Cabrillo Beach is a beach in Los Angeles County, California. It sits roughly 2.9 km (1.8 mi) SSE of San Pedro.
Cabrillo Beach is a historic public beach located in San Pedro, Los Angeles, California. It is named after Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo, a Spanish explorer who was the first to sail up the California coast. Cabrillo has two separate beach areas.From the Wikipedia article “Cabrillo Beach”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Cabrillo Beach the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 61° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 299° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 80° in summer but only 33° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:58 AM | 90° E | 7:05 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:44 AM | 61° ENE | 8:08 PM | 299° WNW | 80° | 14h 24m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:42 AM | 89° E | 6:51 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:55 AM | 118° ESE | 4:49 PM | 242° WSW | 33° | 9h 55m |
Azimuth is measured clockwise from true north (90° = east, 270° = west). Computed for 2026; values change by less than a degree from year to year.
Golden hour & blue hour by month
Beaches facing east suit sunrise and west-facing beaches suit sunset; wet sand mirrors the sky color during golden hour.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:31 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:35 AM | 4:31 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:35 PM | 10h 10m |
| February | 6:13 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:13 AM | 5:04 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:03 PM | 11h 00m |
| March | 6:40 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:37 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:26 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:57 AM | 6:23 AM | 6:56 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:50 PM | 13h 01m |
| May | 5:26 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:15 PM | 13h 54m |
| June | 5:14 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:35 PM | 14h 23m |
| July | 5:26 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:33 PM | 14h 11m |
| August | 5:50 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:07 PM | 13h 25m |
| September | 6:12 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:10 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:26 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:33 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:32 AM | 5:47 PM | 6:20 PM | 6:46 PM | 11h 22m |
| November | 6:00 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:02 AM | 4:15 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:18 PM | 10h 25m |
| December | 6:24 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:29 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:15 PM | 9h 56m |
Local time (America/Los Angeles), including daylight saving time. Golden hour runs from about −4° to +6° solar altitude, so the morning golden hour begins during blue hour, before sunrise.
Milky Way & night sky
From Cabrillo Beach, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 27° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 8 (city sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| February | 4:32 AM – 5:12 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:34 AM – 5:34 AM | 2.0 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:42 AM – 4:52 AM | 3.2 | 27° | SE → S |
| May | 11:44 PM – 4:14 AM | 4.5 | 27° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:50 PM – 3:50 AM | 6.0 | 27° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:46 PM – 2:26 AM | 4.7 | 27° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:12 PM – 12:22 AM | 3.2 | 27° | S → SW |
| September | 8:25 PM – 10:25 PM | 2.0 | 24° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:43 PM – 8:23 PM | 0.7 | 17° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 3° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
Window when the galactic core is at least 10° high during astronomical darkness on the 15th of each month. Pick nights within a few days of the new moon. Plan exact nights with the Milky Way planner.
Estimated sky darkness: 8 Bortle 8 — City sky. Only bright constellations are visible; the sky glows orange or white. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.17 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 48% average cloud cover) and June as the cloudiest (68%). September is the warmest month and February the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
Average cloud cover (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 74 | 74 | 74 | 78 | 76 | 77 | 80 | 76 | 84 | 87 | 78 | 74 |
| Low °F | 49 | 49 | 48 | 49 | 53 | 54 | 57 | 58 | 58 | 57 | 52 | 49 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.4 | 1.7 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.6 | 1.1 | 2.6 |
Monthly climatology for the surrounding 1° grid cell from NASA POWER (MERRA-2). Mountain sites can be colder and cloudier than the cell average.
Photography tips for this beach
- Time visits around low tide to reveal tide pools, sea stacks and reflective sand — check the tide widget below.
- Slow shutter speeds (0.5–2 s) turn receding waves into streaks that lead toward the horizon.
- Watch for sneaker waves; never turn your back on the ocean on exposed coasts.
- Salt spray coats lenses quickly; wipe often and rinse gear afterward.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
Season: Winter storms bring dramatic surf on Pacific coasts; summer and autumn sunsets are popular on Atlantic and Gulf beaches.
Suggested gear: Tripod, ND filters, Rain cover, Lens cloths. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Tides
The nearest NOAA tide prediction station is Cabrillo Beach, 1.1 km (0.7 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Cabrillo Beach, closest first.
Scenic Viewpoint
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
LighthouseLighthouse
Lighthouse
Botanical Garden
Lighthouse
LighthouseFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Cabrillo Beach?
What time is golden hour at Cabrillo Beach?
Where does the sun rise and set at Cabrillo Beach?
Can you see the Milky Way from Cabrillo Beach?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Cabrillo Beach?
How far is Cabrillo Beach from San Pedro?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, USGS GNIS / GeoNames, Wikipedia. Sun, moon and Milky Way times are computed by LWPhoto Atlas for 2026. Climate: NASA POWER. Sky darkness is a population-based estimate (Walker's law), not a measurement. See data sources & licenses.