Get Some Fun PCH Gifts Here
Laguna Beach
The Pacific Coast Highway goes right through Laguna Beach, a relaxed artsy beach resort whose attractions include shopping, galleries, dining, and beaches.
Photo Courtesy of Visit Laguna Beach
Getting to Laguna
Beach
San Diego to Laguna
Beach
From San Diego, the quickest way is to take
I-5 to exit 85A, then CA-73N. The distance is about 80 miles and journey time
should be around 90 minutes in average traffic conditions.
You could also leave at exit 79 into Dana Point and then finish the journey along the coast for the last few miles. It cuts a few miles off the journey and the time should be about the same.
Heisler Park. Photo Courtesy of Visit Laguna Beach
Los Angeles to Laguna
Beach
Taking Los Angeles International Airport as a starting point, then Laguna Beach is about 55 miles south. The quickest way is to take I-405S and you should be there in about an hour, depending on the traffic.
If you want to go the coastal route through Redondo Beach, Long Beach, Huntington Beach, and Newport Beach, take Highway 1 south from the airport and follow it all the way. The distance is about the same, but it will take you at least a couple of hours depending on traffic.
The first part through the city isn't very scenic but it's a much nicer drive once you hit the coast around Seal Beach. The highway then goes right through the centers of all those beach towns so it's much slower driving. There are also more temptations to stop along the way.
Photo Courtesy of Visit Laguna Beach
What to Do in Laguna
Beach
Most people go to Laguna Beach for the beaches, to have a relaxing
break, or to take in one of the town's many events (see below).
Beaches
There are about a dozen different beaches to choose from, stretched
along seven miles of coastline, and they're rated among some of the best in
Orange County. There are several family-friendly beaches. These include
Crescent Bay, which has lots of tide pools for kids (and adults) to explore, Main
Beach for its gentler waves, and Aliso Beach, which has a playground.
Don't be put off Thousand Steps Beach by the name. There are 'only' about 230 steps leading down to the beach, though it can seem like 1,000 when you're walking back up again after a day on the sand.
Fine Shopping Opportunities. Photo Courtesy of Visit Laguna Beach
Crystal Cove State
Park
The Pacific Coast Highway goes right through this park,
which extends out into the ocean as an underwater park. There are just over
three miles of beach, along with 2,400 acres of natural woodland. There are
some great hiking trails through here, and it's a good place for horseback
riding too. It's also popular for swimming and surfing. It's about three miles
north of town on the way to Newport Beach. www.crystalcovestatepark.org
Laguna Art Museum. Photo Courtesy of Visit Laguna Beach
Laguna Art Museum
With such an artistic community, it's not surprising one of
the town's main attractions is its art museum. The Laguna Art Museum can trace its origins
back to 1918 and the forming of the Laguna Beach Art Association, a group of
artists who had settled in the town.
The museum is devoted to California art and they have about 3,500 items in their permanent collection, from the early 19th century onwards. In addition there are changing special exhibitions.
Main Beach. Photo Courtesy of Visit Laguna Beach
When to Visit Laguna
Beach
Although the town lacks major tourist attractions, it more
than makes up for it by having a series of big special events and festivals throughout
the year. These include several arts festivals (it's a very artistic community),
The Laguna Beach Music Festival, The Sawdust Art and Craft Festival, The Laguna
Dance Festival, and Pageant of the Masters.
Pageant of the Masters. Photo Courtesy of Visit Laguna Beach
Pageant of the
Masters
Pageant of the Masters is one of the best and most unusual
events in the USA. It was first held in 1933 and in it, people dress up to
recreate famous works of art. Over 500 people work for over 60,000 hours to
create these, and put on 56 90-minute shows in the Festival of Arts grounds. It's
a truly remarkable and unique event, held over the summer with a different
theme each year, though the traditional finale is a recreation of Leonardo da
Vinci's The Last Supper.
Courtesy of Visit Laguna Beach
Festival of Arts
The other big event in the town's calendar is the
summer-long Festival of Arts. It features works by about 140 artists from
Orange County and is the longest-running outdoor fine arts festival in
California. It goes way beyond just being a chance to see and buy art works,
though. There are nightly music concerts, art workshops, art tours, dining
events, art discussions, children's activities, and lots more fun stuff.
So before booking your trip, check the Events page of Visit Laguna Beach for dates. You don't want to visit and be told: 'You should have been here last week!'
Blue Whale Spouting. Photo Courtesy of Visit Laguna Beach
Where to Stay in Laguna
Beach
Last time we stayed overnight we stayed at the wonderful Casa Laguna Hotel and Spa.
