Newport Beach or Corona del Mar?

[gcatt]

We're heading to the beach for an afternoon during our DLR stay in August. For the locals, would you recommend Newport Beach or Corona del Mar? (or something else???)

Our kids are 11 and 13 and are fascinated by the idea of beaches with warmer water, so we'd like somewhere they can go in and have fun. (Without turning blue as quickly as they do up here in the San Francisco area.) They love swimming, wave hopping, and sand play.

Should we plan on doing dinner near the beach to miss rush hour traffic?

Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[tinkcollector]

I grew up in Orange County. Both of the beaches you mentioned seem really different to me.
1.) Corona del Mar, a beautiful beach off the cliffside of an residential area. It is like a small cove, and really beautiful. When the tide is out it has some great exploring to do. But, with a high tide your pretty confined to the cove. This would be my first choice for a more quite relaxed day. Bring a good book.
2.) Newport Beach. A long stretch of beach. Perfect for roller skating or biking. There are fire pits by the pier for grilling up some hot dogs. Lots of shops and restaurants also. This is a great beach for board skimming and surfing. I would call this more of a lively beach with lots to entertain you.
Another beach for you to consider would be,
3.) Laguana Beach. It's a little more south of Corona del Mar. This has always impressed me as more of a Family beach. It has a nice play ground and tide pools to explore to the north end. I believe the south end is still a protected area where you are urged not to take shells, so that others can enjoy the beauty (and of course stay GREEN). There are also shops and restaurants within walking distance.
I would plan on either leaving the beach before 2:30 p.m. or after 6:30 p.m. to avoid the traffic. However, weekdays in these areas traffic at any time is to be expected. August is a great time to go to any So. Cal. beach, have a ton of fun and don't forget the sunscreen.

 

[KCmike]

Both are very very close to each other and seperated by a jetty. CDM is perfect for swimming, boogie boarding, and a family day out while in Newport the beaches are sloped steeper and you will see surfers and such. Newport also has a places you can take take boat excursions. It also has shops, funnel cakes, and touristy stuff. We did a sunset cruise for $15 a piece and go to tour the harbor of rich homes and then go out onto the ocean to watch the sunset over the coastline. We did both the same day and had a blast.

CDM from street level up above

CDM

CDM

Newport

Newport

Newport

Sunset Cruise

Cruise

Hope this helps!!!

 

[gcatt]

Wonderful! Thanks for the advice and the pictures.