Drakes Beach is named after Sir Francis Drake, an English sea captain who is said to be the first to explore this stretch of land and sea in 1579. With a wide stretch of beach, backed by white sandstone cliffs, Drakes Beach is a very popular place among beach-goers. It has easy drive-up access with a small cafe and visitor centre which offers 24 hour restrooms and outdoor showers, picnic tables, charcoal barbecues and the option of woodfires on the beach. This visitors centre is open year round, mostly on the weekends and contains special exhibits that focus on 16th century maritime exploration, fossils and environments. You can even see a whale skeleton suspended from the ceiling. The sands of Drakes Bay cliffs were uplifted after they formed through compaction in a shallow sea 10-13 million years ago. Drakes Bay is a small salt water bay which is fed by Drakes Estero, a large estuary on the Point Reyes Peninsula. This estuary is protected as part of the Point Reyes National Seashore to help conserve ocean wildlife and marine ecosystems.

The description above was copied from or heavily based on Swim Guide, with permission.

More Information

• Swim Guide - Weather and water quality for Drakes Beach and 8,000 other beaches.