Day Trippers
Laguna Beach in a Day
Art, ocean, and one of California's most dramatic coastlines — all within a single walkable city.
- 1Laguna Main Beach & Heisler Park 9:00 AM
Start on the sand below Heisler Park before the day-trippers arrive. Walk the cliff-top path above the cove for the view back toward the village, then descend to the beach for a swim or a walk along the waterline.
- 2Laguna Art Museum 11:00 AM
A focused collection of California art from the early 20th century through the present. A thorough visit takes 90 minutes. The building is two blocks from Main Beach — easy walking distance.
- 3Sawdust Art Festival 1:30 PM
A short drive up Laguna Canyon Road from the village. Around 200 Laguna Beach artists sell work from handbuilt booths under the sycamores — painting, ceramics, jewelry, and sculpture. Runs summer and winter sessions.
- 4Pirate Tower at Victoria Beach 4:00 PM
Drive south on PCH to Victoria Beach and walk down the public stairs to the sand. The 1926 Pirate Tower — built as a private sea-access point — sits at the base of the bluff and is best seen at low tide when you can walk around it.
Laguna Beach rewards the visitor who ignores the main drag and explores outward. The cliff-top walks, the canyon festivals, and the hidden cove beaches at either end of the village are where the town earns its reputation.
Parking is the main constraint in summer. The city trolley runs along PCH and into the canyon during peak season — park once in a village lot and use the trolley for the Sawdust run rather than moving the car twice.