The Best Beach Towns Near Los Angeles, According to Locals

Not far beyond the Los Angeles skyline and the freeways that wind around it are a string of beach towns within easy reach. From laid-back surf spots to luxurious seaside enclaves, each of these communities offers its own unique take on life by the Pacific. 

While I grew up in Northern California and now live in Baja, Mexico, I’m often in the L.A. area for long layovers and return visits, making a point of exploring some of the most enticing beach towns. To complement my firsthand experience, we also gathered insights from local travel experts and Southern California insiders on the beach towns they love most. 

From Malibu to Dana Point, with the furthest just over an hour away, it’s easy to use Los Angeles as a base and enjoy day trips to the shore.

One of the most famous beach towns in California, Malibu is about 30 miles west of L.A.’s city center. Home to many of the rich and famous, it’s impossible to miss their spectacular mansions in the hills overlooking the Pacific. But it’s a destination for everyone, with many beautiful beaches, from popular stretches like Surfrider, featured in movies like “Beach Blanket Bingo,” to the more tranquil El Matador Beach and Leo Carrillo State Park. 

For one of Malibu’s most dramatic stretches of coastline, Los Angeles–based luxury travel blogger Mona Molayem calls El Matador State Beach “Malibu’s most picturesque and cinematic beach with its dramatic sea stacks, arches, and caves,” adding that it “almost feels like the Mediterranean met Big Sur.”

If you want to shop where you’ll have the chance to bump elbows with a celebrity, head to the Malibu Country Mart, an upscale boutique mall visited by everyone from Jennifer Aniston, Miley Cyrus, and Jerry Seinfeld to the Kardashians. Afterward, enjoy lunch or dinner at the renowned Nobu restaurant with a view of the Malibu Pier and Surfrider Beach. 

The affluent coastal town of Pacific Palisades has no shortage of luxurious hillside homes either, but it also offers a village feel with a walkable shopping area that includes a farmer’s market and high-end dining. Stay here and you’ll have direct access to Will Rogers State Beach too, a three-mile-long span popular for volleyball, swimming, and surfing. 

Plus, there are many scenic trails in the area for those who like to hike. Culture vultures won’t want to miss exploring the magnificent Getty Villa Museum’s ancient Roman and Greek art, or visiting the historic Eames House with its mid-century modern architecture.

Just 15 miles west of downtown L.A., Santa Monica boasts a nearly four-mile stretch of soft, golden sands, but it’s best known for its iconic pier. It includes an amusement park with a roller coaster and a solar-powered Ferris wheel for rides with a bird’s-eye view of the coast. Plus, the pier also hosts an aquarium, arcade, shops, and eateries. In the artsy downtown area, you’ll find even more, including the Third Street Promenade, one of the region’s top shopping destinations, while Bergamot Station, a former railroad station, offers an extensive array of art galleries. 

For a cool beach town with a bohemian vibe, head to Venice Beach. Only 2.5 miles south of Santa Monica, it’s the quintessential Southern California stretch with nearly three miles of sand and a famous boardwalk that runs parallel to about two-thirds of it. It’s lined with everything from tattoo parlors and t-shirt shops to snack stands and restaurants. 

But one of the best things to do here is people watch. There’s always a cast of characters around while buskers like jugglers and musicians provide entertainment. At the skate park, you can watch talented skateboarders—it’s the very same venue where pros like Tony Hawk got their start.

Offering two miles of unspoiled California coastline, Manhattan Beach is an upscale beach town, much of which is centered around its walkable waterfront along Manhattan Beach Boulevard. A short walk along the waterfront will bring you to the historic Manhattan Beach Pier. It’s an ideal spot to watch surfers catch the waves below, fish, and enjoy sweeping views of the Santa Monica Mountains to the north, the Palos Verdes Peninsula to the south, and a colorful sunset at the end of the day. 

In addition to surfing, swimming, sunbathing, and beach volleyball are all popular. A section of the 22-mile-long path called The Strand (officially the Marvin Braude Bike Trail) runs alongside it, ideal for cycling, skating, and walking. The downtown area is the heart of town, filled with boutiques, art galleries, coffee shops, restaurants, and nightlife venues. 

Just south of Los Angeles, with Manhattan Beach just to the north and Redondo Beach to the south, Hermosa Beach is the self-acclaimed “Best Little Beach City.” Highly walkable, with a small-town feel and a relaxed atmosphere, about 1.5 miles of The Strand runs right through the town, providing a paved beachfront route that makes it easy to reach either Manhattan Beach or Redondo Beach. 

You’ll also find a pier with benches where you can sip your morning coffee while watching the fishermen haul up their catch. Pier Plaza, near the end of the Strand, offers facilities for renting watersports gear, like boogie boards, skates, scooters, bikes, umbrellas, and beach chairs, as well as hosting bars and eateries. This is also a popular place to be after dark with vibrant nightlife. 

