I find the flat sandy beaches to be dull. Good for sleeping with the book under the sun on a warm day. Great for the dog plays. Fantastic for the beach volleyball. But so flat and uninteresting.
But add one rock in the middle of it, and I would fall in love with the place. Did you notice how rocks add new shapes and angles to the sites? All this windows and arches, strange columns, forms, and colors.
The best stretch of the coast for me is between Santa Cruz and Pescadero. Sooo many great looking miles of the coastline! And Bean Hollow is a crown jewel San Mateo beaches.

Two moon shaped beaches are connected with a trail that leads you up and down to the ocean. A rocky shore is a great place for tide pooling or bird/seals/whales watching.
The shores are covered with ice flowers. The Spring covers the coast with the white and pink blossom.