Pirate Tower, Victoria Beach

Why Go

The tower at Victoria Beach is one of those places you see in a photo and assume it’s somewhere exotic — France, maybe, or a Mediterranean coast. It’s not. It’s a residential beach in Laguna Beach, and the tower has been sitting there since 1926 when a property owner built it as a private staircase from his clifftop home down to the sand.

The structure is now weathered, covered in a patina that has deepened over a century, and open to the public as part of the beach below. For a county full of manicured surf breaks and hotel fronts, Victoria Beach and its improbable tower feel genuinely out of time.

Getting There

Victoria Beach is reached via a staircase off Victoria Drive in a residential neighborhood south of downtown Laguna. There is no lot — street parking on the surrounding roads fills on weekends. The beach itself is a relatively short strip of sand backed by private homes and the sandstone bluff.

The tower is visible as soon as you come down the stairs. At high tide, the base can be partially submerged; check the tides before going if you want to walk around it without getting wet feet.

Local Tips

Go early — by late morning on weekends, the beach has enough photographers and visitors to make the quiet you came for hard to find. Weekday mornings in fall or winter are ideal: the light is lower, the sand is damp from overnight tides, and you may have the place mostly to yourself.

The surrounding neighborhood is entirely residential. Keep noise low and respect the homes above. There are no facilities at the beach — no restrooms, no food.

Nearby

• Thousand Steps Beach — another Laguna pocket beach about 1 mile north; 200+ stairs down the bluff
• Aliso Beach County Park — 1.5 miles south; parking lot, restrooms, and more beach access
• Downtown Laguna Beach — 2 miles north; galleries, restaurants, and Main Beach