| Beaches & Marinas • Hermosa Beach |
Overview
Hermosa means “beautiful” in Spanish, a descriptor not lost on the nearly 20,000 residents who call Hermosa Beach home. Hollywood certainly seems to take the place at name-value, regularly filming on the beach and usually getting the pier in the frame. But glitz and glamour is the exception here—it’s flip-flops, swim trunks, and tans that are the norm. The beach is teeming with surfers, volleyball players, and sunbathers, while joggers, bikers, skaters, and strollers line the Strand. Visit the City of Hermosa Beach website at www.hermosabch.org, or the Hermosa Beach Chamber of Commerce website at www.hbchamber.net, for listings of local events and activities. A summer favorite: movies on the beach at sunset.
As the official birthplace of surfing in California, Hermosa is home to the Surfers Walk of Fame, which honors big names like Bing Copeland, Hap Jacobs, and Greg Noll with bronze plaques embedded in the Pier. With its laid-back surfer mentality and compact town density, Hermosa Beach is a breezy alternative to the more ostentatious beach towns to the north.
Practicalities
Hermosa Beach is open daily from sunrise to sunset. During the summer, parking can be a pain, so come early and bring quarters. There is metered street parking for 25¢ per 15 minutes, or you can try the convenient new “cash key” (available for purchase at City Hall)—it works as a debit card, is accepted at all Hermosa meters, and is less likely to get lost in your seat cushions. A three-story lot on Hermosa Avenue is also available—rates vary depending on the time of year. Hint: if you don’t mind walking, there’s free 12-hour parking on Valley Drive (between 8th and 10th Streets). Restrooms are located on the new Pier Plaza and at 2nd Street, 11th Street, 14th Street, and 22nd Street.
Sports
It comes as little surprise that TV crews and volleyball players agree to use this beautiful location as a site for nationally televised AVP Volleyball Tournaments. Hermosa’s other favorite pastime is honored every year when the International Surf Festival comes to neighboring Manhattan Beach (www.surffestival.org). The three-day event, held annually in August, features an amateur volleyball tournament complete with costumes and lots of libations as well as land activities like a two-mile beach run and a sand castle design contest, along with traditional surf and lifeguard competitions.
Surfing and volleyball lessons are always available right on the beach, as are rental boogie boards, surfboards, or skates. Pier Surf (21 Pier Ave, 310-372-2012), located just up from the Hermosa Beach Pier, rents surfboards for $12 an hour ($35 a day) and boogie boards for $6 an hour ($20 a day) with varying security deposits.
Hermosa Cyclery (20 13th St, 310-374-7816) provides a good selection of rental bikes, boogie boards, skates, umbrellas, and chairs at affordable prices; rates start at $7 an hour ($21 a day) for bikes and $6 an hour ($18 a day) for rollerblades. Check the Hermosa Cyclery website at www.hermosacyclery.com for a complete list of rental offers.
Hermosa Pier
The century-old Hermosa Pier recently got a much-needed renovation. Among the improvements: fresh pylons, resurfacing, more lights, and a new three-story lifeguard station. The pier continues to serve as the epicenter and backdrop for most of the city’s main events, including Fiesta Hermosa, a biannual arts and crafts festival.
Shopping
While Roxy and Quiksilver reign supreme in this surf-driven community, there are plenty of diverse shopping opportunities within walking distance of the beach along Pier Avenue, Hermosa Avenue, Artesia Boulevard, and the Pacific Coast Highway. The streets are lined with clothing and jewelry boutiques, Sunglass Huts, antiques showrooms, and quaint general stores featuring beach themed merchandise. If you’re after fresh produce or flowers, the Farmers Market, located on Valley Drive (between 8th and 10th Streets), is open every Friday from noon until 4 pm, rain or shine.
| Beaches & Marinas • Manhattan Beach |
Overview
Manhattan Beach is like Beverly Hills’ younger, hotter sister. The houses, people and clothes surpass anything you’d see in the 90210. Multi-million dollar homes line the well-tended shorefront of the public beaches here. There’s no shortage of hip boutiques or places to eat in this beach community. Park your car and spend the afternoon walking down Manhattan Beach Boulevard and Manhattan Avenue for shops galore. Choose from on-the-run dining like a tasty beef pastrami sandwich from Papa Jake’s or splurge on trendy Greek food at Petros Restaurant. But the beach here is really where its at—soak in the marvelous rays and miles of sand as you head out for volleyball, surfing, boogie boarding, body surfing, swimming, diving, and fishing.
For information about activities and events in the area, check out the City of Manhattan Beach website at www.ci.manhattan-beach.ca.us, or the Chamber of Commerce website www.manhattanbeachchamber.com.
Practicalities
Manhattan Beach is open daily from sunrise until midnight. There are six metered parking lots and three free lots within walking distance of the beach. If you want good parking, though, you’d better get there early, as the conveniently located lots fill up fast. An underground parking facility, located at 1220 Morningside Drive, has 260 long-term meter spots and 200 short-term meter spots. If you’re looking to park your Beamer convertible for beach time and you’re short on cash, arrive early at Lot 8 off Valley Drive; the lot has 51 free spaces. Metered street parking is available, but one quarter buys you a measly 15 minutes. Note: during December, the city offers free three-hour parking at some meters as a little holiday gift to the diehard beach lovers.
