TRAVEL

Insider’s Guide to the Best Beaches in LA

Hint: Go south

Photo by Mike Cox on Unsplash

Most travelers headed to Los Angeles think of bohemian Venice Beach and family-friendly Santa Monica as the go-tos for spending a day oceanside. But three towns south of Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) at the southern end of Santa Monica Bay can be the best places to soak up the sun and play in the sand. Making up what locals refer to as the South Bay, each town has a unique personality with one thing in common — stunning beaches.

Manhattan Beach

Located 4.5 miles South of LAX, Manhattan Beach is known for its upscale boutiques, surfing, and fine dining. MB, as it is locally known, has 2.1 miles of beachfront. Volleyball is a favorite pastime and the city hosts tournaments like The Manhattan Beach Open each summer.

Surfers flock to the north end of the beach, known as El Porto. Downtown Manhattan Beach is walkable with many high-end boutiques, retailers, bars, and hotels as well as a wide variety of casual and fine dining restaurants.

Manhattan Beach Tips and Highlights:

• Visitors will find a variety of shops and restaurants at the Manhattan Beach Pier entrance. The pier is also home to the Roundhouse Aquarium, which offers immersive experiences and free admission.
• Shower and changing rooms
• Over 300 metered parking spots around the city both on-street and in parking lots
• Stunning sunsets
• Access ramps and beach wheelchairs
• Farmers Market every Tuesday 11 am-3 pm

Hermosa Beach

Heading south to Hermosa Beach, you’ll find a small and friendly community. With 1.4 square miles of golden sand, Hermosa Beach is a popular hotspot for sunbathing, volleyball, and rollerblading.

Funkier than its neighbor to the north, Hermosa Beach was a favorite gathering spot for LA’s punk rock scene. In the 1970s, the city was home to Media Arts, a studio that recorded bands like Black Flag, The Circle Jerks, and The Descendants.

These days, you’ll find trendy shops, restaurants, and bars lining Pier Avenue. The avenue runs through the center of town and deadends at the Hermosa Beach Pier, which extends 1,140 feet into the Pacific Ocean.

The Best of Hermosa Beach:

• Beer drinking in paradise
• Listening to jazz at the Lighthouse
• Rollerblading and bike riding on the strand, a 22-mile paved bike path from Redondo Beach to Will Rogers State Park in Santa Monica
• Easy, walkable downtown.
• Sunset watching and just hanging out
• Farmers Market every Friday, 12 pm-4 pm
• Plenty of facilities, including wheelchair access, showers and changing rooms, metered street and lot parking, and boogie board and bike rental

Photo by Roberto Nickson on Unsplash

Redondo Beach

Traveling further south is the family-friendly town of Redondo Beach which offers 1.5 beautiful miles of flat sandy beach. Famous for its horseshoe-shaped pier, it’s a wonderful location for swimming and boogie boarding.

The Redondo Beach pier is home to quirky souvenir shops and remains one of the best places in the LA area for fresh seafood. Riviera Village, home to casual and fine dining restaurants as well as dozens of bars lies at the south end of Redondo Beach.

The Best of Redondo Beach:

• Fishing from the pier
• Fresh seafood
• Gorgeous sunsets
• Laidback community
• Ample parking
• Ramp and stair access
• Beach wheelchairs
• Shower and changing rooms
• Wide beach with plenty of space for everyone
• Farmers Market every Sunday 9 am-2 pm

Fortunately for people using public transportation, all three cities are linked by Beach Cities Transit (BCT), offering daily service between the South Bay and the LAX City Transit Center. Please note dogs are not allowed on any of the South Bay beaches though dog parks are available in all three cities.

Photo by Taylor Deas-Melesh on Unsplash

Huntington Beach

If you’re heading down the coast from the South Bay, the town of Huntington Beach is worth a visit. Located 35 miles south of Los Angeles, Huntington Beach is a hotspot for surfers, including dogs eager to hang ten. Pet-lovers can enjoy a picnic at the special Dog Beach and participate in the town’s annual dog-surfing contest, which takes place every year in September.

Visitors who want a break from the beach can stroll the gardens and lakes around Huntington Central Park or peruse the memorabilia at the town’s International Surf Museum.

On October 2nd, a pipeline connected to oil rig Elly, located 4.5 miles off the coast, erupted and created a toxic 13-square-mile oil slick off the shore of Huntington Beach. The spill has significantly affected the city with substantial ecological impacts occurring at the beach and the surrounding wetlands.

Experts predict that the spill will have sweeping impacts on southern California coastal wildlife, potentially for years to come. While the area was closed for more than a week, local authorities determined that the beach was safe for swimming and surfing on October 11th.

For those who may be interested in assisting with volunteer clean-up efforts, information can be found at the Southern California Spill Response. Alternatively, you can donate to non-profit groups like Heal the Bay.

Huntington Beach Tips and Highlights:

• Ideal for surfers and families
• Designated area for dogs
• Picnic areas and restrooms
• Annual dog-surfing contest
• Open from 5 am to 10 pm every day
• Parking is $2/hour
• There are no lockers on the beach. However, you can book affordable and secure luggage storage at Hamburger Mary’s through Stasher. The company offers all-day luggage storage for $6 an item, regardless of size or weight. Stasher maintains a host of convenient storage locations throughout the LA area.

This article contains affiliate links. If you reserve storage through Stasher, we will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Written by Jeffrey Whitaker