The town of Redondo Beach has a coastline made up of sandy beaches and a popular marina, with spectacular views of the Palos Verdes Peninsula from the waterfront. The Redondo Beach Pier is an iconic landmark just 10 miles south of LAX, hosting a wealth of shops, restaurants, and entertainment. It’s a great vantage point for watching whales in the spring, and there’s a free summer concert series held here in July and August, along with other events like the annual Festival of the Kite in March. It features live music, a DJ, dancing performances, and competitions in a variety of categories, from the largest kite and youngest kite flyer to the best handmade kite, with hundreds of kites filling the sky. 

South of the marina and pier area, the beach itself offers 1.5 miles of sand popular for strolling and beach hiking. Surfing, boogie boarding, kayaking, and stand-up paddleboarding in the calm waters of King Harbor are all popular too. 

That laid-back authenticity is part of the appeal, and longtime Angeleno Cameron McIntyre, a travel advisor with Fora, says Redondo is “very much hometown” and keeps a low profile, with simple pleasures like lunch on the pier or oceanfront dining rounding out the experience.

The tranquil seaside town of Seal Beach is home to the state’s second-longest wooden pier, providing a central attraction for leisurely strolls with panoramic ocean views, fishing, and sunset watching. The wide, sandy shores are perfect for sunbathing, building sandcastles, swimming, and watersports like surfing, windsurfing, kitesurfing, and paddleboarding. 

Nature lovers and birdwatchers won’t want to miss the Seal Beach National Wildlife Refuge, which provides important habitat for many species, including great blue herons, peregrine falcons, ospreys, turtles, and harbor seals. Along the charming Old Town Main Street that runs through downtown, or the “Mayberry by the sea,” you’ll find 1920s-style buildings housing local boutiques, cafes, pubs, and restaurants.

One of the top Southern California surfing towns and the name of the city’s beach that spans 3.5 miles, Huntington Beach is a great spot for combining time on the sand with other L.A. area attractions, from Hollywood to Disneyland. Anyone who surfs or has an interest in it will enjoy a stay here—not only are there great waves to ride or watch the pros take them on, but it’s home to the Huntington Beach International Surfing Museum and the Surfing Walk of Fame honoring the many legends who’ve ridden the waves. 

All the usual beach activities like sandcastle building and sunbathing can be enjoyed here, plus there are miles and miles of paved paths for cycling with an ocean view. There’s also an iconic pier, one of the longest on the West Coast, popular for shopping and dining with breathtaking views of the Pacific.

Laguna Beach is popular among creative types, including artists and art enthusiasts. It’s home to the Laguna Art Museum, showcasing some of the top artists in California with a collection of over 3,000 works. It also has a charming shopping district and seven miles of coastline, with towering cliffs, coves, and idyllic sands. 

Main Beach is the highlight with a boardwalk, public art installations, and an adjacent park with a playground for the kids. Its lifeguard tower is a top photo op, featured in films and on TV, including the MTV reality show “Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County.” Lots of activities can be enjoyed here as well, including SUP, kayaking, swimming, and tidepooling at the north end. If you hope to spot migrating whales, Crescent Bay Point Park offers the best vantage point.

About 45 minutes south of Los Angeles in the heart of Orange County, Newport Beach is one of the top destinations on the Southern California coast with 10 miles of pristine sandy beaches and one of the largest harbors for recreational boating. Sailing charters, kayaking, paddleboarding, and whale watching tours can all be enjoyed from here. Some of the best beaches include scenic Little Corona Del Mar with its many tidepools and Corona del Mar State Beach, a picturesque stretch sheltered by the cliffs that help keep the water calm for swimming. 

The Wedge is famous for its intense, big shorebreak waves that attract bodysurfers and skimboarders. In between spending time at the sand, world-class shopping can be enjoyed at Fashion Island, while the Lido Marina Village is another top spot for shopping and dining, with waterfront options, as is the Balboa Peninsula, particularly renowned for eateries offering fresh seafood and a harbor view.

The lifestyle here blends polish with personality, something Ashley Johnson, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at Visit Newport Beach, describes as a mix of “coastal creativity and upscale village charm,” where harbor life, boutiques, and waterfront dining all come together, especially around Balboa Island’s timeless small-town feel. Johnson notes that a can’t-miss local favorite is Balboa Island, “where you can stroll past storybook cottages, grab a frozen banana, and soak up the small-town feel right on the harbor.”

About halfway between Los Angeles and San Diego, Dana Point is the farthest beach town from L.A. on the list, at a little over an hour’s drive away. It’s worth the trek, especially for surfers and whale watchers. This is a surfing hub with sections of waves for everyone, from beginners to experts. Instructors are available at some of the beaches here, including Doheny State Beach, which has long, gentle, rolling waves ideal for those new to the sport. 

If you’re looking to improve your skills, there are more challenging options nearby at Strands Beach. Not into surfing? SUP, kayak, sailboat, and jet ski rentals are available at Dana Point Harbor. This is also where you can join whale watching tours year-round with Capt. Dave’s Dolphin & Whale Watching Safari. 

Despite its reputation for upscale coastal living, the town has held onto its relaxed character. Southern California native and travel blogger Jen Curnutt notes that Dana Point offers “a harbor full of yachts and stunning blufftop homes overlooking the sea,” yet still maintains “that laid back So-Cal vibe and small town coastal charm that many other cities near Los Angeles have lost over the years.”