When you think of SoCal beaches, this is not quite the image one holds in mind. Yes, it is a beach. Yes, there it is right up against the Pacific Ocean. But, as it is link to the L.A. Harbor, it just does not give one that true feeling of Surf Lifestyle. There are really two parts of this beach. There is the North-Facing side that is lined by the San Pedro Cliffs. Cliffs that are quickly falling into the sea. On this side, you can view houses that are barely in place and teetering on the cliff. If it was me living there, I would be very nervous. On this side of the beach is the more open, majestic space of Cabrillo Beach. Here the waves freely crash on the shore and you are just a short walk from the tide pools of the marine reserve, which I highly recommend visiting. You just have to be careful of the homeless and those using drugs like Crack over in that section. Because I have seen a few scary situations unfold. The other part of Cabrillo Beach is where most people congregate. This section is in direct view of the the ships that travel in and out of the L.A. Harbor. This area holds the main swimming area that has a buoyed safety rope strung across the outside reaches of the swimming area. This is where most people swim and enjoy the water. Due to this area of the beach being enclosed by the harbor breakwater, there are virtually no waves in this section. The water seems much more stagnate here. Thus, you really miss the feeling of the natural flowing ocean. Overall, though perhaps not the beauty one expects from the SoCal Oceanside, this is a unique contribution to the California Coastline. read more

Cabrillo Beach - Beaches Near Me - San Pedro, California

See all

It's not the kind of beach where you come to lay out on the beach. I come here often though because it's close by, after catching breakfast in the area. I usually park outside where parking is free. Once I walk onto the grounds, I turn right and check to see if the tide is low. There's a great tide pool on the other side of the bridge. Then, I walk on the sidewalk through the small park where people are gathered to picnic or hold a wedding ceremony. You'll notice a significant amount of ground squirrels in their burrowed holes or running up a tree. The restrooms are large with many stalls. There are also multiple showers to wash the sand off. I enjoy walking down the pier, all the way to the end. There are always people fishing. Dogs are allowed, leashed of course. You run into many individuals walking their dog on the sidewalk. By the way, there's also a ping pong table. read more

See all

The tide pools here beautiful, but I was sad to see a person carry a bucket putting sea stars, crab, and sea urchins into it even though signs clearly say not to. I was also disappointed to see all the trash in such a beautiful area. read more

Cabrillo Beach - The trash we picked up at the tide pools - Beaches Near Me - San Pedro, California

I have not been to the beach in quite some time. The wind was picking up a bit here and there. Parking was $1.00 per hour, and there is ample parking available There was many folks sunbathing just a few children playing in the shallow part of the ocean, a few picnics. Restrooms were clean and just cold ! There is a walkway to explore on the other side of the beach. I noticed many folks and children walking on walkway. So I decided to be a follower at this point It was obvious I needed to learn where they were headed. I found a safe place for my mother in law to sit ans enjoy the ocean views. I explored and walked around found some tidepools. Families were out thier with pales and all the tools they needed. read more

See all

Cabrillo Beach is a nice peaceful beach. There were only a handful of people at this beach. It wasn't windy here at all. The water is calm, no waves, perfect for the little ones to get introduced to the ocean water.when you done with the beach you can along the marina and look at the boats. I didn't get a chance to look at the restrooms to see how clean they are or if they were wheelchair accessible.i have shared this location with family to bring their little kids to this beach since there wasn't too many people here. I didn't see anyone fishing, so you don't have to worry about losing a toe or two. read more

See all

I was in the area trying to locate the Los Angeles Port for my cruise the following day and wanted to watch the sunset at a nearby beach. With 1/2 hour to sunset, this beach was the closest to me so I thought I'd check it out. Upon driving to the gate, I tried several times to pay the entry fee at the gate via my credit card. The machine kept giving me an error code and after a few minutes of trying, a few cars behind me started honking and yelling at me to move. Other cars just drove around me to the exit side of the guard shack and entered the beach. Eventually, I realized the machine didn't work and drove into the beach like the others. As I drove closer to the water, I started to see a lot of trash in the parking lots and on the beach. I also saw some sketchy characters walking around that made me feel uncomfortable, as well as homeless people digging in the trash bins. This was definitely not the peaceful or comfortable beach experience I was expecting for my sunset viewing. I drove to the end of the road and we all got out of my truck. Whew, it was super cold (68 degrees in the middle of July). I had just driven here 5 hours earlier from Vegas where it was 115 degrees, so we definitely weren't dressed for cold temps like these. I walked around for a few minutes and saw people sitting near the water literally wrapped in huge blankets. It was a very interesting experience. Overall, I didn't feel very comfortable at this beach, I cruised the heck outta here as soon as the sun went down. Our visit was on a Sunday, so I don't know if it was so trashy due to the weekend or if all the trash is normal. Regardless, I don't ever see myself coming back to this beach again. Cannot recommend. read more

See all

Very nice small beach with plenty of parking (depending on the day and time you go) which is only 1$ per hour. Being right near the aquarium (which runs on donation), there's plenty of fun for families. The lifeguards are serious and makes sure everyone is safe such as don't play soccer balls near the water, don't block their view line from children near water, don't put up tents or jumpers near the water, no dogs on the beach sand and water, and don't play around their tower because they have cars coming and going. They walk around and make sure everyone is complying, so don't feel hurt if they tell you something. The beach does have metallic sand, so be careful when bringing anything magnetic as you'll be bringing in the sand home! Beware of the gulls, they seem to be very brave and will steal your food even if they are in ziplock bags... There are plenty of picnic tables but I think you need to reserve them as lots of parties and groups are there. They have an ice cream truck and a pop up food stall serving burgers and hot dogs. Restrooms are available but can be pretty smelly. We didn't know where we can rinse off and it was just a pole near the play area and restroom. After or before the beach, just walk a few minutes to the aquarium for some educational fun! read more

