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Southern California Beaches
Make your next trip to Southern California the best it can be by adding family-friendly Southern California beaches to your list of vacation things to do. Warm sun, smooth white sand, and beckoning surf are the hallmark of such popular Southern California beaches as Huntington Beach, Laguna Beach, Newport Beach, La Jolla Beach, Venice Beach, and Santa Monica Beach, which is home to the famous Santa Monica Pier. And after you're full day of play, you'll get a good night's rest at one of many nearby Days Inn hotels.
Catalina Island
Situated off the coast of Los Angeles, Catalina Island is a Southern California paradise for scuba diving, ocean kayaking, sailing, snorkeling, rafting, parasailing, boat cruises, eco tour and family fun under the sun. A scenic wilderness of oak, cactus, and sage, the beautiful island offers secluded coves and beaches surrounded by ocean with lush kelp forests and abundant sea life. Cruise over by boat or high-speed catamaran from San Pedro, Long Beach, Newport Beach and Dana Point or by helicopter from San Pedro and Long Beach.
[ Back to Top ]Huntington Beach
Known as Surf City USA, Huntington Beach offers 8 miles of wide sandy beaches, a perfect surf break and laid-back attitude. HB is a hotbed for rollerblading, skateboarding, beach volleyball, swimming, basking in the sun, and evening bonfires. Enjoy a beautiful equestrian center, a disc Frisbee golf course, Huntington Central Park, Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve, shopping, and cafés. Huntington State Beach is a popular spot for surfing, skating and surf fishing. The park features a bicycle trail and fire rings. Huntington Cliffs is a haven for dogs and owners, who can be seen frolicking on the shore or tandem surfing on the rolling waves.
[ Back to Top ]La Jolla Beach
One of the most picturesque beaches in the world, La Jolla Beach is a hot spot for swimmers, surfers, kayakers, snorkelers, scuba divers, and nature lovers. Stroll the coast and stunning emerald beaches and coves. La Jolla offer endless fun and relaxation - from the sandstone cliffs towering 300 feet above the Pacific at Torrey Pines State Beach to the crystal clear waters at La Jolla Cove. With its wide sandy beach and gentle surf, La Jolla is an intimate coastal retreat for romantic getaways or a tranquil day
with your family.
[ Back to Top ]Laguna Beach
"City of the Arts," Laguna Beach is a quaint Southern California beach town filled with unique shops, art galleries, and a spectacular coastline of beautiful beaches and ocean views. Boasting the greatest number of localized beaches of any city on the California coast, Laguna Beach offers 7 miles of stunning coastline with Southern California most scenic beaches and coves. For over 100 years, tourists have flocked to this paradise to scuba dive, paint the vibrant colors of nature and to enjoy its unmatched natural beauty.
[ Back to Top ]Long Beach
Long Beach is a dazzling destination for sailing, jet-skiing, water skiing, surfing, fishing, kayaking and sunbathing. Stroll along the expansive beach and Pacific Ocean that sparkles in the afternoon sun. Period architecture, alluring beaches, canals and gondolas, historic adobes, and a Bohemian vibe give you lots to explore. Five and a half miles of coastline, a large municipal marina with 3,400 slips, the Aquarium of the Pacific, the docked Queen Mary, the Grand Prix car race, and high-speed boats to Catalina Island are some of the wonderful attractions of beautiful Long Beach.
[ Back to Top ]Mission Beach (San Diego)
A San Diego oasis for surfing, body boarding, swimming, kayaking, sunbathing, picnicking, volleyball and building sand castles, Mission Beach spans 2 miles in San Diego. The boardwalk is a booming scene of bicycling, rollerblading, running, and skateboarding in contrast to the hip local flavor. Ride the Big Dipper at Belmont Park for the thrill of a beachfront rollercoaster and 1920's nostalgia. Kids love the Mission Beach arcade, while adventurous bikers ride to La Jolla on the connecting bike paths.
[ Back to Top ]Newport Beach
Newport Beach is a magical Southern California destination with nine miles of picture-perfect sand beach and shoreline for swimming, surfing, body boarding, fishing, sailing, yachting, fishing, parasailing, snorkeling, and sunbathing. Enjoy "The Wedge" - a jetty where surfers brave the waves - two piers, Balboa Pavilion, the Newport-Balboa Ferry boat, harbor cruises, boat rentals, rollerblading, sand volleyball, outdoor concerts, tennis and trips to Catalina Island. Framed by the Saddleback Mountains, Newport Beach's ecological reserve is very popular with birders.
[ Back to Top ]Pacific Beach
Pacific Beach exudes the essence of Southern California with its brilliant sunshine and blue ocean swells that greet sand and boardwalks. This colorful beach blends an eccentric mix of surfers, beach bums, students, and families. With the ocean and 3 miles of bike paths, Pacific Beach offers a myriad of activities, such as surfing, swimming, kayaking, sunbathing and body boarding. Bicyclists, skaters, and joggers play on miles of paved paths winding between the ocean and Bay. Build sand castles, splash in the ocean, or catch some waves
on a body board.
[ Back to Top ]Santa Monica Beach
The world-famous Santa Monica Beach is an idyllic destination for a seaside vacation. Enjoy the Santa Monica Pier, Third Street Promenade, and views of the Santa Monica Mountains. The 3.5-mile Santa Monica Beach epitomizes beach life of Southern California. Along the sandy strand you can jog, bike, skate, play volleyball, build sandcastles, or ride the waves on to the shore. Surf a swell or work on your Cali tan.
[ Back to Top ]Sunset Beach
South of Los Angeles, Sunset Beach is peaceful seaside town with soft sandy beaches, golden sunsets, and picturesque views of the Long Beach skyline. Sunset Beach is a paradise for water sports - swimming, surfing, body surfing, and kayaking and is a favored destination for windsurfing, volleyball and bird watching. For 100 years, Sunset Beach has been a treasured oasis for tourists who cherish the beauty and serenity of this surfside sanctuary.
[ Back to Top ]Venice Beach
You'll adore the sandy three-mile beach, but during the summer and on weekends, you'll be captivated by colorful street entertainers - artists, musicians, singers, jugglers, acrobats, mimes, comics, magicians, prophets and fortune tellers along Ocean Front Walk. The Boardwalk is a sidewalk circus lined with funky shops and eateries. Along the beach, you'll find courts for basketball, handball, shuffleboard and paddle tennis. Venice's Muscle Beach is where bodybuilders pump iron.
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