These Are the Finest Seashore Cities in Los Angeles

Plainly most guests to Southern California instantly exit Los Angeles Worldwide Airport (LAX) to move north to the Hollywood Stroll of Fame, or to drive to Orange County for Disneyland and Knott’s Berry Farm.

However just some miles south of the airport, flying considerably underneath the radar, is Los Angeles’s best-kept secret. The South Bay’s Seashore Cities of Manhattan Seashore, Hermosa Seashore, and Redondo Seashore. Collectively, these cities supply all you want for an ideal trip—any time of the yr.

For greater than 4 many years, I’ve lived in Hermosa Seashore, a small metropolis whose pier was the setting for a love scene within the 2016 romantic comedy, La La Land. Within the movie, Ryan Gosling performed the piano in one other Hermosa Seashore landmark, The Lighthouse, a historic jazz membership.

“There are items of historical past tucked in each nook of Hermosa Seashore,” Jamie Erickson, director and curator of the Hermosa Beach Museum, instructed Journey + Leisure. “There’s something intangible that I am unable to describe that appeals to folks. “Hermosa’s walkability is a big plus, and it wins you over with that small-town really feel that everybody right here is decided to hold on to within the midst of an ever-evolving city panorama.”

I requested a number of locals what they love about residing within the South Bay. Bitte Healy, a 40-year Manhattan Seashore resident, responded with out hesitation.

“The seashore,” she stated.

And certainly, on this small stretch of L.A. County, there are a number of iconic seashores. Manhattan Seashore performs host to an annual volleyball match, Redondo Seashore was popularized in Seashore Boys songs (Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson all hail from the close by South Bay metropolis of Hawthorne), and you may all the time discover a crowded lineup of surfers at one in all L.A.’s most legendary surf spots, El Porto.

With miles of scenic beachfront, tons of native small companies, and a welcoming, unpretentious vibe, South Bay’s Seashore Cities actually have one thing for everybody.

This is what it’s essential know earlier than planning a visit to Los Angeles’ Seashore Cities.

Finest Inns & Resorts

Seashore Home Hermosa Seashore

This oceanfront boutique hotel overlooking the Hermosa Seashore Pier has 96 suites, every with balconies or patios, fireplaces, kitchenettes, and a each day complimentary continental breakfast. Steps from the sand and downtown Hermosa’s eating places, bars, and retailers, the resort’s location is right for a car-free trip. I booked a set for some visiting kin, they usually particularly beloved consuming breakfast on the patio whereas watching everybody go by on the Strand.

westdrift Manhattan Seashore, Autograph Assortment

westdrift Manhattan Beach is lower than 5 miles from Los Angeles Worldwide Airport and two miles from the Manhattan Seashore pier. With elegant beach-themed rooms, eating, pickleball, a pool with cabanas, and a nine-hole golf course, the resort is a superb trip vacation spot that’s well-liked with enterprise vacationers. I’ve performed the course a number of occasions and as soon as made it a staycation with golf, pool, drinks, and dinner at Jute Coastal Bar and Kitchen.

Shade Redondo Seashore

With views of King Harbor’s rows of boats and the Pacific past, Shade’s waterfront location is ideal for sitting in your balcony with morning espresso, grabbing a cocktail at Sea Degree restaurant’s glad hour, or sunbathing on the rooftop pool deck. When you’re able to discover, you may borrow a seashore cruiser from the resort for 4 hours, and it is easy to get to the Redondo Seashore Pier.

Portofino Resort & Marina, Redondo Seashore

As near the ocean as you will get, Portofino’s visitor rooms have personal balconies with ocean or marina views. There’s a seafront pool, complimentary entry to cruiser bicycles, and close-up views of a colony of California sea lions, enjoyable to observe as they bark and jostle for area on their dock. Take a sundown cruise on the resort’s El Rey catamaran, dine at Baleenkitchen, or take pleasure in a cocktail at my favourite spot, the Living Room Bar. 

Sea Sprite Seashore Membership

Established in 1964, Sea Sprite Beach Club was the primary resort in Hermosa Seashore. It is sited off the Strand, simply steps from the seashore, and was completely reworked in 2025, giving it a shocking new look in addition to a brand new restaurant, Surfer Girl. “Your complete Sea Sprite renovation has been a considerate effort to maintain that easygoing seashore vibe alive whereas giving friends a greater total expertise,” basic supervisor James Graham instructed T+L. “The love we’ve felt from the group—particularly with the launch of Surfer Woman—means the world to us.” 

Finest Issues to Do

Spend a day on the seashore.

The white sand, cool breezes, and ocean waves are calling, and whether or not you intend to sunbathe, surf, boogie board, swim, or simply get your toes moist, you may’t miss a day on the seashore. You’ve gotten miles of shoreline, however my suggestion is Hermosa Seashore, in fact. A perfect day would contain grabbing a meatball hero at Mickey’s Deli, an area favourite for years, a chilly drink, and nothing to do besides benefit from the seashore.

Take a strolling tour of the Hermosa Seashore murals.

