closely knit community traditions that are practiced in this small town. Not only does the culture have a great influence on all the people who live there, but anyone who visits is also sure to experience this feeling as well.

Get in
San Clemente is located about halfway between Los Angeles and San Diego of Interstate 5, which has 7 exits in the city. The nearest airport is John Wayne Airport, 25 miles north of San Clemente. Further airports include Los Angeles International Airport and San Diego International.

There are two train stations in San Clemente, one at the pier, and one at North Beach. Both and  is served by Metrolink via its Inland Empire - Orange County Line and Orange County Line services between Los Angeles, Oceanside and San Bernardino and cities in between, only on weekends. Additionally, San Clemente Pier is also served by Amtrak and its Pacific Surfliner service, with two trains south in the late morning and two trains north in the early evening daily. One of these trips each way extends to/from the Santa Barbara area. The Pacific Surfliner operates 12 trips daily through the area, but most trains don't stop here.

Get around
It is possible to walk around the center of the town although it is a little bit of a slope up from the beach and pier to Avenida Del Mar shopping and restaurant area. There is free 2 hour car parking around the area although close to the beach expect to pay and display.

San Clemente provides a daily trolley service from Memorial Day to September and weekend service year-round. The trolley runs between the pier and Outlets at San Clemente, with stops connecting to popular attractions along Avenida Del Mar and El Camino Real. Trolleys arrive at each stop every 15 minutes. The trolley rides are free.

Do
The beach is the largest attraction in San Clemente. Local teens tend to venture north to the Kaleidoscope or the Irvine Spectrum for entertainment, but the local movie theater, the Krikorian, is relatively cheap and well-run.

Eat
There are a variety of local restaurants that are fairly priced and simply delicious.