This Californian city boasts year-round sunshine and warm, dry temperatures. So there’s no excuse not to hit the beach. Whether you love to surf, sunbathe or people-watch, there’s a stretch of sand for you.
Here are our favourite beaches in LA…
Venice Beach
Los Angeles’ most famous beach is so much more than just a slither of sand. This free-spirited and bohemian corner of the city is packed full of buskers, bodybuilders, acrobats and mime artists performing just about everywhere. Stroll along the boardwalk and you can people-watch to your heart’s content, browse the quirky shops and boutiques, and enjoy a brew at the coffee bars. Over summer, there’s a packed schedule of music festivals and art shows to enjoy. Plus, on the first Friday of each month there’s live music and a food truck festival.
Beach Loop, Stop: Venice Beach / Marina Del Rey
Santa Monica State Beach
Santa Monica is the next-door neighbour of Venice Beach. It’s easy to switch between the two beaches, so you can enjoy both in one day. While Venice Beach is offbeat and free-spirited, Santa Monica is much more sophisticated and upscale. As well as a long sandy beach to sunbathe on, there are Art Deco buildings to wander around and the famous Santa Monica Pier to explore. The pier is over 100 years old, and boasts a family amusement park with a huge Ferris wheel, an aquarium, arcades, shops and restaurants.
Beach Loop, Stop: Santa Monica Pier
Surfrider Beach
Surfrider Beach is – as you’ve probably guessed – a pretty great place to catch some waves. If you’d rather get active than get your tan on, head to this small stretch of sand between the Malibu Pier and the Malibu Lagoon, and spend your day surfing. This World Surfing Reserve regularly attracts legendary surfers, so you might find yourself fighting for waves with some of the greats. There’s also a long wooden pier that you can stroll along and enjoy a picnic on. And, this beach is a top saltwater fishing and bird watching spot too.
Paradise Cove Beach
This popular, palm-backed beach is surrounded by limestone cliffs and attracts all kinds of sun seekers – families, solo travellers and groups of friends. Charlie’s Angels and American Pie 2 were filmed here, so you might recognise its film star credentials as soon as you step onto the sand. There’s also a café of the same name right on the sand, owned by American mystery novelist, Bob Morris, that fans flock to visit.
Will Rogers State Beach
This long, narrow beach is just along the coastline from Santa Monica Beach and close to Los Angeles city centre. The beach was named after 1920’s actor Will Rogers, and it was the chosen backdrop for early episodes of Baywatch. This is one of the nicest places to swim in the sea, thanks to its clear shallow water. And, there are always volleyball games and beach sports going on that you can join in too.
You can’t visit Los Angeles without hitting the beach. It’s the perfect place to unwind after touring the rest of the city’s A-list sights. Browse our bus routes for more inspiration on what to see and do in Los Angeles.
