The Best Attractions At California’s Top 20 Beaches

There are many amazing, beautiful beaches to see in Cali. But what defines the best beaches and why?

California is mostly known for its great year round weather and beautiful beaches. There are many amazing, beautiful beaches to see in Cali. But what defines the best beaches and why? Well, it all depends on what the individual wants out of their trip. Are they looking for the most scenic beaches, most active beaches, beaches that allow pets, or beaches with the most kid friendly activities? Or perhaps you want to go to a place that has a lot of wildlife?  As someone who has lived in California for 20 years and visited many of California's beaches and their attractions, I have quite a few beaches I would recommend people checking out depending on what they are looking to do on their trip. Basically, in this article I will be giving an insiders opinion on what I personally think are the best beaches to visit for its sights or activities. The major beaches (Santa Monica, Long Beach, Laguna and Newport, to name a few), have smaller beach destinations within them that I will put under the umbrella of best beaches to visit for attractions.

So, to start us off, 

1. Laguna Beach is in the Orange County area and let me start off talking about this amazing beach by saying that the drive toward Laguna beach is just incredible if you take the CA-133 South towards Laguna. If the ride towards the destination is just as fun as getting to the destination, then this is the rout for you! I count it as one of the attractions to do when going to the beach because of the amazing scenery. As you are driving, you are surrounded by beautiful hills and mountains on either side! As you get closer to the beach, the hills and mountain view are still there and just as incredible as ever. Also, because the CA-133 is coming through the hills, the view of the ocean coming down is breathtaking!

Also, on the CA-133 rout towards Laguna beach, in the city of Laguna, there is also a fun stop for people to take their dogs so that they can have some fun too! The Laguna Beach Dog park is only a five minute drive from the beach and it is surrounded by the beautiful California hills everyone is drawn to!. The park is divided into a big dog section and a little dog section, but its not mandatory to put the dogs in the section they most fit in. As long as the dog is happy, the park is happy. Dog owners can let their dogs play and socialize here with piece of mind because surrounding the entire dog park is a wired gate with two doors to get in to ensure dogs aren't escaping. But still, keep an eye on the dogs! I myself have taken my Labrador and Dachshund there multiple times, and me and the dogs had the best time hanging out and playing in the beautiful green grass, the flowers and the ocean air! It's open everyday except Wednesday, so there is plenty of opportunity to go there throughout the week

2. Crystal Cove beach is part of the Newport Coast- Orange County area- and is one of the last and largest natural, open seashores. While many people and websites will say to do the scenic hike on the  Crystal Cove trail, I would highly recommend going through the Crystal Cove public access tunnel to the beach. I know what you are thinking, what is so special about a tunnel? Well, getting to this tunnel is a bit of a hike in itself with the hills. There is a clear view of the ocean as you go down the hills towards the tunnel. The tunnel itself is under the Pacific Coast Highway (AKA Highway 1).  Once you are in, you immediately understand why it would be considered a great and fun destination by a local. All through the tunnel on the side walls there is art, lit up and given a good ambiance! The entire way down the tunnel, people can admire the earth day themed paintings.  It's just one of those hidden treasures that are totally fun to find and explore!

3. In Newport Beach (Orange County), anyone with kids should definitely visit Balboa Fun Zone. With a video arcade, Ferris Wheel overlooking the water, other fun interactive activities, and various fun eateries and ice-cream shops, this is the perfect spot to just let go and have a fun time! Also, it is only 7 minutes from the beach so you can have fun in the ocean and sand and then have fun at the Fun Zone! The kids (and the parents) will be entertained for hours on end. 

4. The Aquarium of The Pacific can be found in Long Beach and it is a must see attraction for anyone who is looking for a good time and a lot of cool knowledge and facts! Not only is it the largest aquarium in Southern California, it houses over 11,000 ocean animals that cover more than 500 species!! You don't need to take my world alone for this one, everyone who has visited the Aquarium of the pacific knows it is totally worth seeing. 

5. 1,000 Steps Beach is a cool little beach area in Santa Barbra. Although the name of the place is 1,000 steps beach, you will not be climbing 1,000 steps up and down to the beach. You will be climbing about 218. The steps lead towards the Pacific Coast Highway and the beach itself The large body of sand, combined with the amazing crashing waves (that come with high tide), make it the perfect destination for those that want a peaceful, open beach feel experience. Combined, of course, with some good cardio while climbing up and down the steps. 

6. You can certainly tell by now that any beach within the Laguna beach area is my favorite, because another beach I would highly recommend for it's spectacular attractions is Victoria Beach!. Victoria beach is specifically known for its 60 foot tall pirate tower, a cool and unique landmark that distinguishes Victoria from all other beaches. It also has sea caves, tide pools and volley ball courts! It even has a pool of water on the sand! Basically, this beach is great for anyone who is up for a day of fun and adventure!

7. Balboa Island, is a man made island on the harbor of Newport beach. This is a great place to visit because you get an island vacation experience without having to go far away to an island. The most fun way to get to Balboa Island, according to me, is to take a 10 minute ferry ride there. You can even take your car or bike across on the ferry. The island can also be reached by docks or bridge. Once you are on the island, you can go from paddle boarding, to art galleries to fine dining! Balboa Island is the ultimate get-away where the fun filled vacation can begin! 

