The San Mateo coast beaches are some of Northern California’s most majestic, but they’re largely overlooked by tourists too busy rushing to Santa Cruz to stop in San Mateo. Their loss. Come on a weekday and you’ll have the sand to yourself. Though they’re strung together like pearls on a strand, don’t assume all the county’s beaches are alike. Far from it. Each has its own flavor and amenities. Here’s a rundown of my favorites, from north to south.

Just south of Half Moon Bay, Cowell Ranch State Beach is accessible via a half-mile walk from the parking lot, through an easement. At the end, you’ll reach a 145-step staircase down the cliff to the shore. The beach drops of sharply beneath the surf, making this an unsafe spot for swimming (tether the kids). But wow! the waves are gorgeous. This is a great spot for a picnic, but there are no grills. (NB: The beach is under the administration of Half Moon Bay State Beach.)

Giant driftwood litters San Gregorio State Beach, which has easy access from a small parking lot next to the sand. A creek spills out of the hills opposite, cutting a serpentine path across the beach—kids love redirecting the watercourse and building forts out of the driftwood beside the creek. The beach doesn’t immediately reveal itself. Though you can’t see from the parking area, this is one of the longest strips of sand around. You can walk for miles, like on the beaches on the south shore of Long Island, but with cliffs in the background, not dunes. NB: There is a private, nude, primarily gay stretch of beach north of the parking area. If you haven’t paid for access via the toll road just north of the state beach parking lot, stay below the mean high-tide line. NB: The strand north of the parking area is inappropriate for children and families. But if you’re a gay boy, it’s fabulous.

The best thing about Pomponio State Beach is its easy access—the sand unfurls right around the parking lot. But the big draw is the cooking grills: If you’re looking for an easy, drive-to spot to broil burgers for the kids while watching the waves, set your briquettes afire here. Otherwise, there are more dramatic beaches further south: Keep moving.

Pescadero State Beach is especially good for watching the sun set. Several picnic tables and charcoal grills sit perched on a sloping hill above the beach, just a short walk from the car. The beach is small enough to keep an eye on the kids, but it’s not the county’s prettiest. For grander, more-secluded spots, choose another beach further south. But if you’ve only got a short time, this is a solid choice—and best of all, the wonderful town of Pescadero is only two miles inland, meaning that you won’t have to drive far to find lunch. (Remember, there aren’t many places to eat around here.)

If you love small rocky coves, a la the beaches in New England, you’ll go nuts for Bean Hollow State Beach, the only dog-friendly beach this side of Half Moon Bay (keep Fido on a maximum 6ft-long leash). A short trail leads from the parking area to a crescent-shaped beach, big enough to run around, but not so big that you’ll lose track of the kids. Harbor seals sometimes haul out on the rocks at the beach’s south end, belching and scratching, delighting onlookers. (Stay back 25ft from seals, lest you scare them; they haul out of the water to catch their breath. If you frighten them, they’ll jump back in the water and risk drowning.) Walk out the rocky point at low tide to peer into critter-packed tidepools.

From Bean Hollow, take the short self-guided nature trail north along the blufftops to connect with Pebble Beach, a hidden cove with elegant sandstone formations (tafonis) and colorful pebbles of wave-polished quartz lying on the sand. However beautiful the rocks may be, leave them where they lay: it is illegal to remove pebbles from the sand. Bummer. (NB: The beach is under the administration of Bean Hollow State Beach.)

I love Gazos Creek State Beach for its long, rolling breakers, wind-protected sand, and distant views of the stately Pigeon Point Lighthouse. An easy wheelchair-accessible trail leads to the sand, which stretches far and wide, with rolling, wildflower-carpeted hills unfurling behind. A meandering creek meets the sea here, and it’s mellow enough for kids to sail paper boats across its surface. Look for the margins between the brown dune grass and green-hued coastal scrub—the color shift is sublime. To my mind, Gazos is the premier beach along the southern San Mateo Coast. I can’t wait to return. (NB: Gazos is under the administration of Año Nuevo State Reserve.)

One of California’s top wind-surfing beaches, Waddell Creek Beach abuts the backside of Big Basin Redwoods State Park. Though your eye won’t initially register their height, giant redwoods spill off the hillside into the sea; the land looks just as it has for millennia. Because the wind is so strong, it’s not a good place to play in the sand. The point of coming here is to watch kiteboarders skittering across the water like giant mosquitoes. Amazing.

Across the road, the Rancho del Oso Nature Center is the starting point of a one-mile, self-guided nature tour of the marsh, which is home to over 200 species of birds. The blending of the ocean’s roar with the birds’ constant chorus is hypnotic. Afterward, take your sandwiches to the wind-protected picnic tables on the center’s outdoor deck.