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Saturday, April 19, 2014

Leucadia - A Beachside Community Lost In Time

By Carlos Hunnefeld


Leucadia is an artsy beachside community within the picturesque South California beach community of Encinitas. At one time it was a mecca for surfers and hippies alike; remnants of the 1960's era are still very much in evidence. Where else can you see tie-dye T-shirts, eclectic lawn art, cigar store Indians, hippie love beads and surfboard mailboxes?

Leucadia was settled by English spiritualists in 1870 and named islands in Greece. Many of its streets are named after Greek mythological figures. Once primarily agricultural (the Poinsettia Capitol Of The World) many of the former flower-growing businesses are now gone.

Leucadia is home to some of San Diego's finest Italian restaurants, eclectic "head" shops, heated-sauna yoga studios, mysterious palm readers and ultra-hip art galleries. Local hangouts include the very popular Pannikin Coffee & Tea in the old Encinitas train station (very chic); world-famous Lou's Records (home of a huge collection of new and used CDs and records); and Karina's Taco Shop, where you can experience the best Shrimp Burritos ever invented.

Talk to any Leucadian and he will tell you that the best thing that ever happened to Leucadia is that nothing ever happened to it. Leucadia's beaches are seemingly forever locked in time in the 1960s - they're neighborhood surf breaks that have been surfed for more than 50 years. Four very popular surf spots are Moonlight, Grandview, Beacon's and Stone Steps; all are hidden diamonds, tucked away at the bottom of steep staircases.

Fitness enthusiasts will get a great workout at Stone Steps Beach. These killer stairs lead down from the bluffs to the ocean offer incredible views while you huff and puff. At high tide the ocean beats at the bottom of the stairs, at low tide, the beach is wide and sandy.

You can learn to surf by taking a class at Beacon's Beach from world-famous Kahuna Bob, a Leucadian celebrity. Dolphins and whales are regularly seen, especially from the "high-bluff" beach entrances at Stone Steps and Beacon's. If you're lucky, you'll see the famous "green flash" as the sun takes its final dip into the vast Pacific Ocean.

Leucadia's largest beach, Moonlight Beach, is often called "the beach with everything" because it has lifeguard towers, a big playground for children, roomy parking lots, safe play areas, fire-rings for use after sunset, clean restrooms and showers and a very wide, very sandy beach.




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