Your Complete Guide to Beach Spots Near Malibu

The city of Malibu has a simple tagline often seen: 21 miles of scenic beauty. When we’re talking about Malibu real estate, it’s hard to argue with that statement. Malibu is one of the most beautiful places in California, with scenic beaches, gorgeous views, and incredible weather.

 

We can’t claim to give you “the super-secret” beach experience because let’s be honest… 10 million people live in Los Angeles County alone. There are few secrets within the whole area. What we can offer you, though, is this guide to the best beaches that Malibu has to offer. It doesn’t matter if you’re a long-time resident or looking at Malibu homes for sale right now to change your lifestyle, luxury real estate agent Kristin Jaman offers the best guide to finding the most idyllic beaches.

 

Are you ready to recreate the last episode of The OC or Baywatch that you watched? Paradise Cove Beach is perfect, since this is where they were filmed. Unsurprisingly, this beach is incredibly beautiful (it’s literally the place Hollywood goes when they want the perfect California beach), and is right off of Highway 1.

 

The beach is technically public, but it sits right in front of Paradise Cove Beach Cafe, a privately-owned restaurant that is arguably some of the best-placed Malibu real estate around. If you want to park at the restaurant itself, you can park for free for 4 hours if you make a purchase at the cafe. You can also pay for all-day parking, or park at a public lot up the street and walk down to the beach.

 

This is also one of only a handful of Malibu beaches that allows open alcohol. Because the cafe extends well into the sand, you can order a glass of wine or beer while enjoying the views.

Sometimes called Billionaires Beach, you don’t have to actually pay to hop on the sand. Carbon Beach is, however, lined with some of the most beautiful Malibu real estate you could possibly imagine. This might sound like it should be a private beach, and for a while it was! But as of 2015, the city has ruled the beach open to the public. This comes after a long legal battle.

 

Now, there are two entrances to the beach, one to the west and one to the east of this 1.5-mile stretch. You can park for free along the highway, and take a stroll through some of the most expensive, and luxurious, Malibu real estate.

 

And be sure to time your visit carefully! At high tide there is basically no beach, so come at low tide to really enjoy the area.

 

Surfrider Beach is the quintessential Malibu beach experience. If you’re looking at Malibu homes for sale because you want that true from-the-TV-shows Malibu afternoon, this is the beach for you. It sits at the east end of Malibu Lagoon State Beach, and the iconic right-hand break is, as the name suggests, incredibly popular with surfers. Even if you’re not actually surfing yourself, spending an afternoon sitting on the sand and watching them catch waves is a borderline magical experience, especially the first time.

 

Head northeast along this same beach and you’ll hit the Malibu Pier, which is a great beach spot if you like fishing. Many Malibu real estate owners want to cast a line and try for themselves, and it’s a good way to spend a relaxing morning.

 

If you’re in the area visiting Surfrider Beach, don’t miss Malibu Lagoon State Beach. Unlike Surfrider, this is not your stereotypical Malibu beach experience. The water is part of a lagoon, not the ocean, and this beach is along where that lagoon meets the ocean itself.

 

This is actually a smaller part of the larger 22-acre wetland that is home to more than 200 different species of birds and wildlife. Not everyone looks at Malibu homes for sale to escape the busy LA way of life, but you will escape that while walking along this beach.

 

Local Tip: Don’t miss the Adamson House while you’re here! This is a gorgeous historic home designed in 1929 and has some amazing artifacts from Malibu’s history. It also has some of the best views Malibu real estate has to offer, overlooking the water.

 

Did we mention getting away from the city? If you’re over the high-traffic LA area and looking for a peaceful respite, Point Dume State Beach is a must-visit. This is arguably one of the most beautiful areas in Malibu, so keep it in mind while looking at Malibu homes for sale if you want to spend more time in nature.

 

This isn’t a hop off the highway and get to the water situation, so make sure to bring appropriate footwear. There is a trail, but the whole area is a nature preserve attached that has several miles of beautiful trails.

 

The “main” beach is Big Dume Beach, and it’s the iconic crescent-shaped beach layout that is borderline picture perfect. To access it, you need to go down a trail, past a viewing platform (which, on a clear day, you can see all the way to the Catalina Islands), and then down a steep staircase.

 

As of Spring 2022, the beach is partially open again after a storm damaged the stairs.

Are you ready to look at Malibu homes for sale yourself, and start waking up every day in paradise? When you’re willing to take those next steps, reach out to Kristin Jaman and her team.

 

Kristin has been handling luxury real estate transactions for 30 years, knows Malibu better than anyone, and understands the current real estate market and how it is constantly evolving. She can not only find you the perfect Malibu real estate to call your own, but point out the best spots at the best beaches for surfing, swimming, or just relaxing.

_{*Header photo courtesy of California Beaches}