Best Beach Cities And Places To Visit Or Live
Along The California Coast!
The best Southern California beach towns for weekend travel getaways and day trips. The prettiest California beach cities in Southern California.
These are the best beach cities to visit and to live in Southern California
Top romantic honeymoon vacation spots along the Pacific Coast of Southern California, with pictures. That’s what this page is all about.
You’ll love these small, charming California beach towns, where you can rent an oceanfront cottage, for example, in the artsy city of Laguna Beach.
Actually, these are the best coastal beach towns to live in California, not just for a vacation.
The cottage style homes in the small beach communities in Southern California are very charming and quaint.
Some of them are the most reasonable and cheapest beach towns for real estate rentals in California.
The cheapest bargain for an affordable beach vacation is found during the off season, after mid September, and before the summer season.
Santa Barbara
The classiest small beach town in Southern California. Also known as the California Riviera. A paradise of a city!
We love strolling down the historic charming State Street, chockfull of delightful boutiques, restaurants and antique stores, to Stearns Warf for some wonderful seafood.
Ventura
Miles of beautiful beaches. Great town for arts and antique buffs. Dozens of galleries in the historic downtown area, near the Mission.
Ventura is also the gateway to the Channel Islands, where you are likely to spot some migrating gray whales during season.
Malibu
An ultra-rich beach community. Home to the Malibu Colony, where the rich and famous live, and the Malibu sun-kissed pristine beaches.Malibu is also home to some of our favorite beach front restaurants.
Santa Monica
The closest beach city to Los Angeles. Famous for it’s historic landmark, the Santa Monica Pier, beachfront hotels, and the Santa Monica beach. You’ll also like the many excellent Santa Monica restaurants, and the Third Street Promenade shopping street.
Venice Beach
The main draw is the Ocean Front Boardwalk, with its year around funky beach actions. Venice is know for its bohemian atmosphere.
Free entertainment, and lots of very interesting people to watch, and beautiful beach ocean views.
Marina Del Rey
Built around the World’s largest man made small boat harbor. It’s waterfront playground is very popular with the locals.
Marina Del Rey is also packed with wonderful waterfront cafes and eateries. Tony P’s and Shanghai Red are two of our favorite Marina Del Rey restaurants.
Playa Del Rey
Spanish for “Kings Beach”, this beach town has the feel of a small California beach town.
The beaches here are usually uncrowded, even during the summer, due to a lacking of public parking lots.
The picture to the left shows the beach bike path that is 22 miles long. It runs from Will Rogers State Beach to Redondo Beach.
El Segundo
This beach town is located directly south of LAX airport. There is a 1,000 acre oil refinery, run by Chevron.
There are some tranquil residential areas west of Sepulveda Boulevard. The beaches are nice and uncrowded.
Manhattan Beach
An affluent lively beach town. The upscale beach life centers around the Strand, a beach promenade, popular with skaters, joggers or walkers.
The streets are lined with wonderful restaurants and upscale unique boutiques.
Hermosa Beach
Hermosa is Spanish for “beautiful”. One of my own favorite California beach towns.
It’s known as the Beach Volleyball Capital Of The World. A wonderful vibrant fun beach area.
Redondo Beach
Located just north of Hermosa Beach on Pacific Coast Highway.
Redondo Beach is home to a great small boat marina, and a huge pier with restaurants and shops.
Long Beach
Visitors come to tour the luxury historic cruise ship The Queen Mary, and the Aquarium of The Pacific.
I also enjoy the Shoreline Village with it’s great seafood restaurants, and ocean views.
Seal Beach
A very quaint and small beach city with a wonderful municipal pier.
There is a well maintained beach park, and a skate park for kids. I love browsing the Main Streets shops and boutiques.
Huntington Beach
Known as the “Surf City USA”, the main action is around the huge pier, and the Main Street, which is packed with people even at midnight during the summer. One of the California beach towns that’s popular with young single people.
Newport Beach
The Newport beaches are on the Balboa Peninsula. This is the wealthiest beach town in Orange County.
It has a great harbor and boat marina, and a huge pier with a lively beach atmosphere.
Laguna Beach
The most romantic and charming of all small California beach towns.
A popular honeymoon destination. It’s an artsy beach city with lots of galleries, and a central Main Beach Park.
Dana Point
A wonderful seaside town with a charming small boat marina, loaded with restaurants.
The dramatic natural harbor is backed by high bluffs. The Doheny State Beach is at the south end of town.
Avalon Catalina Island
This beach town is located on the beautiful Catalina Island, a 2 hour boat ride from Los Angeles.
One of our favorite California beach towns. There is a small beach right on Crescent Avenue, the center of town.
San Clemente
This charming beach town is affectionately called The Spanish Village By The Sea.
The pier area is our favorite place to hang out. Great surfing beaches.
Carlsbad
It’s a small town full of antique stores and galleries. Nearby Legoland’s amusement park is popular place for families with kids.
The beaches are spectacular and very popular, especially the South Carlsbad Beach with it’s lagoon.
Del Mar
Del Mar is best known for horseracing, upscale boutiques, fine restaurants, celebrity visitors and pristine wide beaches.
A great beach town to visit, and one we always stop at on the way to San Diego.
La Jolla
An upscale beach city community with a stunning curved coastline,natural beach coves, and million dollar homes, tony restaurants and shops.
An enchanting California town on the beach that you’ll love.
San Diego
The second largest city and the birth place of California, and a very popular Southern California destination.
It has 70 miles of beaches, historic donwtown areas, and it’s home to the San Diego Sea Worldand the San Diego Zoo.
Coronado
Home of the famous and historic World class beach resort Hotel Del Coronado.
Its a charming place with beautiful old homes, neighborhood parks and pristine beaches.
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