We Rounded Up the Best Beaches in Laguna Beach
Picking a favorite beach is like trying to choose a favorite child – you love them all, but for different reasons and qualities. However, like offspring, you might prefer one over the other depending on the day or leisurely activity.
Laguna has many famous beaches, from Victoria’s Pirate Tower to Treasure Islands’ tide pools to sands only accessed by “1,000 steps.”
We’ve rounded up a list of our favorite Laguna beaches, and our go-to tips on getting your toes in the sand (and making it out alive).
Photo by: @michaelwinterjrphotography
Table Rock
If you ask any local, this beach is surely among their favorites. It’s stunning and it stays stunning even with the amount of foot traffic it gets. In essence, Table Rock is part of a larger stretch of beach, neighboring Camel Point. While tiny, people make the trek to this southwest-facing beach because it’s both swimmable and skimmable (that is… if you are an experienced skimmer).
Table Rock can get busy and the waves are stronger than other Laguna beaches so swim and skim with caution — and note there’s only one lifeguard on duty.
Parking is on PCH, as close to West Street as you can get. Once you’ve hit the parking lottery, walk to the stairway entrance just past the street light down the paved street to the beach. It’s a mini workout until your toes hit the sand, but a small price to pay to have heaven on earth in sight. (It will take your breath away when you first get a glimpse of it.)
Photo by: @layovertwentyfour
1,000 Steps Beach
They say, the harder the journey, the better the destination – which is very true for 1,000 Steps Beach. The 1,000 steps (actually only 218) that lead to the beaches below will have you working up a serious sweat, and don’t be surprised if you see locals racing up and down the steps – it’s a mega popular workout spot.
Also known as 9th (the beach at the end of the stairs) and 10th Street (the beach to the left), the 1,000 Steps beaches are wide, gorgeous, and never seem to feel busy. Peppered with beautiful hidden salt water pools (which should only be attempted at low tide), this area is just as enchanting as it is dangerous.
Access the pools by walking to the far south end of the beach – again, only if the tide is low – and walk straight through the rock arch. You will be rewarded with an incredible natural pool and another just behind it.
Parking is on PCH at or around 9th Street. Good luck – you’ll need it for parking, catching low tide, and getting back up those stairs.
Photos by Derek Liang.
Montage Beaches
This devastatingly beautiful chain of beaches is an absolute local treasure. These are the beaches you take out-of-town guests to and the beaches that sum up the exquisite beauty of Laguna Beach in a nutshell.
Comfortable access to all three has only been granted since the early 2000’s with a project that turned Treasure Island into the park it was always meant to be. At the Montage Beaches, you feel like you're on vacation for the price of beach parking (which at most is $7.50 in the Montage parking garage). The greatest part about this trio is that you can equally enjoy them from the pathway above on one of the many park benches overlooking the waves.
Photo by: Nicholas Khau.
Treasure Island
Treasure Island is the most southern of the three Montage Beaches and is not only breathtaking, but also has a convenient ramp so it won't actually take your breath away trying to lug gear down the steps. This beach has mild waves and extremely clean and clear water that hosts a sea lion or two on most days. At low tide, the tide pools to the right of the beach are accessible and often have a knowledgeable docent from Laguna Ocean Foundation pointing out sea life and answering questions about them.
It’s also home to Laguna’s most photographed arch rock – talk about Insta famous!
Photos by Derek Liang.
Victoria Beach
If you’re reading this article for the beach with the Pirate Tower, it’s your lucky day. Pre-Internet days, this was a very locals-only beach, inviting to the very few that could afford it. But now that the masses have found out about it, like anything spectacular in Laguna, you're going to have to work for your spot on the beach.
Parking is best found on PCH near and around Nye’s Place. From there, make your way to Victoria Drive where it intersects with Sunset Terrace. Just to the right, between houses, you will find a stairway that leads to the north end. (Alternatively, you can take the emergency vehicle access ramp found on Dumond Drive straight from PCH.)
To the far right of Victoria Beach you will find the Insta-famous Pirate Tower and, if the tide is right, an amazing natural circular, salt water pool. Be prepared for a crowd (and a lot of photos). If you’re more of an active beach-goer, play a game of volleyball or head to the south end of the beach to surf. It’s a beach for everyone, but shhh, it’s a secret.
*Stay tuned next week for our list of favorite coves.
Emilia Greenstein is a Laguna local and the founder of the Beach Love Club which meets at Fisherman’s Cove every Friday. A former child psychologist with a specialty in positive psychotherapy, when she isn’t at the beach she is working on her future career as a children’s book author.