If you live in Orange County, you have to like the outdoors, says Sammy Veicer. In the second episode of Cadê Moradia, the realtor, who lives in San Clemente, says outdoor living is one of the region's hallmarks: dirt trails, oceanfront bike paths, people walking their dogs on Sunday. But that's exactly where a surprise awaits newcomers.

"Wow, I live in a city and there are coyotes." — Sammy Veicer, on the episode

Coyotes: nocturnal and dangerous to pets

Sammy says he hears coyotes howling from his house at night. They roam residential streets mostly from late afternoon to the early morning hours, and they're a real danger to small animals. Jason Lanzarini recalls the rule you hear among residents: small dogs don't stay loose in the backyard in the middle of the night.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) sums up the precautions in its Keep Me Wild:

• Never feed coyotes — and don't leave pet food or trash accessible outside.
• Keep cats indoors and dogs on a leash, especially at night.
• Fence off or close the space under decks and porches.
• If you run into a coyote, make noise and look big to scare it off, without running.

Bobcats, snakes and squirrels

Sammy says he was showing a house in a canyon to a Brazilian client when a bobcat — a medium-sized wild cat — walked through the middle of the valley. The buyers closed the deal and, according to him, the animal shows up there every now and then. He also mentions snakes, ground squirrels and spider season.

The most common snake on Southern California trails is the rattlesnake. It usually avoids people, but bites when stepped on or cornered. On trails, the advice is to stay on the path, watch where you step and not put your hands on rocks or in bushes. In the region's larger canyons and parks there are also mountain lion sightings, and bears show up in the higher mountains, such as Big Bear — not on the coast.

Trails and parks everywhere

Jason notes that green spaces show up on the map in almost every city: San Clemente, Dana Point, Laguna Beach and Newport Beach have well-marked trails, and many are patrolled. Sammy mentions Crystal Cove State Park, between Newport Beach and Laguna Beach, and the trails leading to Trestles beach in San Clemente, world-famous in surfing.

What's different from a Brazilian beach

The two list what Brazilians find strange about the California coast:

• The water is cold almost all year; Sammy jokes that you can go in "one week a year."
• There are no vendors selling coconut water or food on the sand.
• Alcohol on the beach is prohibited in most Southern California cities, including those in Orange County, with fines for violators.

On the other hand, there's something rare in the world, Sammy points out: living in San Clemente, you can surf in the morning and, driving about two hours, ski in the afternoon in the Big Bear mountains. And despite the beach lifestyle, he notes that many residents hardly go to the beach in their daily routine — work life takes up the time, and people who don't surf end up going rarely.

Sources and verification

• Episode 2 of the Cadê Moradia podcast (February 2026), with Sammy Veicer and Jason Lanzarini.
• California Department of Fish and Wildlife — Keep Me Wild campaign (coyotes, bobcats, mountain lions and bears).
• California Department of Parks and Recreation — Crystal Cove State Park and San Onofre State Beach (Trestles).
• City of San Clemente — municipal code on alcoholic beverages on beaches.

This topic comes from the full episode — watch it:

CADÊ BRAZIL