California beaches?

W

willeve

Mouseketeer
Joined
Sep 14, 2010
I am planning for 2015 and considering a few days at the beach. So far I am thinking of either Huntington, Newport or Laguna beaches. I would welcome any advice or opinions of these resorts, thanks!
 
If I may ask where are you staying? I would recommend Huntington, or Newport beach as they are closer for driving distance. Laguna is very nice and a lot of nice shops but it is a little further drive.
 
There is also Bolsa Chica beach, which is the beach to the north of Huntington. It's usually less crowded and easier to find parking there.
 
If you are trying to stay near Disney, I would recommend Huntington Beach. Fun area with plenty of little shops.
 


We just got back from our California trip and visited all 3 beaches. Laguna was nice with varied shops and festivals and a trolley that ran all over the city. It was nice but seemed crowed and hot. Newport beach has the peninsula and Balboa island which are very nice but we just felt out of place there. It seemed like everything was very expensive along with valet parking for almost every restaurant. We stayed at the Hyatt there and was disappointed with the resort. We may be a little biased but we loved Huntington beach since we stayed there in 2010. The Hyatt is a great resort just across the street from the beach. There is a great Main street, a real laid back surfer vibe, some great live music (beach, pier and Main street) and very nice beach weather.
 
willeve said:
I am planning for 2015 and considering a few days at the beach. So far I am thinking of either Huntington, Newport or Laguna beaches. I would welcome any advice or opinions of these resorts, thanks!
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Newport is our favorite, as well as a favorite of most people we know. I dont stay there, we usually stay closer to Anaheim because our beach visits are tied to Disneyland trips.
We were not fans of Huntington beach. When we went a few years ago it was a little dirty and a few sketchy people. But I hear nothing but great things about it, so maybe we just were there on an off day.
Don't know much about Laguna.
Any beach you choose will be great!
 


Another vote for Huntington Beach. We have stayed at the Hyatt also and loved it. There is also a Hilton next door which also is across the street from the beach. (there are traffic lights and the Hyatt has a bridge that crosses the road).
Both are of course a bit pricey and parking is expensive. We loved the Hyatt's pools and only went to the beach for walks.
 
I like Laguna beach best of those three. More to do, gorgeous.

I also love Santa Monica/Venice. Like riding bikes there and people watching. The pier is fun too.
 
Another vote for Huntington Beach!

My family has visited here numerous times (my brother lives in OC), and my parents fell in love with it so much that they just purchased a condo there. HB is one of the only coastal towns in Southern California that has unobstructed views of the ocean on Pacific Coast Highway, because there are no houses on the beach. It has 8 miles of path and bikeways along the ocean, and a lovely Main Street area with many shops and restaurants. If you are looking for a hotel there, I recommend the Waterfront Beach Resort, A Hilton Hotel. We have stayed here many times and have never had a bad experience - in addition, every room has an ocean view there. Bonus - HB is only 25 minutes from Disneyland!

Have an amazing time! My family loves SoCal, and having Disneyland there is an awesome bonus!
 
I vote Santa Monica. We had just over a week there earlier this year and will be staying for a few days next trip to relax before flying home.

Venice was an eye opener for sure, us country folk certainly got an education ;)
 
Okay, I get this is an old topic, but the original poster did say they were coming in 2015.

I don't know how any one could recommend any beach city without more information, like who was coming (ages), what their interests were and did they want to do a day trip or stay in the area. If they are staying, what is their hotel budget?

All the beach cities, Seal Beach down to San Clemente have their own personalities and quirks. The above info would have been important to offer the best advice for the OP, not based on people's personal likes.
 
GoBears 1980 said:
Okay, I get this is an old topic, but the original poster did say they were coming in 2015.

I don't know how any one could recommend any beach city without more information, like who was coming (ages), what their interests were and did they want to do a day trip or stay in the area. If they are staying, what is their hotel budget?

All the beach cities, Seal Beach down to San Clemente have their own personalities and quirks. The above info would have been important to offer the best advice for the OP, not based on people's personal likes.
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Like the other posters I just gave my opnion since that is what the OP asked.. They didn't offer info about the traveling party or budget.
 
GoBears 1980 said:
Okay, I get this is an old topic, but the original poster did say they were coming in 2015.

I don't know how any one could recommend any beach city without more information, like who was coming (ages), what their interests were and did they want to do a day trip or stay in the area. If they are staying, what is their hotel budget?

All the beach cities, Seal Beach down to San Clemente have their own personalities and quirks. The above info would have been important to offer the best advice for the OP, not based on people's personal likes.
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So no one should have responded? :rolleyes:

The OP did say he/she would stay several days. Lots of the recommended beaches would be fine for all age groups and interests.
 
lost*in*cyberspace said:
So no one should have responded? :rolleyes:

The OP did say he/she would stay several days. Lots of the recommended beaches would be fine for all age groups and interests.
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No, people should have asked about budget, likes and who was coming and then offered advice.

They also did not say they "would stay several days", they said "considering a few days at the beach".

'Considering a few days at the beach' could mean commuting or it could mean staying. And no, not every beach town is suitable for every group and age and has great things for every group and age. That is especially true in hotel choices.
 
I'm glad someone picked this thread back up!! We're considering a DL trip in Sept. We are 2 adults and 2 kids (7&2). We only have 4 full days in California and I really want to spend 3 of them at DL and 1 day around California. We'd stay at a Disneyland hotel so our day out and about would just be a day trip. DH and I have done Northern California but the kids have never seen anything beyond LAX. So what's the best beach centered day trip? I don't mind driving. I'd really like to get up to Malibu because the beaches look amazing. Any stops we could make along the way? We don't need to layout / swim all day I'd like a couple of nice scenic / cute places to visit on our day out.
 
amyren said:
I'm glad someone picked this thread back up!! We're considering a DL trip in Sept. We are 2 adults and 2 kids (7&2). We only have 4 full days in California and I really want to spend 3 of them at DL and 1 day around California. We'd stay at a Disneyland hotel so our day out and about would just be a day trip. DH and I have done Northern California but the kids have never seen anything beyond LAX. So what's the best beach centered day trip? I don't mind driving. I'd really like to get up to Malibu because the beaches look amazing. Any stops we could make along the way? We don't need to layout / swim all day I'd like a couple of nice scenic / cute places to visit on our day out.
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Malibu is pretty far north (so a hike from Disney) but it's amazing. I'd recommend Paradise Cove beach in Malibu. There is a nice restaurant there, and if you eat at the restaurant you get reduced parking. There are number of stops you could make on the way depending on how you wanted to get there from Anaheim.

If you go south, we LOVE Dana Point beach in Orange County and it's a not a bad drive from Disneyland at all. You could also do something like stop at Mission San Juan Capistrano.

If you don't want to go as far north as Malibu, I'd recommend Santa Monica. It's a great beach, there is the Santa Monica pier, 3rd street Promenade (car free shopping area), the boardwalk, etc. It's a very easy place to park and then see a lot of fun things, including the beach.
 
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