Beaches
These are our favorite family beaches:
Here are some helpful beach-oriented links:
Check the beach's report card before you go!
A great introduction to tidepooling. It explains correct tidepool dress and behavior, as well as listing some nice tidepools to visit in San Diego County.
Marina del Rey offers a lot: fishing jetty, sea lions and other wildlife, a Water Bus, boating, and more.
Cabrillo Marine Aquarium There are tidepools, picnic areas, and playground near this inexpensive (small donation) and very accessible museum.
Great list of family friendly beaches from Red Tricycle.
- Leo Carillo Beach in Malibu.
- The beachhead below Trump Golf Course in Palos Verdes. This is a quiet beach with lots of tidepooling and hikers.
- Mother's Beach in Marina del Rey. There's a park, picnic area, and playground on Admiralty Way near the pier. There's a beach too (I think it even has a lifeguard at peak hours). However, according to the reviews online (which are overall very positive) the water quality is not always the best. Specifically, it's a great place to go on a hot dry day but not after rain. There's a lot of clean sand to play in and the breeze cools everyone off as they play.
- West Newport Park in Newport Beach. The park is sandwiched between PCH and Seashore Dr. at Prospect St. There's a fabulous playground just a block from the beach with lots of shade and decent (not fabulous, but more than serviceable) bathrooms. The beach itself is great there, with a really wide shallow stretch for the kids to wade around in. I'm not sure what it's like on weekends, but on weekdays, it's not crowded and mostly little kids.
Here are some helpful beach-oriented links:
Check the beach's report card before you go!
A great introduction to tidepooling. It explains correct tidepool dress and behavior, as well as listing some nice tidepools to visit in San Diego County.
Marina del Rey offers a lot: fishing jetty, sea lions and other wildlife, a Water Bus, boating, and more.
Cabrillo Marine Aquarium There are tidepools, picnic areas, and playground near this inexpensive (small donation) and very accessible museum.
Great list of family friendly beaches from Red Tricycle.