If they happen to be full or you prefer a different location, you can search for other options here:
Where to Stay in Laguna Beach
Laguna Beach Visitors
Center
The official Laguna Beach Visitors Center is at 381 Forest
Avenue and it's open every day. It's a very helpful and well-run center.
There's also a smaller center at 190 Ocean Avenue that's only open
Friday-Sunday.
The Fascinating World of Tide Pools
Photo Courtesy of Visit Laguna Beach
Preparing for the Pageant of the Masters
Photo Courtesy of Visit Laguna Beach
Other California coast pages
The Lighthouse Inn at Point Cabrillo is a romantic, historic guesthouse on the Mendocino California coast, on the Pacific Coast Highway.
Pacific Grove is a small city on the California coast, next to Monterey and close to Carmel, with attractions including its historic Victorian houses.
The Stanford Inn by the Sea in Mendocino on the California coast is an eco-resort with yoga classes and the award-winning Ravens Restaurant.
Drive the Pacific Coast Highway and you have to cross Bixby Bridge in California, ten miles north of Big Sur and 30 minutes south of Monterey.
A walk around the Point Lobos State Reserve near Monterey and Carmel provides lots of photo opportunities, especially of the Harbor Seal Birthing Area.
Pismo Beach is a small beach town on California's Central Coast, a resort famous for surfing and clams.
Oceanside is a typical southern California beach town with a surf culture and with the Pacific Coast Highway running right through it.
Santa Catalina Island, or Catalina Island, is off the shore of Southern California and reachable from Long Beach, San Pedro, Newport Beach, and Dana Point.
Encinitas is a beach city in Southern California, famous for surfing, and regularly chosen as one of the best places to live in both California and the USA.
For a Moss Beach hotel just off the Pacific Coast Highway, the Seal Cove Inn offers good accommodation north of Half Moon Bay, minutes from the ocean.
San Luis Obispo in California is half-way between Los Angeles and San Francisco, on the Pacific Coast Highway and with lots of things to do and see.
Santa Monica in California is famous for its pier, and beaches, and is one of the best west coast vacation spots, with hotels, restaurants, surfing, museums.
San Clemente in California is a small city on the Pacific Coast Highway midway between San Diego and Los Angeles, noted for its beaches and surfing.
Lonely Planet's Coastal California guidebook is the ideal travel guide for driving or cycling the Pacific Coast Highway from the Oregon border to Mexico.
Whale watching in California is one of the most popular things to do along the Pacific Coast Highway, in places like San Diego, San Francisco and many more.
Santa Monica Pier is just off the Pacific Coast Highway in Santa Monica near Los Angeles, with an amusement park, an aquarium and many other attractions.
Carlsbad is a beach city north of San Diego in southern California famous for its flower fields, LEGOLAND resort and water park, surfing and SEA LIFE Aquarium.
Pacific Coast Highway Travel's guide to the most scenic spots on the Pacific Coast Highway in California with Big Sur, Bixby Bridge and Pfeiffer Beach.
Historic and romantic Vagabond's House Inn Bed and Breakfast in Carmel is a great place to stay with free wine and cheese and generous breakfast.
Morro Bay is a delightful small town on the California coast roughly halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles and noted for the huge Morro Rock.
Bodega Bay is a small California coastal town on the borders of Marin County and Sonoma County, and the filming location for Alfred Hitchcock's the Birds.
Malibu is a beach city north of Los Angeles famous for the celebrities who live there in expensive homes and the Pacific Coast Highway runs through it and there are beaches and hikes for all to enjoy.
Crescent City is on the Pacific Coast Highway in northern California and noted for its crescent-shaped beach, Ocean World sea park, and nearby redwoods and state parks.
La Jolla in southern California is north of San Diego off the Pacific Coast Highway and has museums, restaurants, hotels, beaches, and the Birch Aquarium.
Pacific Coast Highway Travel's list of the best beaches in California with beaches in Santa Monica, Big Sur, Malibu, Carmel, Cambria, La Jolla and Coronado.
-
May 10, 23 09:47 AM
A food and drink expert charts the perfect course from San Francisco to Los Angeles.
Read More
-
Apr 26, 23 10:07 AM
California is home to some of the most diverse and beautiful natural landscapes in the world, making it a haven for outdoor enthusiasts. The state of California offers a wide range of outdoor activiti…
Read More
-
Apr 25, 23 11:08 AM
The latest study by Upgraded Points sets gas cars against electric vehicles to see which vehicle is truly the most economical on five American road trips. Examining the time and fuel costs along iconi…
Read More