Montara State Beach, State beach on the San Mateo County coast, California, United States

Montara State Beach is a sandy shore in San Mateo County, eight miles north of Half Moon Bay on State Route 1. High bluffs rise west of the highway, and the beach is reached by two access points from the bluffs, one across from Second Street and another about half a mile north. Offshore lie the Montara State Marine Reserve and Pillar Point State Marine Conservation Area.

A lighthouse near the beach was built in the early 1900s to guide ships along the California coast. This facility developed over time to serve the growing maritime traffic in the region.

The Chiguan tribe controlled the Montara area before Europeans arrived; the Chiguan and neighbouring Bay Area groups are now known as the Ohlone people. Spanish accounts record that tribes offered food to the newcomers. The Portolà expedition camped nearby on 30 October 1769, and Juan Crespi noted the many large mussels his men found, naming the spot Punta de las Almejas.

The beach can be reached from Highway 1 through two separate entrances, with the northern access leading toward Martini Creek and the southern entrance offering a concrete stairway. Visitors should be prepared for shifting sand conditions and watch for waves, as coastal weather can change quickly.

The Spanish Portolà expedition camped near here on October 30, 1769, possibly at Martini Creek where it meets the sand. Missionary Juan Crespi wrote in his diary that the men named the spot Punta de las Almejas, Point of the Mussels, for the large mussels they found on this beach.