Long Beach and the L.A. Coast

The L.A. coast passes the Palos Verde Penninsula, stretching further south to Redondo Beach [1] and Long Beach, where haunted ships and sunny coasts await.

Information

For information, maps, brochures, and advice about Long Beach and the surrounding areas, visit the Long Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau (1 World Trade Center, 3rd Fl., 562/436-3645, www.visitlongbeach.com [2]).

Getting There

While you can get to the coast easily enough from LAX, the Long Beach International Airport (4100 Donald Douglas Dr., 562/570-2600, www.longbeach.gov/airport [3]) is both closer to the beach and less crowded than the LAX.

I-710, which runs north–south, is known as the Long Beach Freeway. Along the coast, the Pacific Coast Highway can get you from one beach town to the next.

Parking in Long Beach and the other beach towns is just bad as parking anywhere else in L.A. Prepare to pay for the privilege of stuffing your car someplace for the day. Beach parking on summer weekends is the worst, but on weekdays and in the off-season you can occasionally find a decent space down near the beach for reasonable rates.