There is mild surf at this beach and is only
permitted south of the pier, because of the heavy crowds during the
summer months. Because of the calm surf, Santa Monica Beach is a fun
place for swimming as well as bodysurfing and boogie boarding. Sunbathing
is probably the most popular past time here. During the summer, it is
hard to find a free space on the sand to soak up the rays.
Many people like to fish off the pier.
California fishing licenses are not required and if you are willing
to put up with the heavy tourist traffic during most of the year, this
is a great place to cast a line. Fishing rods and bait are for rent
or sale at the bait shop near the ocean end of the pier.
There are rows of free public beach volleyball
courts south of the pier. Courts are also located in various spots north
of the pier. LA beach goers love their volleyball. It appears most of
the beaches in LA provide beach volleyball courts and most of the time
they are full.
The bike trail ends at Santa Monica Beach,
or begins. That depends on you direction. The over 20 mile path provides
a scenic ride through many of southern LA beaches. There is also designated
space for rollerblading, skateboarding, running and walking on the path.
This is a fantastic place to bring family
and friends for an eventful and active day at the beach or Pacific Park.
There are a lot of amenities for the kids. The pier offers an aquarium
and there are even a couple playgrounds; one south of the pier and another
near the boardwalk, close to Ocean Avenue. If all day adventure is not
your thing, you can play it mellow and lie out all day on the sand and
catch the sunset at night.
If you get bored of this beach, which is
highly unlikely, you can tour the Getty Museum about 10 miles up the
hill. There are also several farmers markets located through out town
all through the week and usually from early morning to noon. They are
usually a local hangout and a great place to grab something healthy
for a beach picnic.
Paid parking is available beneath the pier.
There are also several lots available north of the pier which charge
about $6.00 a day. Parking for free is really hard to do unless you
are willing to walk the distance. Most of the metered parking downtown
($1 per hour) has a 2 hour limit.
- NO alcohol/glass containers
- NO camping
- NO dogs
- NO vehicles on the beach
- NO fires
- YES Bathrooms/ showers available
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