Restrooms
Clean restrooms and showers are located at the end of the pier as well as at 8th Street, Manhattan Beach Boulevard, Marine Street, and 40th Street.
Sports
Surfers, boogie boarders, and body surfers all find decent breaks at Manhattan Beach, especially in El Porto (North Manhattan Beach). Everyone’s happy to share the waves, but you gotta know your place: surfers go to the south of the pier, boogie boarders to the north, and everyone rides the waves in fear of infringing upon the posted swimming areas and enraging the lifeguards. For the land-loving folk, the bike path on the Strand separates the wheels from the pedestrians. There are plenty of volleyball nets (usually occupied by very tanned and toned athletes). The kiddies can enjoy the swing sets scattered along the beach.
Manhattan Pier
The pier at Manhattan Beach is a basic, no frills place, but it’s worth a trip to see. Spend some contemplative time taking in the ocean and waves or fish off the pier. If you take a walk to the end, you’ll reach the Roundhouse Marine Lab & Aquarium, an oceanographic teaching station. It’s a small two-story building with a sampling of marine-life tanks and a touch pool. It is open to the public from 3 pm until sunset during the week and from 10 am until sunset on the weekends. Entry is free, although a $2 per person ($5 per family) donation is suggested (310-379-8117; www.roundhouseaquarium.org). Metered parking is available for $1 per hour. There are telescopes that offer terrific views of Palos Verdes and Catalina to the left and the northern beaches to the right. If you’re lucky, you may even spot a dolphin or two.
Shopping
The streets within walking distance of downtown Manhattan Beach are treasure troves of eclectic shops and boutiques. Start at the intersection of Manhattan Beach Boulevard and Manhattan Avenue and walk a few blocks any direction and you’ll find a great variety. The Manhattan Village Mall on Sepulveda Boulevard carries a mix of shops like Sephora, Macy’s, and Pottery Barn and is just a short drive away.
| Beaches & Marinas • Redondo Beach |
Overview
The Redondo Beach Harbor Enterprise occupies over 150 acres of land and water area, including the beach, parks, pier, boardwalk, and arcade. Redondo Beach may be a historic beach town, but it offers the most modern of amusements, from scuba diving to sport fishing. Because of the vast array of recreational activities it offers, Redondo Beach tends to be the most family-friendly of the South Bay beaches (which means the college kids head north to Hermosa, but you’ll still find a share of shell-wearing surfer dudes). Famed environmental artist Wyland was so inspired by the natural beauty and sea life here that he created “Whaling Wall 31” in 1991—a spectacular mural that welcomes visitors on North Harbor Drive at Marina Way. From the beach, you get a beautiful view of the Palos Verdes Peninsula, and if you wait around until dusk, you’ll be rewarded with a Southern Californian sunset that’s so perfect, it might make you sick. For an up-to-date calendar of events, visit www.redondo.org.
Practicalities
Like most of the other South Bay beaches, Redondo is open daily during daylight hours. (You can still walk along the beach after sunset, but swimming is forbidden.) Between the pier parking structure (corner of Pacific Coast Hwy and Torrance Blvd) and the plaza parking structure (N Harbor Dr at Pacific Ave), you should have no trouble finding parking. Lots are open daily 11 am–7 pm, and charge $5 per day on weekdays and $7 per day on weekends during summer months. If you come during winter, you’ll find that many things, including parking, are discounted. If you shop along the pier, be sure to validate your parking ticket. Metered street parking is also available, just make sure to keep it fed. Well-marked restrooms are located throughout the pier (and there’s even one on the beach for bathers).
Sports
In addition to the usual beach activities of swimming, skating, and surfing, boating has gained quite a following in Redondo Beach. Whether you’re launching your own or riding as a guest on an excursion boat, the Redondo Pier is a good departure point. The double-decked Voyager will take you on a 20-minute cruise of King’s Harbor and the marinas. The Voyager is a good family activity, but the daredevils might prefer the Ocean Racer speedboat for a one-of-a-kind thrill ride. Avid anglers head out into the South Bay’s waters for sport fishing opportunities, and cyclists speed to Redondo as a point of origin for LA County’s 26-mile bike path that winds up the Pacific coast to Malibu.
Redondo Pier
The pier, boardwalk, and arcade together provide many dining options. The horseshoe-shaped pier holds a couple of upscale restaurants, but for less formal, fresh-from-the-ocean fare, head to any one of the great fish markets in the area (after all, Redondo Beach is known as the “seafood capital” of Southern California, and when in Rome…). Nestled next to the pier, the boardwalk is also stacked with restaurants, bars, and mostly tacky souvenir stores. Located under the pier, the Fun Factory is open seven days a week and features over 300 arcade and prize-redemption games, as well as a Tilt-A-Whirl and kiddie rides. Hours: Mon–Thurs 10am–10pm; Fri–Sat:10am–midnight; Sun: 10 am–10 pm. For more pier info, check out www.redondopier.com, or call 310-318-0631.
Seaside Lagoon
The Seaside Lagoon (200 Portofino Wy) is a saltwater lagoon, heated by a steam-generating plant, surrounded by man-made sunbathing beaches, beach volleyball courts, and a snack bar. The shallow lagoon is perfect for families—bring a picnic and spend the afternoon swimming under a lifeguard’s watch. From 190th Street, go west toward the beach until the street ends, then turn left onto Harbor Drive, and proceed for about one mile. Parking is available at the Redondo Beach Marina and can be validated at the Lagoon. Admission costs $6.00 for adults and $5.00 for children ages 2-17. Hours: 10 am–5:45 pm, daily during the summer months. For more information, call 310-318-0681.
Shopping
When your interest in the shops along the pier and boardwalk begins to flag, check out Riviera Village. In South Redondo, between the Pacific Coast Highway and Catalina Avenue, south of Avenue 1, you’ll find a bevy of unique boutiques, galleries, cafés, and restaurants.
| Beaches & Marinas • Santa Monica Beach & Pier |
Overview
Santa Monica Beach is the jewel in the crown of Los Angeles beaches. An offshore breakwater assures a gentle surf—good enough for neighborhood boogie boarders, novice surfers, and even the occasional pro in the everlasting search for that perfect wave. (For even better beginner waves, go to Manhattan Beach.) Aside from die-hard beach bums, Santa Monicans tend to stay away from the pier unless they’re entertaining visitors. In 1909, the pier opened to an excited public and was a boom town of entertainment until the 1940s, when it experienced a bit of a mid-life crisis. The beloved structure was slated to be torn down after years of deterioration, but local residents rallied, and it was rebuilt in 1988. Film crews, photographers, and sun bunnies came flooding back, and today the place is buzzing with activity once again. Check out the Twilight Dance Series concerts on Thursday nights during the summer, featuring popular performers from a wide variety of musical genres. For more information, visit www.santamonicapier.org, www.santamonica.com, or call 310-319-6263.
Amusement Park
Located right on the Santa Monica Pier, Pacific Park Amusement Center is home to the nine-story Ferris Wheel, with a terrific view of the coastline and the city. Take a moonlit ride over the ocean on a summer night. The famous 1920s vintage carousel was featured in the Paul Newman/Robert Redford movie The Sting and still costs just 25 cents for kids and 50 cents for adults. Other amusements include a fairly slow and uneventful rollercoaster, skeeball, air hockey, pinball, and video games. 310-260-8744; www.pacpark.com.
Camera Obscura
1450 Ocean Ave, 310-458-8644. Hours: Mon–Fri: 9 am–3 pm; Sat-Sun: 11am–3 pm;
Camera Obscura is another popular attraction. Entering the dark room on a sunny day, you can see images from the outside cast onto a table by a long-focus camera lens. The Camera Obscura—essentially a camera the size of a building—is in the Santa Monica Senior Recreation Center. Admission is free, just leave your driver’s license at the Rec Center’s office in exchange for the key. It may not be as exciting as the nearby ferris wheel, or as portable as your sleek, little digital camera, but it’s definitely worth popping in.
Santa Monica Pier Aquarium
1600 Ocean Front Walk; 310-393-6149; www.healthebay.org/smpa.
Hours: Sat–Sun: 12:30pm–5 pm; Tues–Fri: 2 pm–5 pm
At the hands-on marine science aquarium, located underneath the carousel, exhibits focus on local sealife. Sea stars, crabs, snails, and sea urchins populate the touch tanks, but the shark tanks are strictly for eyes only. Suggested donation for admission is $5, but if you have no shame, you can pay as little as $2. Children under 12 enter free with an adult.
Practicalities
The parking lot on the north of the pier at 1550 PCH costs $5 weekdays and $7 weekends during the off-season, and $7 weekdays and $8 weekends during the summer months. There is metered parking along Ocean Avenue north and south of the pier. The visitor information stand is located on the corner of Ocean Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard. You’ll also find some rather grungy restrooms underneath and near the end of the pier.
Shopping
The best shopping in the area is two blocks east of Ocean Avenue along the Third Street Promenade. This three-block pedestrian mall is lined with restaurants, bars, movie theaters, and retail stores including everything from bookstores to swimwear shops. Venture a little south of the pier towards Main Street for more unique boutiques and restaurants. Le Sanctuaire is a fancy culinary boutique frequented by the professionals (2710 Main St, 310-581-8999); Splash Bath & Body sells scented soaps that you can smell a block away (2823 Main St, 310-581-4200); Blonde is the ultimate beach apparel boutique in a kitschy and fun setting (2430 Main St., 310-396-9113); and ZJ Boarding House supplies everything surf and snowboard-related (2619 Main St, 888-799-5646). Also check out Montana Avenue for more specialty shops and restaurants. Sample the best burger in LA at Father’s Office (1018 Montana Avenue, 310-393-2337); and don’t miss the biannual Montana Avenue sidewalk sale held in early December and mid May every year.
| Beaches & Marinas • Venice Beach |
Overview
Freaks, hippies, artists, and bohemians have been attracted to this stretch of oceanfront nuttiness since, well, the beginning. It was at Venice Beach that Jim Morrison and Ray Manzarek—old UCLA buddies—ran into each other in 1965 and decided to form The Doors. Venice Beach is also the famous backdrop of the 1970s roller-disco movie Xanadu, and the beach was home to legendary skateboarding crew the Z-Boys (as in, the guys in Lords of Dogtown). Nearby Venice High School, a Hollywood location favorite, substituted for Rydell High in Grease and was the set of Britney Spears’s “Baby One More Time” video.
While some of the shops have acquired better paint jobs since Morrison’s day, the funky attitude of the neighborhood still exists despite the influx of luxury lofts and the martini-and-Manolos crowd. The beach boardwalk is the place to rock your bathing suit and flip flops, people-watch people watching you, and maybe pick up a steal (sometimes literally) from a wide-variety of non-commercial vendors. It’s a chill, youth-friendly carnival melting pot replete with performance artists, psychics, bodybuilders, hand-in-hand couples, and people showing off their puppies. Step out to the beach to play volleyball, sunbathe, or perhaps brave the questionably clean LA bay for a surf or a swim. For hippies and people who don’t mind them, the weekend sunset drum circles are a place to dance, play music, and celebrate the cosmic wonder of the end of another day in LA.
Practicalities
The beach area is closed nightly from 10 pm until 5 am. The main parking lot is located where North Venice intersects with Ocean Front Walk and is open 7 am to 8 pm weekdays ($5) and closes at 9 pm weekends ($6.50). Parking costs $3 before 9 am, but it goes up to $10 and up on summer weekends and holidays. If you’re lucky and persistent, you might find free parking on the side streets. The area surrounding Venice Beach can get a bit seedy at night, so we don’t recommend walking around alone after dark―unless that’s your thing.
Sports
Considering its sunny seaside location, it comes as no surprise that Venice Beach is a hot spot for surfers, skaters, cyclists, and ballers. One of Venice Beach’s main sporting attractions is world-famous Muscle Beach, which attracts an international set of weightlifters and spectators. For just five bucks, you can buy a day pass and pump iron with the best of them from 10 am to 6 pm, artificial enhancement not included (Venice Beach Recreation Center, 1800 Ocean Front Walk, 310-399-2775). The Recreation Center is also renowned for its high-level pick-up basketball and has popular paddle tennis and handball courts. Additionally, there is a roller rink, skate park, legal graffiti area, punching bag hookups, rings, parallel bars, and a climbing rope—in short, a monkey’s paradise. Street vendors along the boardwalk rent out bikes and skates. The Redondo Beach bike path, which runs parallel to Venice Beach, is a perfect place to try out your rented wheels.
Venice Pier
The pier is open daily from 5 am to 10 pm, and the parking lot is located at Washington Boulevard & Ocean Front Walk. A popular spot for anglers, the pier is looking more sturdy than ever after recent renovations. Despite the abundance of locals fishing, be wary. In these parts the “catch of the day” may come with a mandatory tetanus shot. Parking costs $5 weekdays and $6.50 weekends. Restrooms are available on the pier, not off of it.
Shopping
From cheap t-shirts and sunglasses, ‘tobacco’ pipes and tattoos, to fancy surfboards and negotiable jewelry, Venice Beach offers quite a range of shopping opportunities in a unique bohemian environment. Also, some kid will try to sell you his hip hop CD, and another guy will tell you a joke for a quarter. In addition to the shops and vendors along the boardwalk, one can also venture a few blocks inland to Abbot Kinney Boulevard (just east of Main St & Brooks Ave) for a beachtown stretch of art galleries and hipster shops. Every May over 60 area art galleries open up their studios to the public for the annual Venice Art Walk (www.venicefamilyclinic.org).
| Beaches & Marinas • Zuma Beach |
Overview
In 1978, idyllic Zuma Beach was the setting for an eponymous made-for-TV movie starring Suzanne Somers (also featuring Rosanna Arquette and Delta Burke). The premise involved an aging rocker who moved to the beach to try and “get away from it all,” but who instead became wrapped up in the lives of beach-going teens. Though today old rockers opt to escape behind the high walls of their private beachfront compounds, the clean waters and mile-long stretch of broad, sandy beach still attract Malibu High students and a laid-back, local crowd of surfers, families, young beach bums, and sun-worshipers.
Getting to Zuma means taking a beautifully scenic drive along the Pacific Coast Highway—speaking of rock star compounds, you’ll drive by Cher’s on the way up. The beach is a 30-minute drive north from Santa Monica on a good day, so avoid the nightmarish weekend traffic on the PCH (especially in the summer) and get an early start.
Practicalities
The parking lot is open from 7 am to 7 pm daily and costs $4.75 to park in the winter, $6 in the summer. The lot has more than 2,000 spaces, but there’s also plenty of free parking along the west side of the PCH. Be forewarned that a temperamental marine layer may not burn off until the early afternoon, if at all on some days, and the beach is often windy, so check the weather first and don’t forget a cover-up. You may also want to pack some snacks before you head out, though there’s a fast food stand near the volleyball courts and a small market across the highway. Get an early start if heading up to Malibu to avoid traffic and claim a good parking and beach spot.
Restrooms
Your typical beach-level of cleanliness should be expected in these restrooms, which also have showers and child-sized toilet stalls with walls so low you can peer over to your neighbor.
Sports
The wide, flat stretch of sand between lifeguard towers 6 and 7 features volleyball courts. The waves in this area can be strong enough for body surfing as well as board surfing. In other areas, visitors are allowed to fish and dive, though hopefully not in the same spot. For the kids, there’s a swing set.
Surfing Beaches
Zuma’s water is divided for surfers and swimmers, so one doesn’t crash into the other. Malibu’s coast is covered with more than 20 beaches and secret surfing spots. For experienced surfers, body surfers, and body boarders, a couple of good surfing beaches to the north of Zuma include Leo Carrillo and Nicholas Canyon Beach. The latter, known locally as Zero Beach, offers picnic tables, shore fishing, and plenty of parking. To the south, test the waters around Point Dume, or head straight for Surfrider, one of the most famous surfing beaches in the world. Located at the Malibu Pier, this surf spot’s no secret, so if everyone’s dropping in on your waves during summer months, you may have to hightail it or settle for volleyball. Check the LA County Coastal Monitoring Network for current weather and surf conditions (www.watchthewater.org/beach.cfm?bid=19).
| Beaches & Marinas • Marina del Rey |
Overview
Think of Marina Del Rey as Venice Beach’s more conservative step-sibling. Just south of its flamboyant relative, Marina Del Rey is a cross between upscale condominium living at its finest and commercialized areas for tourists and locals alike. This man-made marina (one of the world’s largest) is capable of sheltering over 5,000 sea-faring vessels and stands as a gateway to the Pacific for recreational and commercial vehicles.
If you’re looking to go out into the water in a boat, you can find it all here: charter a yacht, go for a brunch or dinner cruise, or spend the day whale watching. If you don’t mind breaking out into a little sweat, get your own pedal boat or kayak to explore the waters. Amenities for boaters include beach-launching for small boats, a launch ramp for trailered boats, a sailing basin for boats and windsurfers, dry dock storage, a Sea Scout base, repair yards, fuel dock, pump-out stations, boat brokerages, and charter businesses. Visit beaches.lacounty.gov/wps/portal/dbh or www.visitmarinadelrey.com for more information on what the marina has to offer.
Most days throughout the year you’ll find the weather warm enough to stop off at Burton Chace Park for a picnic. If you want to save a few coins, go during the week when you can park for free. It’s usually quiet here, but during major holidays like the Fourth of July, you can find a pretty good crowd. You’ll have to drop some extra bills, but it’s worth it to grab dinner at Jer-ne (4375 Admiralty Wy, 310-823-1700) inside The Ritz-Carlton and take in the amazing view of the marina while you’re there. Hit Baja Cantina for cheap and tasty grub and some great scoping and socializing on the patio (311 Washington Blvd. 310-821-2252). Fisherman’s Village is a bit like hanging out at another spot tailor-made for tourists, but come see the live music and check out the breathtaking water view. You’ll find kayaks, jet skis, ice cream, smoothies, free live concerts on the weekends, and, if you’re here in early December, the annual Holiday Boat Parade.
Harbor Info
The entrance to the marina is situated between two jetties (north and south) that sit inside the breakwater that runs parallel to the shore. The north and south ends of the breakwater and the ends of both jetties are marked with lights that can be distinguished by their color and length between flashes: North Breakwater Light, 1 WHITE flash every six seconds; South Breakwater Light, 2 RED flashes every six seconds; North Jetty Light, 3 WHITE flashes every five seconds; South Jetty Light, 4 RED flashes every four seconds. Impress your date!
Practicalities
Located in the Santa Monica Bay 15 miles southwest of downtown LA, Marina Del Rey can be easily accessed from the 405 and the 90 freeways. Daily parking rates vary in the 15 lots surrounding the marina; however the lowest one can expect to pay is $5 for cars, and $7 for cars with boats in tow. Limited free parking is also available on Dock 52. If you plan on parking overnight, you will need to make arrangements with the harbormaster/sheriff’s department beforehand (310-823-7762). There are also 18 metered boat washdown spaces, which cost 50 cents for three minutes (requires quarters). Restrooms are located at Fisherman’s Village, near Mother’s Beach, and next to the launch ramp.
Launch Ramp & Fuel Dock
Small, hand-carried vessels such as kayaks and tin boats are easily launched at the public beach in Basin D, also known as Mother’s Beach because of the absence of surf, making it an ideal swimming beach for children. For larger vessels, there is a public launch ramp at the head of the first finger at Mindanao Way on the east side of the channel. The eight-lane ramp can get very busy, especially on the weekends and during summer months, so be prepared to wait. The fee is $7, and includes one launch, recovery, and 24-hour parking for your car. The fuel dock is located on the west side of the channel just inside the bend.
Guest Slips
The Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors offers boat slips to guests near Burton Chace Park. There is a free 4-hour tie-up dock between the H and G basins on the east side of the main channel, and overnight docking (for up to 7 days within a 30 day period) can be arranged at the Community Building in the park at a cost of 50 cents per foot per night. To obtain an overnight slip, you will need to produce your registration papers and identification. Overnight facilities include electricity, water, showers, and restrooms. If you are a yacht club member, try contacting the yacht clubs in the area to see if they offer reciprocal guest slips.
Harbor Patrol & Anchorage
The Harbor Patrol is run by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and located on the east side of the main channel. They are on call 24 hours a day and can be reached on Channel 16, with 12 as the working channel (310-823-7762). During storms or other emergencies, anchoring is permitted in the north end of the entrance channel.
No Boat?
If you don’t have your own water craft, several commercial boating companies leave from Dock 52 and provide all of the gear you will need for a great day of fishing, including rods, reels, and bait. If pier fishing is more your style, head down Fiji Way to Fisherman’s Village and throw a line in from the docks.
| Beaches & Marinas • Long Beach Marina |
Overview
The south-facing bay and nearby offshore breakwaters make Long Beach Marina one of the calmest and most popular boat mooring spots in Southern California. It ranks low on the snob-scale, too, making it a much better bet than its sister to the north, Marina Del Rey. The protected enclave and the idyllic boating conditions make sailing the number-one recreational activity in Long Beach, home of the Congressional Cup, Transpac, and the Olympic trial races. The 3,800-slip marina is run by the City of Long Beach and includes Alamitos Bay Marina (562-570-3215), Long Beach Shoreline Marina (562-570-4950), and Rainbow Harbor/Rainbow Marina (562-570-8636).
Practicalities
Daily parking is available near the marina. Boaters who wish to park in the launch parking lot for more than 24 hours need to visit the Alamitos Bay office and pay for a parking pass in advance.
Launch Ramps & Fuel Docks
Five separate launch ramps serve the Long Beach Marina population. The Granada Launch Ramp (Granada Ave and Ocean Blvd) and the Claremont Launch Ramp (Claremont and Ocean Blvds) are sand launches exclusively for small sailing vessels. Water skiers and larger vessels looking to get in the water need look no further than Marine Stadium (Appian Wy between 2nd and Colorado Aves). Boats in the stadium must be under 20 feet long, have a reverse gear, and travel counter-clockwise within the stadium. Davies Ramp, across from Marine Stadium, is the only launch open 24 hours a day. And last but not least, the South Shore Launch Ramp is a small boat launch ramp near the Queen Mary on Queensway Drive. All launch ramps cost $10 and are open year-round, usually from 8 am until dusk. For more information, call 562-570-8636.
Long Beach has two fuel docks—one in Downtown Shoreline Marina (562-436-4430) and one in Alamitos Bay (562-594-0888). The Alamitos fuel dock stocks propane, snacks, beer, ice, and frozen bait, along with gas and diesel fuels. The smaller Downtown Marine fuel dock features gas, CNG, and limited sundries. Both docks accept credit cards or cash. Fuel dock hours (May 31–Labor Day): Mon–Fri: 8 am–5 pm; Sat–Sun: 7 am–6 pm.
Guest Slips
Guest moorings can be rented year-round for 60¢ per foot per night. While it’s always best to call ahead, it’s only on holiday weekends that reservations are required (with 3,000 slips for rent, you can usually find a spot at short notice on weeknights).
Patrols
The Harbor Patrol looks after the water, while the Marine Patrol guards the land. All Lifeguard/Harbor Patrol boats are run by trained, professional lifeguards and are also equipped for emergencies such as fire, capsized boats, or pump-outs. If you need your boat towed, the Harbor Patrol/Rescue Boats will always oblige, but if it’s not an emergency, they’ll charge you for the towing.
No Boat?
If you’re on a budget but you still want a piece of the action, check out the Belmont Pier at Ocean Boulevard and 39th Place, which offers free public fishing. No license is required as long as you stay on the pier (562-434-1542). If you decide to fish from the beach or the jetties, you’ll need a salt-water fishing license. If you get tired of the salt and sand, you might opt for the Belmont Plaza Olympic Pool (4000 Olympic Plaza Dr, 562-570-1805), or grab a pint and a bite at the Belmont Brewing Company (25 39th Pl, 562-433-3891) on the pier. There are often events held along the shoreline that people enjoy from their boats, such as the Long Beach Jazz Festival. Unfortunately, there’s no swimming allowed at the marina.
| Beaches & Marinas • Cabrillo Marina |
Overview
The wind known as “Hurricane Gulch” coming from Point Fermin into an area just outside the Cabrillo Marina provides first-rate sailing and windsurfing weather year-round. The 885 slips, friendly staff, and abundant amenities make this a pleasant marina to dock in for a few days. It’s also the closest marina to Catalina (19.4 miles). For others, it’s also a great place to run and bike, with waterfront restaurants for a quiet lunch or dinner and shopping available. Check out the marina’s website at www.cymcabrillo.com or call the dockmaster at 310-732-2252. Keep your eyes open for Pedro’s legendary Mike Watt; it is rumored he kayaks with pelicans every morning in the harbor.
Practicalities
Cabrillo Marina is easy to reach—just a shout from LA Airport. From the 405 or the I-5, take the 110 S and exit at Harbor Boulevard. There is plenty of free parking at the Cabrillo Marina and facilities include restrooms, laundry, water, electricity, showers, and lockers.
Launch Ramp & Fuel Dock
Run by the LA County Department of Recreation and Parks, the boat ramp is open 24 hours a day and has nearby space for trailer parking and boat washing, as well as restroom facilities. You will find fuel at the Cabrillo Marine Fuel Dock, which is located at Berth 31, 210 Whalers Walk.
Harbor Info
The breakwater entrance to the western end of San Pedro Bay is marked by the Los Angeles Harbor Lighthouse (33°42.5’N-118°15.0’ W), also known as Angel’s Gate. This marina has a lot of traffic, including huge ships and other commercial vehicles, so boat owners should study their charts in order to navigate the waters appropriately.
Guest Slips
Guest end-ties are available for overnight docking for boats up to 55 feet long for up to three days. Four mooring buoys are offered in the inner harbor for vessels up to 40 feet long, and in the outer harbor 14 mooring buoys are available for boats up to 50 feet long. However, overnight mooring is not permitted.
Harbor Patrol
The Port Warden and staff of the Los Angeles Harbor Department monitor the harbor. They are located at 425 S Palos Verdes Street, San Pedro.
No Boat?
Fishing is permitted from the Cabrillo Pier. During grunion season, the silvery fish emerge twice a month, like clockwork, to lay their eggs under a full or new moon. During part of the season, it is legal to catch these fish—but only by hand! If you want to participate you will need to take a flashlight. If you don’t fancy getting wet, it’s almost as much fun to watch—especially the people who try to lure them in by singing Barry White songs. The Cabrillo Marine Aquarium (3720 Stephen M. White Dr), a delightful way to spend a few hours with the kids, is nearby and free (with a suggested donation of $5 for adults and $1 for children and seniors). Visit www.cabrillomarineaquarium.org or call 310-548-7562 for more information. The 22nd Street Landing houses fishing and diving boats that can be taken out for half, 3/4, or full-day excursions of diving and deep-sea fishing. Whale-watching tours are also available. The beach and bathhouse are also enjoyable playgrounds.
| Beaches & Marinas • Redondo Beach Marina |
Overview
Redondo Beach sits south of the communities of Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach, part of the South Bay beach communities. A home to families who make a comfortable living for themselves, Redondo Beach is a land by the sea with all the elements of fun in the sun, but less of the flash and pretense. It has four marinas—King Harbor, Port Royal, Portofino, and Redondo Beach—and over 1,400 boat slips. The marinas host seasonal activities, such as whale-watching in January, the annual Super Bowl Sunday 10K Run in February (with a beer garden at the finish line), and the Bayou Bash and Crawfish Boil, complete with music straight from New Orleans, in May. For those of you who just can’t get enough seafood and fanfare, head out here in the fall for the annual Redondo Beach Lobster Festival for live music, wacky seafood paraphernalia, carnival games, and, of course, more lobster than you’d care to eat. Between sailing, kayaking, and enjoying a seafood dinner by the water, let’s just say there are worse things in life than having to spend a week at Redondo Beach.
Practicalities
The marina provides several double-spaced parking spots for vehicles with boat trailers. If you’re hoping for a space during the summer months, you better head out early—the place gets mobbed. Expect to pay between $3 and $7 per day for parking, depending on the season and location.
Boat Hoist & Fuel Docks
Unlike most other marinas, the Redondo Beach Marina has a boat hoist instead of a launch ramp. Skilled hoist operators launch boats mechanically via slings using two five-ton hoists, which can lift boats up to 10,000 pounds and 30 feet long. Round-trip hoist fees are $8 for a hand-launch size boat, $18 for personal watercraft, $30 for boats 18-24 feet long, and $40 for boats over 25 feet long. Reservations are not needed. Locals with proof of boat registration can obtain boat hoist coupons from City Hall for $7.50. If you’re launching a boat by hand, you’ll want to go behind Seaside Lagoon, via the Redondo Beach Marina parking lot, or by Portofino Way.
Fuel docks are located at the commercial basin and across from the Harbor Patrol office.
Boat Hoist Regular Hours: Mon–Fri: 7 am–5 pm; Sat–Sun: 6 am–6 pm. Extended summer hours—6 am–6 pm on weekdays and 6 am–8 pm on weekends—begin Memorial Day weekend. For more information, visit www.rbmarina.com.
…Two If by Sea
If you’re coming in from the water, use the lighted buoy to the SSW of the exterior jetty to guide you into the marina. The entrance is at the south end of the harbor, between two lighted jetties.
Guest Slips
King Harbor Marina (208 Yacht Club Wy, 310-376-6926) and the Redondo Beach Yacht Club both offer guest boat slips and docking accommodations. Boat slips come fully equipped with storage lockers, cable TV and phone hook-ups, laundry facilities, and plenty of parking.
Harbor Patrol
The Harbor Patrol office is located at the west end of Marina Way, adjacent to Moonstone Park. If you need them call 310-318-0632.
No Boat?
No worries! You can hire fishing rods, tackle, bait, and a salt water fishing license right on the Redondo Sport Fishing Pier. If you prefer being out on the water, fishing trips range from $32 ($27 kids) for a half-day to $650 for a ten-person charter boat for the day. For something a little racier, try sailing classes (310-937-3180) or a high-speed tour of the coast on the Ocean Racer (310-374-3481).
Restrooms
Restrooms are located in and around the harbor, on the Pier, and along the beach areas.
Redondo Beach Pier
The Redondo Beach Pier has a host of dining spots, a few bars, many touristy shops, and an arcade. If nothing else, you’ll get a semi decent meal and find some places to pass the time. You can park at the Pier Parking Structure (100 W Torrance Blvd) south of the Boardwalk or the Plaza Parking Structure (180 N Harbor Dr) north of the Boardwalk. There’s metered parking as well in the area. For seafood, try Oceanside Seafood (100-F Fishermans Wharf) and then make a stop at the Pier Bakery (100-M Fishermans Wharf) for fresh churros. Then you can browse through places like the Sunshine Kite Company and Shark Attack to round out your pier experience.
| Beaches & Marinas • Playa del Rey/Dockweiler Beach |
Overview
Dockweiler State Beach is hardly the jewel of the California coast – it’s more like LA’s dive-bar beach, and parts of it can be dicey at night. However, if you stay close to the entrance during the day, you can find quiet area to get some rays. At night Dockweiler’s most obvious feature is the fire pits, which attract dancers, fire-twirlers and other Burning Man types; at 10 pm sharp, it gets flooded with beach cops, and all flame must be extinguished. This beach is part of the communities of Playa del Rey and El Segundo—two areas away from the freeways and hustle-n-bustle of the city that can almost make you forget you’re in LA with their neighborhood-y vibe. Both mostly residential, Playa Del Rey and El Segundo are quiet seaside communities (well, except for the airplanes overhead) with a sprinkling of shops and a fair share of local restaurants. If you’re hungry and want to bring a snack to the sand, try Beach Pizza in Playa Del Rey for a relatively inexpensive meal.
The beach starts by Ballona Creek, where you can set your sights on the yachts of Marina Del Rey across the way, and the beach ends three miles south at El Segundo. At this end of Dockweiler, if you catch a whiff of something awful, it’s probably coming from the nearby Hyperion Wastewater Treatment Plant. The ocean breeze will help temper the smell a bit, but once in a while there’s not much you can do about the stench. The Los Angeles Department of Beaches and Harbors has a website with some pretty basic information about Dockweiler. Visit http://beaches.co.la.ca.us/BandH/Beaches/Dockweiler.htm if you feel like taking a look.
Practicalities
Dockweiler is open daily from 7 am until 10 pm. On most days, especially when the weather is mediocre, you can find parking pretty easily in one of the lots along the beach or on the street. Playa Del Rey has one lot with a fee (a quarter for every fifteen minutes) at the end of Pacific Avenue and one free lot further south on Pacific Avenue. There’s also a free lot by the playground off of Esplanade Street. El Segundo has two lots with fees on Vista Del Mar with entrances near the Imperial Highway. Lifeguard towers are manned on both sides of the beach, and this is also one of the few beaches in the LA area (Cabrillo Beach is the other one) where you can have a bonfire. Go to the area near El Segundo if you want to sit next to a fire pit. If you’re hungry and can’t bear to leave the seaside, stop off at the RC Grill, a concession stand located just north of Imperial Highway. On occasion, a hot dog vendor parks his cart in Playa Del Rey near the parking lot at the end of Pacific Avenue.
Restrooms
One set of public restrooms is located on the Playa Del Rey side of the beach and one set of restrooms is located at the El Segundo area. They are generally kept pretty clean, but as with all public restrooms, sometimes you have to lower your expectations juuust a bit.
Sports
You won’t find a ton of amenities for sports out here, but you can expect to get a good game of volleyball going, and folks do occasionally surf or boogie board as well. The bike path tends to have light traffic passing through this part of the beach. When the sun’s out, you’ll find roller bladers and bikers making their way from Santa Monica to Manhattan Beach and back. There’s also a hang gliding facility called the Dockweiler State Beach Flight Training Park that is perfect for beginners since the bluff isn’t too steep and you have a nice patch of sand to cushion your landing. Windsports runs the program and offers a beginning lesson for $120. You can call 818-367-2430 for more information. The closest parking lot is located off Vista Del Mar just south of Imperial Highway. Expect to pay $2 from 6 am to 9 am, $5 from 9 am to 5 pm, and $2 from 5 pm to closing. The lot directly off of West Imperial Highway has a flat fee of $5 per day.
Dockweiler RV Park
One big draw to Dockweiler for out-of-towners is the RV Park. The unique thing about this place is that it’s right on the beach. You’ll find everything you need here, including hot showers, picnic tables, barbecue pits, RV spaces with hook-ups, dump stations, and a laundromat. Depending on the season and which space you get, expect to pay $24–32 per day to park your recreational vehicle. For an extra fee of two dollars per day, you can bring your pet, too. Make your reservations far in advance since this is a popular spot—you can reserve up to three months ahead of time by calling the office at 800-950-7275, Monday through Friday from 8 am–4 pm. Drive to 12001 Vista Del Mar and enter the park off of West Imperial Highway.
If you find yourself in the area for a summer swim at midnight, go to Main and Imperial in El Segundo for a late-night snack. There are a few 24 hour doughnut shops that cater to the late-night airport workers.