In California, all beaches are free and open to the public up to the mean tide line. State law means the wet sand is for all of us, a somewhat nebulous guidance that has led to plenty of battles between wealthy homeowners and beach lovers over the years. But some Orange County property owners fought to maintain exclusive access to the sand that fronts their properties in the 1970s — and won — making certain homes with private sand a rare commodity.
One such property came back to the market earlier this year, boasting one of these coveted sections of private sand in Laguna Beach. Listed for $14 million, the “Sea Castle” at 31971 Coast Highway features seven bedrooms, seven baths, sweeping views of the Pacific and a funicular that carries you to the main house.
“You own a portion of the sand, which is really rare,” listing agent Meital Taub told SFGATE.
The property also neighbors the path leading down to Thousand Steps Beach. The beloved stretch of sand is both breathtaking and full of wondrous tide pools and sea caves, even if it is otherwise incorrectly named. The step count is closer to 218, but the concrete descent is so steep, it may leave a visitor with the impression that they walked down 1,000 steps. The entrance to the stairway is also fairly hidden, and there’s no parking lot, giving the beach an aura of exclusivity…