Overview
Seal Beach is a city in Orange County, Southern California. Seal beach is a small town on the coast with a beach front and pier. Main Street is a pleasant place to stroll with a number of restaurants, bars and gift shops.
3 sights · 1 things to do · 7 places to eat · 2 bars & cafés · 1 places to stay
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Seal Beach
Los Cerritos Wetlands
Los Cerritos Wetlands is a 965 acre wildlife refuge in the Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach. Public access in the refuge is limited or restricted to once-a month tour (last Saturday of each month) as it is located within…
Anaheim Bay
Anaheim Bay is an extensive harbor and wetland complex that includes the Huntington Harbor, which serves small private vessels, and the Bolsa Bay, a salt-water estuary. The term "Anaheim Bay" generally refers to the deep…
Bay Theater
Undergoing restoration as of 2021, the Bay Theatre is a single-screen movie theater that is best known for its screenings of foreign and independent films, and for its revival screenings. The Bay Theatre is also home to …
The Seal Beach Pier
The Seal Beach Pier is the second longest wooden pier in California. It is a popular location for walking and hiking, and there is a playground at its entrance.
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: Jan–Dec. Summer highs reach about 83°F; winter lows dip to about 47°F. Wettest: Feb and Jan. (climate data from nearby Long Beach)
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.
- LGB Long Beach International Airport, Long Beach — 6 mi away (major hub). Directions
- SNA John Wayne Orange County International Airport, Santa Ana — 14 mi away (major hub). Directions
Seal Beach is located at the intersection of Seal Beach Boulevard and the Pacific Coast Highway, between Long Beach and Huntington Beach. Interstate 405 and State Route 22 (7th Street or the Garden Grove Freeway) are a few miles north of Seal Beach, and Interstate 605 ends just north of Seal Beach.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
- Typical meal: about $10 per person at listed restaurants.
See the Sleep guide ↓ for places to stay.
Sample 1-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning The Seal Beach Pier, Bay Theater
- Lunch Mahé
- Afternoon Anaheim Bay, Los Cerritos Wetlands
- Dinner Crema Cafe
- Evening Dave's Other Place
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
Cuisine (tap to filter)
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Photos
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Understand
Seal Beach is a small city with all of the charm of a small beach town. With a history in aerospace and manufacturing, the economy has partially transitioned to hospitality and tourism, swelling with out-of-towners in the summer hitting the beach. North of the beach is the Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station, north of that is the Leisure World retirement community.
Get in
By air
- John Wayne Airport (SNA) in Santa Ana. SNA is served by many major commercial and commuter air carriers.
- Long Beach Airport (LGB) .
- Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is the largest airport in the area.
By car
Seal Beach is located at the intersection of Seal Beach Boulevard and the Pacific Coast Highway, between Long Beach and Huntington Beach. Interstate 405 and State Route 22 (7th Street or the Garden Grove Freeway) are a few miles north of Seal Beach, and Interstate 605 ends just north of Seal Beach.
Get around
Walk down Main Street straight onto the pier.
See
See The Seal Beach Pier
The Seal Beach Pier is the second longest wooden pier in California. It is a popular location for walking and hiking, and there is a playground at its entrance.
See Los Cerritos Wetlands
Los Cerritos Wetlands is a 965 acre wildlife refuge in the Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach. Public access in the refuge is limited or restricted to once-a month tour (last Saturday of each month) as it is located within an active military base. The San Gabriel River flows through the wetlands complex, which is a critical habitat and winter stopover for many birds along the Pacific Flyway. Birds found in the refuge include great blue herons and three endangered bird species: California clapper rail, California least tern, and Belding's Savannah sparrow.
See Anaheim Bay
Anaheim Bay is an extensive harbor and wetland complex that includes the Huntington Harbor, which serves small private vessels, and the Bolsa Bay, a salt-water estuary. The term "Anaheim Bay" generally refers to the deep-water Navy harbor at the bay entrance. Bordering the bay are hundreds of acres of salt marshes, some of the largest remaining such habitats in Southern California.
Do
Seal Beach is home to 1.5 mile of beach, with popular activities including swimming, surfing, and fishing from the pier.
Do Bay Theater
Undergoing restoration as of 2021, the Bay Theatre is a single-screen movie theater that is best known for its screenings of foreign and independent films, and for its revival screenings. The Bay Theatre is also home to a Wurlitzer organ which is used for concerts and silent film screenings.
Buy
Shops for tourists can be found along Main Street while more every day shopping can be found at the Seal Beach Center on Pacific Coast Highway.
Eat
Eat Mahé
Excellent seafood, steak and sushi restaurant
Eat O’Malley’s on Main
Good restaurant and Irish pub with excellent menu choice
Eat Hennessey's Grill
Good for breakfast and dinner
Eat The Hangout Restaurant & Beach Bar (The Hangout)
Casual New American restaurant & bar in Seal Beach with 180º views of the Seal Beach Pier. Serving breakfast, lunch, brunch, and dinner. A must-go for Bloody Marys & seafood.
Eat Jane's Corndogs
Unpretentious classic corn dog and lemonade stand close to the pier.
Eat Sweet Jill's Bakery
Freshly baked cinnamon rolls
Eat Crema Cafe
European-inspired cafe featuring breakfast & lunch classics, espresso & a dog-friendly patio.
Drink
Drink Clancy's
Local dive bar with pool and pretty friendly staff.
Drink Dave's Other Place
No-frills dive bar with loads of old photos and other interesting stuff on the walls, along with pool and shuffleboard in this cool bar up against PCH.
Sleep
Stay safe
Seal Beach is generally very safe. There may be rowdy people after midnight in the downtown or during St. Patrick's Day coming out of the several Irish pubs. In an emergency, dial 911. The non-emergency phone number for the police is +1 562-594-7232. The police department's main station is on Seal Beach and Adolfo Lopez on the north side of town, and there is a substation at the pier.
Nearby
Long Beach
City / town · 118 listings · 5 mi away
Los Alamitos
City / town · 12 listings · 5 mi away
Westminster
City / town · 14 listings · 6 mi away
Cypress
City / town · 14 listings · 7 mi away
Huntington Beach
City / town · 38 listings · 7 mi away
Stanton
City / town · 5 listings · 8 mi away
Lakewood
City / town · 15 listings · 8 mi away
Cerritos
City / town · 17 listings · 9 mi away
My experience
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