Beach Cities

Sun, sea and swimming pools – the Beach Cities have it all. Not to mention some incredible vacation rental homes. Muscle Beach in Venice has remained a rippling attraction for nearly 100 years, and street performers still draw crowds to main thoroughfares like the 3rd Street Promenade and Ocean Front Walk.

Not surprisingly, the Beach Cities follow the path of the sun —sunrise beckons surfers to the waves and sunset draws free spirits to drum circles on the cool sands of the shore. And each neighbourhood has its own signature scent.

Venice Beach offers the sweet aromas of cotton candy, corn dogs and incense. Santa Monica’s fragrance ranges from teriyaki to perfume-laden soaps and freshly caught fish. Further north and inland, the hills of Pacific Palisades lure nature enthusiasts’ noses with a refreshing blend of citrus, woods, and crisp, clean ocean air.

Shopping in the Beach Cities is alluring, but you’ll not spend your money frivolously here; rather, you’ll invest in either high-end threads or the fruits of the earth at some of the best farmer’s markets in SoCal.

Overall, the Beach Cities are LA’s people-watching HQ. It’s not unusual to find camera-happy tourists intermingling with dreadlock-clad musicians at Superba Snack Bar in Venice, Segway riders bypassing environmental activists outside Santa Monica’s Angelato Cafe, or fitness gurus jogging among soap sculptors in Palisades Park. It’s a fluid choreography that mimics the ebb and flow of the waves on the Beach Cities’ shore.