Tag Archives: Santa Monica Guides

Things to Do at Santa Monica Beach

There are plenty of wonderful beaches in Southern California. If you remember the old Beach Boys song, Surfin USA, you can probably name several. But the Santa Monica beach is the best. Designated one of “10 Great Public Spaces in the U.S.” by the American Planning Association, Santa Monica beach has something for everyone – fun activities, great views, and plenty of places to grab something to eat or drink.

If you’re coming to Southern California, it’s easy to reach from almost everywhere, even the airport. That is less than ten miles from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), so you can even make it your first stop. Just take Selpuveda to Lincoln. From the San Fernando Valley, you don’t even have to get on a highway. Take one of the canyon roads to the Pacific Coast Highway. There are some good Santa Monica hotels you can use as a basis.

The wide, golden-sand beach stretches for three and a half miles along the coast, and the weather is nearly always perfect. In fact, it’s sunny here 340 days a year. When you visit, watch for TV and movie crews, which shoot here regularly.

Each morning, the beach is raked and cleaned, and lifeguards are on duty all day long. You can bring your own beach towel or your own beach chair and just enjoy the scene. Or lease from Perry’s. Their beach butlers will provide you with a table, chair, and umbrella.

Put on lots of sunscreen or wear a hat. And sunglasses will help protect your eyes and add to your appreciation of all the perfectly fit beachgoers. Don’t be surprised if one of them turns out to be a celebrity.

The ocean is nearly always cool here, even on hot days. But when it’s 100 degrees in the valleys, it likely will still be pleasant here. Surfing is permitted in designated areas between certain lifeguard stands. If you’ve never surfed, you can usually arrange for a lesson, or rent a surfboard or boogie board from Perry’s.

The recently reopened Annenberg Community Beach House used to be the estate of William Randolph Hearst. The five-acre, ocean-front property has a wonderful swimming pool that’s open to the public by reservation in summer, a café, and beach rentals.

If you don’t want to sit or swim, you can rent a bike and take the coastal trail. One of the world’s longest beachfront trails, it runs 22 miles from Malibu to Torrance. Skates, skateboards, roller blades, and other non-motorized transportation are also permitted.

Visit Santa Monica California

The city is also home to the Santa Monica Pier, where you can fish day and night, watch the waves, view the wonders of the undersea world at the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium, dance under the stars to music from big name bands and musicians (summers, Thursday nights only), ride the Ferris wheel, ride a carousel horse or a roller coaster, dine in an ocean view restaurant, entertain yourself at an arcade, watch street performers, jugglers and roller bladers, and shop for souvenirs.

For shopping you can go to the Third Street Promenade, an outdoor, pedestrian-only shopping and entertainment destination where you can spend the whole day. There are more shops are on adjacent boulevards and neighboring 2nd and 4th street. You can also visit Santa Monica Place, a tri-level skylit galleria housing 570,000 square feet with 120 shops and eateries. There is more shopping on Pico Blvd., Montana Ave. and Main Street.

There are accomodations in every price range from inexpensive motels like the Travelodge Santa Monica on Pico Boulevard to luxury hotels like the Hotel Oceana Santa Monica, The Fairmont Miramar Hotel, Le Merigot, Shutters on the Beach and Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel.

Dine in an inexpensive coffee shop, have a Fat Burger or some Mexican fast food or dine in more expensive restaurants like Melisse, Valentino, The Lobster, Il Ristorante di Giorgio Baldi, Josie, Chinois on Main, Rockenwagner Brasserie, Sam’s by the Beach, The Beach House, Drago and many more.

Check out the male and female weight lifters and body builders at Muscle Beach with it’s free weights, rings, parallel bars, balance bar, and other gymnastics apparatus. Play or watch people play chess at Chess Park with its 14 large tables with 4 chess boards per table and 10 small tables with 1 chess board per table. Go surfing in the Pier, Bay Street and Rose Ave. beach areas.