Discover the artsy facet of Hermosa Seashore by occurring the self-guided Mural Walking Tour. Within the murals, you’ll see issues like what Pier Avenue appeared like in 1924, a century of the evolution of swimwear, odes to volleyball, lifeguards, Hermosa’s punk period, and West Coast jazz (my favourite), which commemorates the historical past of the famed Lighthouse Cafe, the place jazz music was showcased starting in 1949.

Store, eat, and play on the Redondo Seashore Pier.

Dine or snack at one of many Redondo Beach Pier‘s greater than 30 consuming institutions, from ice cream retailers to eating places, together with one in all my favorites, Quality Seafood, the place locals line up for freshly steamed crabs, unfold paper on the desk, and assault with picket mallets to get on the scrumptious crabmeat. Hire pedal boats and kayaks, take a glass-bottom boat tour, or go on a romantic gondola cruise across the harbor. 

Browse the boutiques and artwork galleries of downtown Manhattan Seashore.

Whether or not you’re out and about for window procuring, eating, taking dwelling a memento, or shopping for a brand new outfit, you’ll discover what you need in downtown Manhattan Beach at one of many many distinctive dwelling decor, jewellery, clothes, and beachwear retailers within the space. Get pleasure from galleries displaying beautiful work, sculpture, and pictures, together with some by Beau Bridges, whose large mural adorns Manhattan Seashore Metropolis Corridor.

Drive the Palos Verdes Peninsula.

For a spot to absorb beautiful views, drive about half-hour south to the Palos Verdes Peninsula. Take Palos Verdes Drive West, and cease on the Level Vicente Lighthouse and Interpretive Center, a small museum that tells of the world’s historical past and geology. Go to Terranea, a beautiful resort, for lunch or a stroll alongside the cliffside trails that border their property. 

Finest Procuring

Manhattan Village

After a multiyear replace and reconfiguration, Manhattan Village is an upscale life-style vacation spot with procuring, eating, leisure experiences, and handy parking. Store at Macy’s, West Elm, Anthropologie, Apple, Sephora, Pottery Barn, and extra. Eating places embody Sushi Roku, BoaSteakhouse, Sweetgreen, and others. Should you simply want a snack, head to Sprinkles, Sidecar Doughnuts, Reborn Espresso, or Handel’s Selfmade Ice Cream. 

Del Amo Trend Middle

In close by Torrance, the Del Amo Fashion Center, is billed because the “South Bay’s premier retail vacation spot,” and has greater than 250 specialty shops in addition to issues like Nordstrom, Macy’s, Apple, and Barnes & Noble. Eating places embody Outback Steakhouse, P.F. Chang’s China Bistro, North Italia, Frida, and Din Tai Fung, a well-known Taiwanese soup dumpling chain. The AMC film theaters have an IMAX display screen, and there’s loads of parking.

Riviera Village 

Three miles south of King Harbor in Redondo Seashore, Riviera Village has walkable streets lined with boutiques, artwork galleries, present retailers, and clothes shops. Day spas, hair and nail salons, and skincare specialists make Riviera Village a magnificence and leisure vacation spot. Should you’re feeling hungry, eating alternatives vary from informal to upscale and embody choices like Hook & Plow, Little Sister, and Salt & Pearl.

Downtown Hermosa Seashore

Store for informal garments, beachwear, equipment, sun shades, and souvenirs on the Pier Plaza pedestrian mall, Hermosa Avenue, and Pier Avenue. Whenever you want a break or a chunk to eat, head to Tower 12, Hennessey’s, or calm down with espresso and a pastry at Café Bonaparte. 

Finest Nightlife

Comedy & Magic Membership, Hermosa Seashore

This iconic club has been round since 1978, and contours nonetheless type alongside Hermosa Avenue most weekend nights. The membership has hosted massive names like Jerry Seinfeld, George Wallace, and Kevin Nealon, and the fun for a lot of friends is seeing Jay Leno, who performs right here almost each Sunday night. “I really like trying out his automobile to see which one he drives for his journey to Hermosa,” a visitor in line stated to me one Sunday night.

Saint Rocke, Hermosa Seashore

Sainte Rocke is the most effective place within the South Bay for stay music, and acts vary from dueling pianos to punk to surf rock and extra. There’s a weekly karaoke contest, line dancing, and DJ nights. It’s a enjoyable place with leisure for each musical style, a giant a part of the South Bay’s cultural scene because it was established in 2008.

X Speakeasy, Manhattan Seashore

For a complicated lounge expertise, head to X Speakeasy for cocktails, stay music, and small plates in a trendy setting. This speakeasy doesn’t require a secret password, so you may head there for weekday Magic Hours from 5 to six p.m.

Mission Barley Faucets & Grill, Redondo Seashore

Positioned on the Worldwide Boardwalk overlooking the marina, Project Barley is an off-the-cuff spot with a wide array of beers in addition to wine and a menu that features burgers, sandwiches, tacos, salads, and snacks. Stay music, trivia nights, and pinball machines hold friends entertained. 

