Arroyo de Los Frijoles and Pebble Beach are in Bean Hollow State Park, located 17.5 miles (28.2 km) south of Half Moon Bay and 3 miles (4.8 km) south of Pescadero, California. The name “Bean Hollow” originates from the translation of “Cañada Del Frijol,” which was used in the 1840s; the English version came into use by 1861.

Arroyo de Los Frijoles is the southernmost beach in Bean Hollow State Beach. The cove features a sandy beach with some rocks near the center and two rocky points that partially enclose it from the ocean. This shape creates a strong current, making swimming dangerous. The Arroyo de Los Frijoles creek flows from Reservoir de Los Frijoles to Lake Lucerne Reservoir near Highway 1. It then seeps through the beach south of the parking area.

Pebble Beach, the northernmost beach in the park, is a small cove with coarse, pebbly brown sand. In 1867, a local newspaper reported that upper-class families were taking pebbles as souvenirs to display in jars on their mantels. The beach became popular with collectors seeking wave-polished multicolored agates, opals, jaspers, and carnelians, which were found in abundance. This activity ended in 1891 when Loren Coburn, a wealthy landowner, closed the road gate, sparking a court battle over public access and property rights in California. In 1893, the beach was designated as a county park. However, this designation did not ensure that the access road was public land. In July 1896, a judge ruled that while the beach and its pebbles were state property, the access road remained private. In 1958, the state acquired the 44-acre (18 ha) park property. Today, the public can access the beach, though collecting pebbles is prohibited. Read more here and here. Explore more of Arroyo de Los Frijoles and Bean Hollow here: