When people think of Southern California, the first thing that often comes to mind is the beaches. Home to many of the best beaches in the country, tourists from all over the United States and the world come to Southern California to take in the sand and sun. Here are four of the most popular and well known beaches in Southern California.
Laguna Beach
The Travel Channel loves this beach because it offers more than just the usual beach activities. A hub for artists and creatives, this beach is a great place to be seen and to take in local art. Art festivals and galleries within close proximity to the beach offer a variety of cultural alternatives when you’re ready to take a break from the surf and sand.
Venice Beach
This iconic site is visited by nearly 30,000 visitors each day. The City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks boasts that Venice Beach is the second most popular attraction in southern California, with over 10 million visitors annually. Why do they come? The Venice Beach Boardwalk is home to hundreds of street vendors and performers, as well as many famous restaurants and popular food venues. Some of the activities available to visitors are basketball, paddle tennis and handball tournaments, body building at the world famous Muscle Beach Venice gym, and other special events.
Newport Beach
Newport Municipal Beach is located on both sides of the Newport Beach Pier. The beaches are continuous and the wide sandy beach is perfect for a variety of beach activities. Surfers enjoy the break here, as well. The picturesque wooden fishing pier is fun to walk out on to get views up and down the shoreline, and there are many restaurants and shops are nearby. Next to the Newport Pier is the historic Dory Fleet Fish Market, founded in 1891. They still sell the fresh catch from local boat fishermen who haul in seasonal seafood including crab, lobster, mussels, prawns and nearshore fish. It’s the best place to buy the freshest seafood around.
La Jolla Cove
Though small in size, the beauty of this beach draws in photographers. La Jolla Cove, tucked between sandstone cliffs, is one of the most photographed beaches in Southern California due to it’s extraordinary beauty. The north facing La Jolla Cove is ideal for swimmers, snorkelers and scuba divers due to it’s small surf in the summer months. Water visibility at the Cove has been known to exceed 30 feet, making it an ideal place to explore. As part of the San Diego La Jolla Underwater Park Ecological Reserve, fishing and removal of objects from this area is prohibited, and possession of game is unlawful. This helps ensure that marine life remains plentiful and protected.
How many of these South California beaches have you visited? Did we leave your favorite So Cal beach off the list? Let us know in the comments!