Laguna Beach includes 7 miles of
coastline with some of Southern California most scenic beaches and coves
you'll find along the Southern California coast.
The
best tide pools,
diving opportunities, and best sunsets on this region of California coast are right in Laguna
Beach. Home to mansions and quaint cottages
that line bluffs above the sandy coves, for over 100 years,
tourists have flocked to a little piece of paradise to scuba dive, to paint
the colors of nature which seem more vibrant there and to enjoy natural
beauty not seen elsewhere. Laguna Beach enjoys healthy tourism with over 3
million visitors each year. Note: These numbers do not factor in local day
visitors within a close radius to Laguna Beach.
Laguna Beach holds the distinction of having one of the greatest number of
localized beaches of any city on the California coast. The list
includes the northern beaches of Irvine Cove, Crescent Bay, Shaw's Cove,
Boat Canyon, Diver's Cove, Picnic Beach and Rockpile. Central Beaches
include Main Beach, Sleepy Hollow, St. Ann's Street, Thalia Street, Oak
Street, Brook's Street and Mountain Road Beach. Southern Laguna Beach (South
Laguna Beach) beaches include Bluebird Canyon, Pearl Street, Wood's
Cove, Moss Point, Rockledge, Victoria Beach and Treasure Island. Guarded by a premier force of
lifeguards, Laguna Beaches are operated under the City of Laguna Beach
Lifeguard Services. lblg.org
What's unique about the Laguna Beach beaches are their tourist and hotel
friendly locations. With properties constructed on and near the beach before
the California Coastal Commission regulations changed the building permit
process, you'll see some spectacular hotel and resorts sitting on cliffs
above the ocean in South Orange County. That's why tourists love visiting
and staying overnight in Laguna Beach. You can park your car and walk down
to the on location beach at many hotels, or walk downtown to the great
shops, restaurants and art galleries. Of all the Orange County cities that
range from San Clemente, Dana Point, Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, Seal
Beach, Sunset Beach and Surfside, Laguna Beach offers the most beach hotel
rooms directly on the sand without crossing Pacific Coast Highway. Montage,
the newest resort property, is spectacular with its views, pools, lawns and
beaches that are open to the public. You'll be hard pressed to find a more
luxurious resort destination than Laguna Beach.
Laguna got its name long ago from the Ute-Azteca Indian word for lakes,
Lagonas. Spaniards who arrived later called it Canada de las Lagunas (Canyon
of the Lakes) and in 1904, the area became known as Laguna Beach.
Around the same time artist Norman St. Clair traveled from
Los Angeles to capture the scenery on canvas. His artist friends were so
impressed with his paintings and reports of a balmy year-round climate that
they joined him. (He and his wife actually lived in Laguna off and on prior
to 1912.) The plein-air artists who painted in the style of French
impressionists, settled and by the late 1920’s, half of the residents were
artists.
Following the artists came the Hollywood film makers who found Laguna to be
every bit as appealing on the silver screen as it was painted on canvas.
Many of Hollywood’s famous stars like Bette Davis, Mary Pickford, Judy
Garland, Rudolph Valentino, Charlie Chaplin and Mickey Rooney maintained
homes in Laguna Beach.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt and John Steinbeck also went to Laguna for
inspiration and relaxation, frequenting landmarks like the White House and
the Cabrillo Ballroom.
Laguna’s universal allure is best expressed on a famous gate built in 1935
(which still
stands on the corner of Forest and Park Avenues); it reads “This gate hangs
well and
hinders none, refresh and rest, then travel on.”
Things to See:
ART IN PUBLIC PLACES 949-497-0722 Visit public art
spots such as the mural on Main Beach at Forest Lane, Support by Louis
Longi, 211 N. Coast Hwy., Eucalyptus Bench at 350 North Coast Hwy. and
three sculpture by Jerry Rothman in Heisler Park.
ART INSTITUTE OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, 2222 Laguna Canyon
Road, Laguna Beach, CA 92651 949-376-6000
ART WALK of over 40 Laguna Beach galleries is held monthly
and meets at Laguna Art Museum, 307 Cliff Drive at N. Coast Hwy., Laguna
Beach, CA 92651 949-497-0722
BETTE DAVIS HOUSE 1991 Ocean Way is an English Tudor home, built in
1929. Bette Davis lived there during the early 1940's.
DOG PARK on Laguna Canyon Road near El Toro Road.
GALLERY ROW 300-500 North Coast Highway.
HEISLER PARK ECOLOGICAL RESERVE opposite Bird Rock at Main
Beach north to the Divers Cove offers tide pools, snorkeling and scuba
diving.
HISTORICAL SOCIETY & MURPHY-SMITH BUNGALOW, 278 Ocean
Avenue, Laguna Beach, CA 92651 949-497-4439
HORTENSE MILLER GARDENS, location: 2.5 acres on upper
slope area of North Laguna. 949-497-0716 ext. 6
H
OTEL LAGUNA, 425 South Coast Highway, built in 1888, photos
of old Laguna.
LAGUNA ART MUSEUM 307 Cliff Drive (at Coast Highway),
Laguna Beach, CA 92651 949-494-8971 Internet: www.lagunaartmuseum.org
LAGUNA SOUTH COAST WILDERNESS PARK offers 19,000 acres of
open space and marine preserves. Pets are not permitted. 949-497-8324
LAGUNA WILDERNESS PARK HIKE is a guided tour with moderate
hiking is available by calling 949-494-9352
PAGEANT OF THE MASTERS, 650
Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach, CA 92651 foapam.org Tickets (800) 487-3378
THOUSAND STEPS beach staircase leads to a spectacular surfing area.
