Those keen to get out on the water for a surf lesson or SUP tour should contact local outfitter La Vida Laguna. Thanks to its Marine Protected Area status, Laguna’s more than 30 beaches and coves are some of the nicest places to spend time on the sand in Southern California, and, from its volunteer tidewater docents educating visitors to the Pacific Marine Mammal Center rescuing and rehabilitating seals and sea lions, ocean conservation is something the city takes seriously. So hang up the car keys and use the free Laguna Beach trolley instead (stop eight is just below the hotel on Cliff Drive), which makes a regular loop from North Laguna to The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel or rent bikes and explore the 68 cycle routes across town instead. Laguna has walkable sections around Main Beach, Heisler Park and the boutique and gallery-filled HIP District, but even during winter months traffic can be notorious and parking spaces tough to find. Coming north, leave the I-5 at Dana Point and cruise up the coast. Heading south, exit the 405 and follow the short but scenic State Route 133 (aka Laguna Canyon Road) to Pacific Coast Highway. Twenty minutes from John Wayne Airport (SNA) and a short(ish) and sweet hour and a half drive from San Diego and Los Angeles (depending on traffic), Laguna Beach is an easy-to-reach getaway for SoCal residents and a worthy stop on California coast road trips. A colony for artists since the early 1900s, the city has attracted an eclectic who’s who of former residents - from Hollywood stars like Bette Davis and Judy Garland, to writer John Steinbeck and counterculture guru Timothy Leary and his Brotherhood of Eternal Love hippie group who pulled off a psychedelic airdrop during the 1970 “Christmas Happening” music festival (California’s Woodstock) attended by flower children and peaceniks.įamous for its art scene, the OC enclave is synonymous with surfing and sun-kissed beach days, but the local community is big on conservation, too, advocating to protect 20,000 acres of open space now called the “Laguna Green Belt.” Although a fondness for New Age spirituality endures - if aura readings and chakra massages are your jam, chances are you’ll love Laguna. Sitting between the San Joaquin Hills and the Pacific Ocean, Laguna Beach is a palm tree-lined slice of Southern California paradise.
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