8. Corona Del Mar Beach,within Newport Beach, is very popular for swimmers, surfers and divers. If you don't want to do that, then you can admire the surrounding cliffs on the half a mile of sandy beach! 

9. Huntington Beach is 10 miles long and it holds more than 50 surf contests each year! Want to join in the surfing fun but don't know how? Huntington Beach also offers surfing lessons! This beach is great for people that are into strong waves. 

10. Crescent Bay Beach, in the Laguna Beach region, is the best beach to go to for both spectacular views and fun swimming, body boarding/ surfing, snorkeling and a plethora of other water fun activities. The Crescent shaped beach is beautifully surrounded by  cliffs and caves and is an amazing spot to take breath taking pictures. 

11. In San Diego, Coronado Beach is a destination hot spot for beach pictures because of its sparkly sand beach. The beach literally does sparkle, there is mica in the sand. This beach, in fact, is so beautiful that it has been voted as one of America's finest beaches by The Travel Channel, Dr. Beach, and plenty of others. So if you are looking for amazing views of a sparkly sand beach that looks too good to be true, then Coronado beach is the place to go. 

12. Main Beach, situated in the Laguna Beach area, is a great beach to visit if crowds and excitement are what you are looking for in a SoCal beach experience. People can swim, surf, play basketball, scuba dive, snorkel and many other fun, active things to do at this awesomely active beach!

13. About 30 minutes south of Los Angeles, within Long Beach, a great destination hot spot for those that want great choices of food from around the world  is Pine Avenue's "Restaurant Row". At night, lights give the Avenue a magical glow as people  enjoy music and admire the beautiful historic buildings.

14. Juniper Cherry Beaches yet another beautiful beach with amenities within Long Beach! If you are looking for a relaxing and calm get away trip to the beach, then Juniper is for you. Many people that come to Juniper simply swim and soak up the sun and scenery. 

15. Zuma Beach, based in Malibu, is a fun yet relaxing beach where people who want to just sit back and watch the calm waves on the soft sand beach can go. Zuma also happens to be in the migration path of whales and dolphins, making relaxation on the beach all the more enjoyable as we watch these beautiful creatures swim in their natural environment. There are also volleyball nets for those that want to be more active. 

16. If going to a hidden, not widely known beach, is the type you are looking to visit, then Table Rock Beach in Laguna is the one for you! Like most of the beaches in Laguna, Table Rock is home to many beautiful coves with cool shaped rocks covering it from all sides, and one giant cave towards the back of the beach. It is the perfect place to come and just sun bathe on the sand because the ocean in that area has very strong rip currents which make it very dangerous to swim in. Table Rock gets its name from the rock formation that juts out into the ocean from the sand. People can walk on it but be sure to do it safely, those rip currents are no joke.  So be sure to bring your shades and towel  and enjoy the natural beauty of Table Rock, it will really bring peace and enjoyment to all who relax there. 

17. In Manhattan Beach, Los Angeles,a laid back South Bay community, you don't even need to go into the sand and water to begin having a great beach day. Thanks to "The Strand" walk way/ bike walk that stretches across the ocean front, people can admire the breathtaking mansions on one side while admiring the volleyball courts, sand and ocean on the other side. If you get tired of walking, there are plenty of restaurants and bars waiting to be explored around the area too.     

18. Bruce's Beach within Manhattan Beach, Los Angeles, is a great place, and the oldest park in the Manhattan area to learn about important history about California's past. Off of Highland Avenue stands a plaque, and a monument, that tells how the once private beach resort was run by African Americans. It describes how, while the US was segregating, Bruce's beach was the only one in California where African Americans could come to enjoy the beach. By the 1920's the beach was closed down, turned into a city park by the 1960's and by 2007 it was officially named Bruce's Beach. After learning about the beaches history, people can admire its scenic views of rolling hills and nice trees. 

19. Santa Monica Beach. If you have not been to Santa Monica's Pacific Park, then you have not been to Santa Monica. This fun filled amusement part is on a pier that overlooks the Santa Monica ocean. With fun and exciting rides like the Ferris Wheel, Roller Coaster, and a Drop Tower, as well as fun park foods like funnel cakes, ice-cream, taco's and so much more, you can enjoy the park morning, noon, and night! Nothing beats a Beautiful ocean view while riding exhilarating rides.

20. Venice Beach, known for its Bohemian spirit and up beat LA craziness, has a particularly freaky attraction called the Venice Beach Freak Show.Your desire to see freaky things and people will be, rest assured, thoroughly satisfied here. Aside from the hype of the actual Freak Show, Venice Beach also has beautiful canals that run through expensive mansions. Venice Beach was literally named after Venice, Italy, so if you want a romantic Venice-esque experience, then the Venice Canals is  the perfect place to head to. 

I hope you have a great trip to any and all of these spectacular California beaches!

Hey! I am Sariah, an avid reader and writer. In my free time I love taking long walks and going to the beach. I work hard to give my best

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