{"id":361367,"date":"2026-06-15T13:34:09","date_gmt":"2026-06-15T13:34:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/361367\/"},"modified":"2026-06-15T13:34:09","modified_gmt":"2026-06-15T13:34:09","slug":"from-hidden-gems-to-l-a-classics-readers-share-top-picks-for-california-beaches","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/361367\/","title":{"rendered":"From hidden gems to L.A. classics, readers share top picks for California beaches"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Over the last few weeks, we\u2019ve asked you, our Essential California readers, to tell us what your favorite summer beach getaways are. You flooded our inboxes with responses.<\/p>\n

In today\u2019s edition, we\u2019re highlighting a few of your favorite coastal destinations, plus some of the best beaches in L.A. County \u2014 because when June gloom passes, you\u2019ll want to spend your hot summer days relaxing in the sand as the ocean breeze cools you down.<\/p>\n

Now let\u2019s get into those beach getaways:<\/p>\n

Responses have been lightly edited for style and clarity.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe most glorious beach in the city is the Marina Peninsula. Wide, spotless, never crowded as there is very little local parking. The best!\u201d \u2013 Marcia Seligson<\/p>\n

\u201cFor the past several years, I\u2019ve taken my children and grandchildren to Cayucos, a very small beach town on the Central Coast. I discovered it when my girlfriend (now wife of 49 years) and I searched for remote and lesser known getaways. Incredibly, at least for me, the tiny town has remained relatively obscure from the ravages Instagram and social media have wrought on so few remaining small California beach towns. Great vibes that harken back to more innocent times.\u201d \u2013 Jonathan Evans<\/p>\n

\"Two <\/p>\n

Cayucos, a small town of around 2,500 in San Luis Obispo County, is known for its vintage pier and stellar coastline. <\/p>\n

(Laura Dickinson \/ For The Times)<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I\u2019m up for local, easy, great vibes, and lots of excellent restaurants, I head to my backyard town of Laguna Beach. The bluff-top Heisler Park is about as good as it gets for a romantic sunset walk. Hang out late enough, and the clubs help close out a fabulous day.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s hard to beat the drive up the coast, especially through Big Sur. Anyone who\u2019s done it, which is every Californian ever, knows what I\u2019m talking about, especially the McWay Falls stop. It\u2019s a drive I often make as part of a loop drive to my family in Oregon, which also includes U.S. 395 (which, it should be noted, is about the only route that actually beats PCH for road-tripping and scenery).\u201d \u2013 Shane O.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have to say, my favorite summer beach getaway has always been La Jolla Shores down in San Diego. It has the perfect combination of sun, sand and water, along with a great beachside park for picnics and lounging about, taking naps and reading books.\u201d \u2013 William Barnes<\/p>\n

\"Scenes <\/p>\n

La Jolla Shores in San Diego wins an Essential California reader\u2019s praise for naps and reading.<\/p>\n

(Alan Nakkash \/ For The Times)<\/p>\n

\u201cCorona del Mar in the early 1950s, when everything east of the sleepy coast was the Irvine Ranch. A full day at Little Corona Beach with the tidepools, my sisters and Dad, starting with breakfast at the Snack Shop. Or a day at Balboa with its sandy sliver of bayside beach adjacent to the Fun Zone. Or maybe the big beach at Laguna after waving to The Greeter<\/a>, with an hour during the late afternoon to browse the Pottery Shack with Mom.\u201d \u2013 Leigh Segel<\/p>\n

The best beaches in L.A. County<\/p>\n

Last month, The Times put together a list of the 15 best beaches in L.A. County<\/a>, which include quintessential L.A. scenes with roller skaters, surfers, firepits and hang gliders, expansive views, hidden gems and some spots where dogs are allowed.<\/p>\n

\"Three <\/p>\n

Visitors to Dockweiler Beach roast hot dogs around a firepit.<\/p>\n

(Jade Sadler \/ For The Times)<\/p>\n

Venice and Santa Monica beaches made the list, with their beautiful white sand and beachside amenities. Just don\u2019t swim within 100 yards to the north or south of the Santa Monica Pier. For the fifth year in a row, that area made Heal the Bay\u2019s dirtiest beaches list<\/a>. The water tends to meet quality standards for the rest of the 3.5-mile stretch of the state beach, however.<\/p>\n

Local favorites also are highlighted in the roundup, including Dockweiler State Beach in Playa del Rey \u2014 known for its many firepits \u2014 and White Point\/Royal Palms Beach in San Pedro, where scuba divers go to experience the underwater hot springs<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s top stories \"A <\/a> <\/p>\n

A woman watches as workers clean debris on Sept. 19 from mudslides that were triggered by a storm in Forest Falls, Calif.<\/p>\n

(William Liang \/ For The Times)<\/p>\n

El Ni\u00f1o has arrivedA potentially historic El Ni\u00f1o<\/a> is rapidly building in the Pacific, raising the odds of extraordinary weather and coastal effects in California this winter and beyond.Scientists warn it could unleash storms and flooding, while higher tides and surf threaten to erase already-eroding beaches.California\u2019s slow vote count stirs frustrationCalifornia\u2019s push to expand accessibility and increase security in elections has come with a tradeoff: slower ballot counts<\/a>.Some election watchdogs are calling for reforms that could ease the rush of last-minute mail-in ballots, but it\u2019s unlikely they would come very quickly \u2014 or if they would go far enough to dramatically speed up counts.Historic swellsWhat else is going onCommentary and opinionsThis morning\u2019s must-readOther must-readsFor your downtime \"An <\/a> <\/p>\n

Instructor Leah Gutentag leads students through a Floating Fitness workout at the Annenberg Community Beach House. <\/p>\n

(Alisha Jucevic \/ For The Times)<\/p>\n

Going outStaying inA question for you: What\u2019s your favorite California summer song?<\/p>\n

Brooke H. says, \u201cSummertime Girls\u201d by Bay Area boys Y&T.<\/p>\n

Email us at essentialcalifornia@latimes.com<\/a>, and your response might appear in the newsletter this week.<\/p>\n

And finally … your photo of the day \"United <\/a> <\/p>\n

U.S. striker Folarin Balogun, center, celebrates with teammates after scoring his second goal against Paraguay in the World Cup match at SoFi Stadium on Friday.<\/p>\n

(Robert Gauthier \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s great photo is from Times photographer Robert Gauthier at the second World Cup match played on U.S. soil. Team USA dominated in a 4-1 win over Paraguay<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Have a great day, from the Essential California team<\/p>\n

Hailey Branson-Potts, staff writer
Hugo Mart\u00edn, assistant editor, Fast Break desk
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
Andrew Campa, weekend writer
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters<\/p>\n

How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com<\/a>. Check our top stories<\/a>, topics<\/a> and the latest articles<\/a> on latimes.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Over the last few weeks, we\u2019ve asked you, our Essential California readers, to tell us what your favorite…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":361368,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[7,9,8],"class_list":["post-361367","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-california","tag-california","tag-california-headlines","tag-california-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/361367","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=361367"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/361367\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/361368"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=361367"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=361367"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=361367"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}