Los Angeles Beaches: Our Top 11 In and Around L.A.

Map of the Most Beautiful Los Angeles Beaches

Some of the beaches in our article are right in the city, while others require a longer drive and it’s sometimes worth staying overnight nearby.

To help you get your bearings, we’ll start with a map of our favorite Los Angeles beaches.

The Classics: Santa Monica, Venice, and El Matador

Santa Monica Beach

Santa Monica is one of the most iconic Los Angeles beaches — and that’s largely thanks to the famous Santa Monica Pier, one of the top attractions in Los Angeles.

The pier is famous for its amusement park: right out over the ocean you’ll find a roller coaster, a Ferris wheel, carnival games, and food stands. It’s all a little kitschy, but if you’re visiting Los Angeles, you really have to go at least once — ideally at sunset.

The pier is also where the famous Route 66 ends, and there’s an aquarium there too.

The beach itself is a wonderfully expansive sandy stretch, especially popular with families with young children. Lifeguards are on duty, and there are plenty of great shops and restaurants nearby for a midday break.

If you’re doing a hop-on/hop-off bus tour in L.A., you can choose a route that swings through Santa Monica too. We’d recommend it as a great way to cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time.

Our hotel pick: Shore Hotel

Venice Beach

Venice Beach isn’t just a beach in Los Angeles — it’s a whole neighborhood. Specifically, it’s L.A.’s hip, alternative district, which draws a young, creative crowd — hipster alert!

Venice Beach is best known for its skate park right on the sand. You can also surf here, and plenty of people jog along the shoreline.

Along the boardwalk you’ll find tons of cool cafés, trendy bars, and restaurants. It’s a great spot for a beer at sunset or for browsing the shops along the promenade for souvenirs.

Many visitors combine their day at Venice Beach with other highlights around the city. The Los Angeles pass comparison can help you save a good chunk of money.

Our hotel pick: Venice V Hotel

Check out more Los Angeles hotel recommendations here

El Matador Beach

El Matador is located just past Malibu and is widely considered the most romantic beach in Los Angeles. We’re not usually ones for romantic clichés, but even we get it — there’s something truly magical about this place at sunset. The long sandy beach with its dramatic scenery is seriously special.

To reach the sand, you have to descend a steep staircase — which is probably one reason El Matador feels so pleasantly secluded.

The beach is framed by tall rocky cliffs and lush greenery, making it one of the best spots for photos in the whole area. With a bit of luck, you might even spot dolphins, seals, and whales out in the water.

Pro tip: the parking lot at the top has picnic tables — one of the loveliest spots for a snack with an ocean view.

Our hotel pick: Hotel June in Malibu

Surf Beaches: Malibu Surfrider, Huntington, Zuma

Malibu Surfrider Beach

These days Malibu is mostly famous for its celebrity residents — but the area actually made its name through the surf movement that swept up from San Diego in the 1960s.

No surprise, really — Malibu Surfrider Beach has some of the most beautiful waves in all of California. Many professional surfers grew up here and caught their very first waves at this beach.

You can watch surfers here pretty much year-round, or paddle out yourself. What’s especially cool: Malibu is a hotspot for longboarders, who genuinely dance on their boards — it’s beautiful to watch.

Just be careful about swimming on days when the waves are big, and always make sure you’re not in the path of the surfers. Honestly, this one is more of a spectator beach than a swimming beach.

Our hotel pick: Private Beach Apartments

Huntington Beach

Huntington Beach has a global reputation among surfers because surf competitions are held here regularly. With a bit of luck, you can watch the world’s best go head-to-head in the water.

You can surf here yourself too — just know it gets pretty crowded out there.

The town behind the beach is completely soaked in surf culture: surf shops and hip surf cafés with ocean views are everywhere you look. There’s even an international Surf Museum right in Huntington.

But it’s not all about surfing — you can also play volleyball, swim (just not in the designated surf zones), or simply soak up the vibe.

Our hotel pick: Kimpton Shorebreak Hotel

Zuma Beach

Zuma Beach is also in Malibu, just a short distance from Point Dume (our #11).

It’s a great pick if you want to learn how to surf — there are plenty of surf schools around the beach where you can book lessons or rent gear.

For swimming, though, take care: the currents at Zuma can be quite strong. The good news is that lifeguards are on duty all day.

Facilities here are excellent: restrooms, showers, parking, a restaurant, volleyball nets, and swings — basically everything you need for a full day at the beach.

Our hotel pick: Hotel June Malibu

Family Beaches: Alamitos, Manhattan, and Hermosa

Alamitos Beach

Alamitos Beach is the first stretch of the endlessly long shoreline of Long Beach.

Long Beach is a fantastic day-trip destination for families visiting Los Angeles. Beyond the beach, there are some great attractions for kids — like the Aquarium of the Pacific and the retired ocean liner RMS Queen Mary.

It’s one of the few Los Angeles beaches that’s really well protected from waves, so you can let the kids swim without a worry.

At the beach you can rent just about everything to keep them entertained — volleyballs, tandem bikes, skimboards — and just behind the beach you’ll find plenty of dining and browsing options.

Our hotel pick: Inn at 50 Long Beach Convention Center

Manhattan Beach

Manhattan Beach is a seriously great family beach — your kids definitely won’t get bored here. There are volleyball courts, you can surf or bodyboard, and the beach stretches for miles of sandcastle-building territory. Our tip: Los Angeles is a wonderful destination in June!

At the pier, you and the kids can watch the fishermen at work. Especially cool: there’s a free aquarium right at the end of the pier.

The facilities here are excellent. There are showers and restrooms, lifeguards keep watch over the beach, and along the promenade you’ll find plenty of restaurants. The parking lots right at the beach are paid — but with a bit of luck, you can find a free spot on one of the side streets.

Our hotel pick: Shade Hotel Manhattan Beach

Hermosa Beach

Hermosa Beach radiates that quintessential California vibe — long sandy beach, palm trees, and a real chance of spotting celebrity athletes and actors. That’s L.A. for you!

In the evenings the little town really comes alive, but during the day Hermosa’s beach is a perfect spot for families with kids.

There are volleyball nets, showers, and restrooms, and lifeguards keep watch over the sand. What makes Hermosa especially worthwhile is that you can easily pair your beach day with a stroll through the charming town center.

Our hotel pick: Grandview Inn

Unspoiled Nature: Leo Carrillo State and Point Dume

Leo Carrillo State Beach

Leo Carrillo State Beach is the farthest from the city — perfect if you’re after a quiet, unspoiled stretch of coast. There’s nothing but nature all around, as the beach sits within Leo Carrillo State Park.

You’ll find enchanting caves and grottos, reefs where crabs bask in the sun, and tide pools that are perfect for kids to wade in and explore.

You can fish, surf, snorkel, or simply walk the beach and collect shells. It’s one of those places that feels genuinely removed from the city.

And if you don’t want to leave in the evening, there’s a campground right behind the beach.

Our hotel pick: Hotel June in Malibu

Point Dume Beach

Point Dume is both a nature preserve and a stunning scenic overlook. The cliffs jut out into the ocean like a peninsula, giving you sweeping views of the coastline from Malibu all the way to Catalina Island.

From the top of the cliffs, you can sometimes spot gray whales — your best chances are between December and April.

A trail leads down to the beach below. Because Point Dume Beach is surrounded by rock walls and grottos, you’re naturally sheltered from wind and noise. It’s a great under-the-radar pick if the other beaches in Malibu feel too crowded for you.

Our hotel pick: Hotel June Malibu