Unholy Trinity Area Beaches

Los Angeles Beaches

Santa Monica Beach: Situated beneath the palisades and downtown Santa Monica, Santa Monica State Beach runs north of the Santa Monica Pier. This southwest-facing beach is home to Pacific Park amusement park and is near the Third Street Promenade.
• Entrance Fee: No
• Parking Fee: Yes. Park in the lots or at meters along Ocean Avenue.
Creature Comforts at Santa Monica Beach:
• Restrooms
• Showers
• Food nearby
• No Alcohol on the beach
• No pets allowed
Santa Monica Beach Activities:
• Bike path
• Surfing
• Swimming, lifeguard on duty during daylight hours
• Volleyball (7 courts)
• Walking path
Lodging Near Santa Monica Beach: You'll find a lot of hotels on the beach in Santa Monica and other area towns, or check our picks for nice hotels in Santa Monica and Malibu.
Highs and Lows at Santa Monica Beach:
• Santa Monica Beach can get very crowded on a summer day. The further you get away from the pier, the thinner the crowds.
Beachgoer Beware: Heal the Bay rates Santa Monica as a "Bummer" for its poor water quality.

Venus Beach: Not surprisingly, Venice Beach is busiest in summer, but may be prone to morning and evening fog. To enjoy the crowded hustle-bustle, arrive mid-morning or later on a weekend. Summer weekday afternoons can also be pleasant. The beachfront goes to sleep after dark. The most interesting and popular sight in Venice Beach is the beach, but it's not the surf and sand that take center stage here. It's the lively sidewalk scene. Venice Beach is a place where you'll find artists, palm readers and bikini-clad rollerskaters mixing with chanting, saffron-clad Hare Krishnas and wriggling belly dancers.
Venice Beach Points of Interest
• Venice Boardwalk It's really more of a sidewalk than a "board" walk, but a walk down it is the best way to explore the waterfront scene. You'll pass street performers, skaters, artists, gawkers and vendors selling all kinds of items from incense to sarongs.
• Muscle Beach: This is the place where Arnold Schwarzenegger and hosts of other body-builders have "bulked up" in the outdoor weight room. If you'd like to have your day in the sun, you can buy a day pass at the office.
• Venice Canals: A few blocks remain out of some 16 miles of manmade waterways that once graced Venice-of-America, founded in 1905 by local developer Abbot Kinney. You can walk along them in the area bordered by Washington, South Venice Blvd., Pacific Ave. and Ocean Ave.
• Venice Beach Graffiti Walls: The graffiti artists who gain permits to paint here exhibit a high quality of artistic flair. They're busy at work on selected weekends.
• Venice Beach House: The exuberant house at 12541 Beatrice (which faces the waterfront path just north of the Venice Pier) is a must for fans of architect Frank Gehry. Every time we show up with camera in hand, it seems to have been painted a different color scheme, but the basic layout stays the same.
• Abbot Kinney Blvd: The travel writing press has been touting Abbot Kinney as the newest hip spot for years, but it's just now starting to live up to the hype. It's a few blocks away from the waterfront, but worth a stop for nicer restaurants than you'll find at the beach and for a browse in some of the funky boutique shops selling clothing, home decor items and other fun stuff.
Venice Beach Tips
• If you photograph them street performers, it's polite to tip them a little.
• Jody Maroni's Sausage Kingdom is famous for its hot dogs and makes a good place to grab a bite to eat.
• Walk south of Venice Blvd. to get to the pier and see the quieter side of Venice life and the beachfront lifestyle.

San Diego Beaches

Mission Beach: Mission Beach has everything you'd expect from a stereotypical Southern California beach: volleyball players crashing in the sand, rollerbladers wearing next to nothing, bicyclists and skateboarders showing off. This two-mile long urban beach is sandwiched between houses and a paved boardwalk. The centerpiece of Mission Beach is Belmont Park, a seaside amusement park. Mission Beach runs from its south end at the San Diego River channel to just north of Belmont Park.