Finest Eating places

Baran’s 2239, Hermosa Seashore

With the right mix of scrumptious, inventive meals and pleasant, skilled service, Baran;s 2239’ is an distinctive restaurant set in an unassuming strip mall. I’ve loved occasional dinners there, however many locals make it a frequent cease, particularly for his or her coveted weekend breakfast burritos. Make sure you order by Wednesday morning; they promote out by the top of the day.

Fishing with Dynamite, Manhattan Seashore

This small seafood spot has an enormous following for its contemporary scallops, Maryland blue crab truffles, and lobster rolls. Longtime Manhattan Seashore resident, Healy, stated it’s her “very favourite restaurant” and her order all the time consists of “delicate shell crabs, Koshihikari rice, and oysters.” You’ll want a reservation to dine at this award-winning 32-seat restaurant.

The Rex Steakhouse, Redondo Seashore

The Rex Steakhouse is a complicated eating spot serving wonderful steak with sauces like Beéanaise, chimichurri, and Bordelaise. The menu additionally consists of pasta, hen, and seafood, however I can by no means go up the meat.

Bottle Inn, Hermosa Seashore

This beloved neighborhood restaurant has served conventional Italian delicacies and advantageous wines for greater than 50 years to locals, celebrities, and guests. Steps from the seashore, they lately added an ocean-view patio. My husband and I’ve loved many dinners at The Bottle Inn. We all the time prefer to attempt a brand new wine from their in depth choice.

Little Sister, Redondo Seashore

Southeast Asian dishes, completely spiced and scrumptious, make this restaurant one in all my favorites. They describe their delicacies as having French, Dutch, and British colonial influences, and I might name their dishes scrumptious. I all the time order the inexperienced papaya salad, hen, and shiitake mushroom dumplings, and on a cold day, their tasty pho.

Finest Time to Go to

Any time you may come to the South Bay cities is the fitting time. I really like the winter months when it’s not too chilly to stroll alongside the seashore. Springtime brings the “Could Grey” and “June Gloom” phenomenon, when morning clouds normally, however not all the time, give strategy to sunshine within the afternoon. Throughout summer time, you’ll discover free weekend concert events, farmers markets, and avenue festivals. The South Bay’s seashore cities are an ideal dwelling base for year-round sports activities and leisure, and are solely about 9 miles from the Kia Discussion board, Intuit Dome, and SoFi Stadium.

“It is a seashore city that is aware of methods to mix small-town attraction with big-time tradition,” native realtor Jamie Waryck stated. The Beach Life Festival takes place every Could and attracts prime performers. If volleyball is your recreation, you’ll need to be in Manhattan Seashore throughout August for the Association of Volleyball Players Open. Memorial Day weekend’s Fiesta Hermosa, October’s Manhattan Beach Hometown Fair, and Summer Festival in Redondo are additionally well-liked occasions.

Learn how to Get There

The South Bay cities vary from 5 to 9 miles from Los Angeles Worldwide Airport. I prefer to take an Uber or one other trip hailing service to Hermosa Seashore once I arrive, and there are taxis and a rail connection from the airport to the Los Angeles Metro. You may lease a automobile, however the seashore cities are walkable, one in all my favourite issues about them.

Cities & Neighborhoods to Go to

Pier Plaza, Hermosa Seashore, is a pedestrian-only space with retailers, eating places, bars, ice cream retailers, an excellent place for folks watching, or a stroll out to the top of the pier. Hermosa Seashore Museum curator Jamie Erickson instructed me an attention-grabbing story.

“I as soon as met a soy bean farmer from the Midwest who works all yr to go to Hermosa Seashore and keep at The Sea Sprite for 2 weeks yearly,” Erickson stated. “He holidays nowhere else—this was the place that spoke to his soul.”

Downtown Manhattan Seashore is ideal for looking or procuring at distinctive retailers with high quality clothes, dwelling items, and souvenirs. The view of the pier from the retailers on Manhattan Avenue is beautiful, and strolling the hilly neighborhood is a superb exercise—and an ideal excuse to cease for ice cream at Manhattan Beach Creamery.

The boutiques in Riviera Village are nice locations to buy, and eating places line Catalina Avenue, most with out of doors seating. “Spend the day exploring Riviera Village, a pedestrian-friendly enclave crammed with boutique retailers, native artwork, and neighborhood eating places, then head to the Redondo Pier for a sundown cocktail at Previous Tony’s or pop into High quality Seafood for contemporary seafood with a facet of nostalgia,” Waryck stated.

Learn how to Get Round

There are restricted Metro strains within the South Bay Seashore Cities, however there may be the Seashore Cities Transit system, a bus service that serves Redondo Seashore, Hermosa Seashore, Manhattan Seashore, El Segundo, and Los Angeles Worldwide Airport. Strolling or biking are additionally well-liked choices within the space.

Should you’re planning on exploring past the Seashore Cities, think about using ride-hailing providers or by renting a automobile. Uber and Lyft rides are available, and I take advantage of them even for brief journeys to keep away from having to seek for parking in a few of the extra crowded areas. For transportation to the airport, I rely upon South Bay Yellow Cab, a dependable service with drivers who’re all the time on time.