If you’re planning on visiting Los Angeles, chances are it’s for the world-renowned beaches. Since you have 75 miles of coastline beaches from which to choose, deciding on the perfect spot can be a challenge. Here’s a list of those top spots for beach-goers in the L.A. area: (Just don’t tell the locals who told you about them!)
Manhattan Beach
Manhattan Beach can sometimes catch tourists off-guard with its East Coast name. However, this jewel is very California. The beach is lined with volleyball nets, and boasts washrooms and outside showers (perfect for the little ones and anyone with just a little too much sand for their liking). Standing at the water, one can look onward into the infinite ocean without getting too overwhelmed by its greatness, and the hills that hug the Los Angeles valley are visible on either side of the horizon. Manhattan Beach’s pier is blithe and quaint: unlike most piers, this one is lined with small trees and lovely, vintage-looking powder-blue railing. At the end of the pier is a small aquarium and cafe, which are perfect for learning about the ocean right below and quieting hunger after a long day of beach volleyball. Visitors are in luck, too! Manhattan Beach is a short drive from Sea Rock Inn, clocking in at approximately 30 minutes.
Hermosa Beach
Aptly named, Hermosa (which is Spanish for pretty or beautiful) is a gorgeous beach. Whilst Manhattan Beach feels vintage and quaint, Hermosa Beach seems to walk a little more on the eclectic side of the sand. Hermosa Beach is lined with shops and restaurants, each boasting a unique and local personality. The pier at Hermosa is a little more modern, with a concrete walkway and white railings. Additionally, the pier has plenty of benches, so anyone can sit and enjoy the sound, smell, and feel of the ocean for however long they please (just don’t be surprised if the pelicans take an interest and sit and enjoy the view, too)! Another benefit of Hermosa Beach is its accessibility. If one goes to lunch or indulges in some shopping, one can simply take a few more steps and find their toes in the sand and water. There is also a very active bike trail that runs along the sand, allowing visitors to ride along the length of the beach to take in all of its beauty. Although an hour sounds like a far drive from the Sea Rock Inn, the time to Hermosa beach is only 50 minutes, which is a dream for any L.A. commuter, and definitely worth the extra minutes.
Redondo Beach
Redondo Beach is special. The beautiful beach feels secluded, thanks to the tall green embankments that line the sand. There is a green park with several benches, inviting guests to sit and watch the waves roll in as they eat. The embankments lining Redondo are covered in gorgeous (albeit invasive) “ice plants,” whose proper name is “sea fig.” The sea fig boasts large, colorful blooms of thin petals, which range from red to purple to yellow. On one end of Redondo Beach, one can bask in the looming beauty of the Palos Verdes Peninsula. The pier at Redondo is lined with shops and restaurants, as well as seating areas, so that one can enjoy sea and the pier’s attractions all at once. Additionally, Redondo Beach is perhaps the closest to Sea Rock Inn at 20 minutes, which is basically a slow wink in L.A. time.
Long Beach—Belmont Shore
Belmont Shore is small, rebellious community nestled inside Long Beach, close to Naples Island. In 1908, Belmont Shore was Belmont Heights, a neighborhood belonging to Long Beach. When the citizens of this neighborhood were denied a pier by their city, they decided to form a city of their own, and thus Belmont Shore was born, and they got their pier: the Belmont Shore Veterans Memorial Pier. This pier is unique amongst all the others as it offers full-service boat landing, as well as shopping and dining, and places where visitors can fish. For visitors looking for a little more adrenaline in their stay, the Leeway Sailing and Aquatics Center isn’t far from Belmont Shore and offers a variety of aquatic sports and activities. Beautiful Belmont Shore is about the same distance to Sea Rock Inn as Manhattan Beach, so why not visit both?
Luckily, finding a place to stay isn’t as difficult as choosing which beaches to visit; Sea Rock Inn, one of the best cheap hotels in Los Angeles, provides visitors a comfortable and economic stay that’s close to all of L.A.’s best beaches. Come and stay at Sea Rock the next time you need a getaway close to the beach – any beach!
