Best southern ca beach?

[kr1stee]

Huntington, Newport or Laguna Beach? We will be going to the Santa Monica pier. Thanks!

 

[alex881]

Laguna Beach. Huntington was kind of boring compared to laguna. Laguna has tide pools and cool cliffs etc. Newport is nice too but if I had to choose one, it'd be laguna.

 

[PHXscuba]

It really depends on you. Kids? Time of year? Planning to go in the ocean? What's important -- people watching, activities nearby, access?

PHXscuba

 

[kr1stee]

We will be going in June and I have 3 girls ages 2, 6 and 10. We are going mainly to relax on the beach and just walk around since we are from Alaska. Nothing special. Lol

 

[pixarmom]

Huntington, Newport or Laguna Beach? We will be going to the Santa Monica pier. Thanks!

I've been to all three many times, and with kids, I'd definitely vote for Newport! I created a Newport thread a while ago - it might help a bit! http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2895078

 

[kr1stee]

Thanks so much!

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

I really like Newport, also. They have shops/restaurants, places to rent boogie boards, etc., and the waves are kind of mild, which are nice when you have children.

 

[Cheshirecatty]

Does anyone know anything about Seal Beach?

Is it anywhere near Disneyland area OR worth checking out?

 

[PHXscuba]

Seal Beach is the next area north of Huntington Beach, so it's in the area. I haven't been there in years. Every beach is nice -- it's a matter of taste and what you want to do around the beach area.

PHXscuba

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

Seal Beach is nice, and there is a street leading up to it, Main Street, that has some nice shops and places to eat.

 

[ILUVALASKA]

I used to live in SEal Beach!!!!!!!!!!!! Laguna Beach has a much much nicer beach, cleaner bathrooms, tidepools, shops, restaurants, and a park.

 

[summerw]

Will your 2 year old go in the water? There's a spot called "baby beach" in Dana Point Harbor (just south of Laguna) that has no waves.

Otherwise, all 3 have nice qualities. Huntington has professional surf and volleyball competitions and shopping at places like Jack's Surfboards and lots of restaurants. Don't go too far south of the pier as the walk from the sand to water gets longer, which is my objection to most spots in Newport. I don't mind a long walk to the water if it's just me, but if it's me and DS3 and the mountain of stuff kids seem to require and hot sand DS3 complains about walking on, I want a short beach. Newport is a mixture of really old school surf shops and fancy stores and restaurants just off the beach. Laguna can get the most crowded because of how it's situated next to a canyon, and when the Sawdust festival is in town, that's very true. However, it has beautiful art galleries and nice restaurants. There's a wooden pathway that crosses some of the beach.

Really it just depends on what you like.

 

[Plaid Princess]

Personally, I'd say Huntington Beach, but I'm quite biased. It has the most restaurants/activities/shops within walking distance.

Newport doesn't have too much in the way of entertainment, but Big Corona Beach is one of my favorites on the west coast. It's actually a fairly small beach, great for kids because they can't get too far away from you. It also has tide pools and fairly calm waves.

 

[ArielSparrow]

Growing up my mom would take us to Newport Beach and Balboa Island, so it's probably best fit for families. I'm not sure if I've ever been to Laguna Beach, and to me it's quite a bit further. Newport is the closest and easiest to get to from Anaheim.

Nowadays I find myself at Huntington more. The reason it's popular is because of the great waves and abundance of fire pits. If you aren't going to surf or have a bonfire, you'd be better off somewhere else. Everything else is very nice, but those are the major draws.

Seal Beach is cute but much smaller. Huntington and Newport have more tourist things available. There is a dog beach at Seal Beach and in Long Beach, as well as a mother's beach at Long Beach. In general, unless you are staying in Long Beach though, I'd say to avoid it. Or if you are visiting the aquarium, which is VERY nice.

In Newport Beach there is Newport Dunes, a beach with small lapping waves and a playground (I remember loving this as a kid). It's probably the safest as far as currents for the kids to swim in, but I know the last time I went there were jellyfish. That was many years ago, so I'd look into it. The nice thing about that too is it's a RV park so there is a liquor store right there if you want snacks. I think there were bathrooms with actual plumbing too.

 

[KCmike]

Newport is very nice and Corona Del Mar is connected to it just to the south but you have to drive down to it because there is a jetty in the way. CDM is the perfect crescent shaped beach with large homes behind it on the cliff. Both would be perfect combo for a visit. You can also catch sunset cruises from Newport for as little as $15 per person where they take you around the harbor and then onto the Pacific Ocean to watch the sunset over the Cali coast.