Los Angeles Beaches

There are many beaches near Los Angeles. They can be roughly divided into Malibu, Santa Monica and Huntington Beach.

Malibu

Malibu is a 30-kilometer long coast west of Los Angeles. The beach faces south and the mountains rise behind the ocean. The beach is right on the Pacific Coast Highway towards Santa Barbara. The coast is completely built up with beach houses, making access to the beach difficult. At the Malibu Pier there is a parking lot and a small public beach. If you drive further in the direction of Santa Barbara you will come to Zuma Beach. There is a wide sandy beach and plenty of parking spaces.

Santa Monica and Venice Beach

Los Angeles city beach stretches between Santa Monica in the north and Torrance Beach in the south. The most famous beaches in Los Angeles are Santa Monica and Venice Beach. Santa Monica has a pier with many attractions. Venice Beach has shops, restaurants and freaks. On the "Ocean Front Walk" you can see the future Miss California and everyone who thinks they are. The new "Schwarzenegger" can be found on Muscle Beach and the next Hollywood starlets show their well-toned bodies. The beach is very wide, you have to walk a long time through the sand to get to the water. South of the international airport are Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach and Torrance Beach. The beach is around 30 kilometers long. There is a port exit between Venice Beach and Playa del Rey, as there is no bridge, you can not cross here on foot or by bike.

Huntington Beach and Laguna Beach

At Long Beach begins a long sandy beach that extends until Laguna Beach. This stretch of coast is about 40 kilometers long. Long Beach is not very popular because the harbor is nearby and several oil rigs camouflaged with palm trees lie in front of the beach. It is better to drive on to Huntington Beach, there is a beautiful beach with no industry in sight. Huntington Beach has a pier, restaurants, shops, and plenty of parking space. If you follow Highway 1 towards San Diego you come to Laguna Beach. Here the flat coastal landscape changes into a hilly landscape. The beaches are getting smaller and the coast is steeper. The beaches at Laguna Beach are small bays with rocks and cliffs. Since there aren't that many parking spaces in town, the beaches are not that crowded.

 

Venice Beach

 

Map of Los Angeles beaches

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