Beach Cities, California travel guide: things to do, food & where to stay

Overview

The Beach Cities of Orange County are among its major attractions. Whether to sunbathe, swim, surf, or play some beach volleyball, beach-goers will find much to enjoy here. Fishing from the piers is also very popular.

Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage

Plan your trip

Best time to visit & weather

Most comfortable: Jan–Dec. Summer highs reach about 80°F; winter lows dip to about 43°F. Wettest: Feb and Jan. (climate data from nearby Mission Viejo)

Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).

Getting there

From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
SNA John Wayne Orange County International Airport, Santa Ana — 11 mi away (major hub). Directions
LGB Long Beach International Airport, Long Beach — 30 mi away (major hub). Directions

For most international visitors Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) will be the main entry point, but if you can get a flight into John Wayne Airport or (SNA) Long Beach Airport (LGB) they are much easy to get through and out of.

Full “Get in” guide ↓

Sample 3-day trip

Day 1: Newport Beach — Newport Beach Film Festival, Muth Wetlands Interpretive Center, Newport Harbor Nautical Museum.
Day 2: Laguna Beach — Art-A-Fair, Festival of Arts, Pageant of the Masters.
Day 3: San Clemente — San Clemente Pier, Casa Romantica, San Clemente State Beach.

Built from the best-covered destinations in this region; open each for its own day plan.

Photos

Places in Beach Cities

Newport Beach

City / town · 53 listings

Laguna Beach

City / town · 47 listings

San Clemente

City / town · 40 listings

Huntington Beach

City / town · 38 listings

Dana Point

City / town · 17 listings

Seal Beach

City / town · 14 listings

Understand

Every one of Orange County's beaches are public. OC's history has had surfing or summer afternoons along the coast in one way or another since the beginning. With the popularity of surfing and beach culture, there have been people wanting to live the lifestyle and thus many cities right up along the Pacific Ocean have sprung up and developed into some of Southern California's best cities to live or visit.

Cities

Dana Point - A marina city near the southern end of the county, offering whale watching tours and ferries to Catalina Island as well as the Ocean Institute aquarium and maritime museum.
Huntington Beach - Perhaps the most popular stretch of beach in Orange County, famed for its surfing scene, its pier, and its numerous restaurants and bars.
Laguna Beach - A resort town with popular beaches and numerous luxury resorts.
Newport Beach - One of the wealthiest communities in the nation, with a popular nightlife scene, upscale shopping, and one of the busiest beaches and boardwalks in the area. Within the city is Balboa Island, a community with its own unique beachfront vibe and a vibrant boardwalk. Here you can also find whale watching tours and ferries to Catalina Island.
San Clemente - A charming laid-back town with a lovely beach and pier at the southern tip of Orange County.
Seal Beach - Offers a popular beach and fishing pier linked to a pleasant Main Street lined with shops and restaurants.

Get in

Interstate 5, Interstate 405 and the Pacific Coast Highway will get you into the region from the north or south.

Get around

This is OC, the main form of transport is the car.

OCTA bus route 1 travels from Cal State Long Beach to San Clemente using Pacific Coast Highway. This bus route gives you access to almost every beach in the county as it runs along the coast.