Mission Beach Fees:
Entrance Fee: None
Parking Fee: None
Creature Comforts at Mission Beach:
• Restrooms
• Picnic tables
• Lifeguards daily, year-round at the foot of Ventura Place, but in summer only on the rest of the beach, usually on duty from 9:00 a.m. to dusk
• Food nearby: You can find all kinds of food at or near Belmont Park.
• Alcohol is allowed on the sand between noon and 8:00 p.m., but not on the boardwalk or in the parking lots.
• No pets allowed
Mission Beach Activities:
• Belmont Park, one of California's oceanfront amusement parks
• Bike path
• Bonfires on the south end (get firewood at Mission Market, Mission at San Gabriel)
• Surfing
• Swimming, lifeguard on duty in summer
• Volleyball
• Walking path
• A half mile off the coast here are a series of manmade shipwrecks, placed to create an artificial diver's reef
Lodging Near Mission Beach:
• Mission Beach Vacation Rentals
• Beach Cottages: Cottages on the boardwalk, north Mission Beach.
• Best Western Blue Sea Lodge: On the beach boardwalk.
• Catamaran Hotel: Just across the street from the boardwalk.
• Crystal Pier Hotel: Just north in Pacific Beach, but noteworthy for its location on the pier.
• Pacific Shores Inn: About two blocks from the beach.
• Surfer Beach Hotel: Stylish property on the beach boardwalk.
Highs and Lows at Mission Beach:
Misison Beach is a favorite with locals, who enjoy all kinds of activities here. Compared with similar beach towns in Los Angeles' South Bay, it's a bit unkept.
Beachgoer Beware:
• In summer, San Diego beaches are subject to red tides.

Coronado Beach: Travel Channel named Coronado Beach one of the best, citing its surroundings, with Hotel del Coronado behind and downtown Coronado nearby.
Gently sloping sand, small surf and year-round lifeguard make Coronado Beach great for kids. Tired of water? Bike, rollerblade, go shopping or try the ice cream at Hotel del Coronado. The most popular part of Coronado Beach is around the hotel. North Coronado Beach is less busy, but further from restrooms and noisier, with airplanes landing overhead.
Coronado Beach Fees:
Entrance Fee: None
Parking Fee: None
Creature Comforts at Coronado Beach:
• Restrooms
• Showers
• No alcohol allowed on the beach
• No glass of any kind allowed on the beach
• Food nearby
• Dogs allowed only at North Coronado Beach, from Sunset Park to the North Island Naval Base
Coronado Beach Activities:
• Beachcombing, with many shell fragments and a few whole ones
• Bike path
• Surfing
• Swimming, lifeguard on duty during daylight hours year round
• Walking path
Lodging Near Coronado Beach:
• Glorietta Bay Inn: Beautifully restored home of Coronado's former owner, just across the street from the beach. $$$
• Hotel del Coronado: This famous hotel is right on the beach and we mention it here because everyone has heard of it, but we do not feel that its level of quality merits its high prices.
• You'll find good camping at Silver Strand State Beach just south of Coronado Beach.
Highs and Lows at Coronado Beach:
• Perfection has its price. It's hard to find parking here on busy days
• Noisy airplanes come in for a landing overhead on the north end
• In summer, San Diego beaches are subject to red tides.
Beachgoer Beware:
• Watch for stingrays, which settle in the sand. Shuffle your feet as you walk to keep from stepping on one.
• Parking here during a busy mid-day can range from very hard to almost impossible. Even the locals can't offer much in the way of advice except to come early and be prepared to walk.

Ocean Beach Dog Beach: Ocean Beach Dog Beach is open to canines any time. This small beach has plenty of sand for the dogs to run on, and waves for them to run through. On weekends there can be up to 100 dogs here, so be sure you can control your dog, use a muzzle if there's any chance of trouble and keep vaccinations up to date. Bring along your dog's favorite outdoor toys, and to keep the sand from getting full of unpleasant surprises, bring something to clean up with. Not only is it polite, it's the law.
Ocean Beach Dog Beach Fees:
Entrance Fee: None
Parking Fee: None
Human Creature Comforts at Ocean Beach Dog Beach:
• Restrooms
• Picnic tables
• Summer lifegaurd service
• The paved walking path is accessible to anyone
• Consumption of alcohol is permitted on the beach from 12:00 noon to 8:00 p.m., but prohibited at all times in parking lots, adjacent walkways, and grassy parks adjacent to the beach.
Ocean Beach Dog Beach Activities:
Activities at Ocean Beach Dog Beach center around the canine set. Bring a ball or a frisbee for your dog to run after. Many visitors bring their beach chairs and settle in, talking to other dog owners and watching their animals enjoy themselves. For a more sedate time, you can also walk with your pet along the paved path that runs beside the water.
Highs and Lows at Ocean Beach Dog Beach:
• Dogs are allowed to run free on the beach, but must be leashed as you take them to and from your car.
• Unfortunately, your fellow dog owners don't always clean up after their pets. Watch where you step.
• In summer, San Diego beaches are subject to red tides.
Beachgoer Beware:
It's just as well that this part of Ocean Beach is set aside for the dogs. Dangerous rip tides make it unsafe to swim here.