I came here around 11:30pm to see the grunion run yesterday, and it was such a cool phenomenon to witness! The parking lot was closed, and there is no parking anywhere else in the neighborhoods nearby, but that was expected since I was going so late. There were a few police offers present, likely due to the fact that the grunion run was predicted to happen last night, and boy did they show up to spawn! There were probably thousands of fish wiggling all over the sand. This seems like the best beach in LA County to witness it, so I highly recommend coming to this beach at night to see it. Make sure to check the California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife website for the predicted grunion run dates beforehand! read more

Cabrillo Beach - Grunion run on the sand - Beaches Near Me - San Pedro, California

My day at the Beach being handicapped. I had not been to Cabrillo Beach, Ca for years, but I looked up the site online and found the information I needed. I made sure to bring cash for parking. The parking attendant, Nathan was helpful in explaining that the system only took credit or debit cards. You should also know how long are you going to stay becausehe needs to input the info into the system. My next encounter was with Ernesto, Nathan contacted him to help me locate my party I was meeting for that afternoon. Both employees went beyond the regular customer service job to help me and make sure I enjoyed my day at the establishment. I did contact their supervisor, Kim, to know about the excellent customer service they provided. So, thank you to the Cabrillo Beach Team to help me enjoy my visit to the park. read more

Nice, quiet beach. Prob alot busier in sumner. Waves are super small cause u got the jetty on both sides. Water seems clean. There is a marina here. Lifegaurd on duty. Cost a 1 dollar per hour, no cash only takes credit or debit cards. Kinda far to drive but worth it. read more

See all

If you're going fishing by the pier make sure to park your car away from the jetty rocks. The rats will make your way into your car. I had some dog food for my dog and they got in my truck through the cabin pressure vents. Other than that cool place to fish and ppl are nice. Water is pretty clear too read more

Cabrillo Beach - Beaches Near Me - San Pedro, California

I went to the Grunion Run... it was so much fun! I got to hatch grunion eggs, watched a fun film from the 60s or 70s about the mating process of the grunion then finally I got to watch hundreds of not thousands of grunion miraculously wash up on the beach and just as quickly wash back out with the tide. PRO TIP: You don't have to be early or 1st in line cause you get to walk around the aquarium before going to the beach! read more

See all

This place has everything you'd like if you enjoy picnic at the beach or water sports or even fishing! There's a convenient boat launch. The beach is split up into 2 sides which is the calm side and the one with good waves due to the 2 jetty's there it's just perfect! For fishing this is heaven for kayakers, pier fishing and spear fishing. Many people enjoy SUPs, and other sail boats and sail surfing. I highly recommend this beach area! read more

See all

This little corner of Los Angeles City is amazing. I CANNOT believe I've never been to this part of LA before. This is what I love about this city: You can live here for decades and still find something new. This beach has the following: - plenty of parking spaces - Surfing - Fishing. There were a dozen people on the pier trying their hand at fishing. One guy caught a, I think, a shark! I'm not sure that's allowed and I don't know whether or not the dude tossed it back. - an AQUARIUM! which is a working research lab - a Youth Center - playground set on the sand - fire pits And I didn't even get to walk the entire beach! read more

See all

Not the prettiest beach but I came a few times for the sunsets. Sunsets can only be seen from the far end of the parking lot by the stone wall. If you enter via the end of Pacific street, proceed to the far end of the parking lot which takes a turn. You can also get here from the other entrance, but at first you feel like you entered cruise Harbor until you drive past to the shoreline across the road. read more

See all

As a beach, it's ok. What makes it nice is that there's plenty of parking at only $1/hour. There's a playground for kiddos, and bathrooms. But the beach itself isn't that nice. read more

It's a nice local beach with great ocean view. People just hang out at the beach or enjoy marine activities. It was little windy and not too hot when I visited in August. read more

Cabrillo Beach - Beach - Beaches Near Me - San Pedro, California

I took the kids here with some friends, a beautiful area that was not crowded. Highly recommend, on a clear day it is just gorgeous!

Cute beach! They have swings, the aquarium, sand crabs, outdoor showers, and cheap parking. The waves are very mild so if you plan on boogie boarding do it later in the day during high tide. read more

See all

Best parking next to the rocks on the beach with a beautiful view and not that many people. It's truly peaceful just to sit down and watch the waves read more

Cabrillo Beach - Beaches Near Me - San Pedro, California

See all

Great option for California tide pools. Kids wanted to linger at this beach. The beach itself was quiet. Cute little playground near the beach. read more

Beautiful but hard to get to the tide pools. I do wish they had some signs pointing us in the right direction. E came at high tide so e didn't see much but it was still fun. Brought me back to my childhood. read more

Cabrillo Beach - Beaches Near Me - San Pedro, California

An interesting beach with lots of features! There's a variety of things to see and do along here. My favorite thing about this beach is the shallow tide pools in the rocks that form. The water kinda hangs out in these crags and crannies in the rocks, and makes for a good place for critters, flora and fauna to hang out. Go searching through there, and you're sure to see some crabs, anemone, maybe some sponges. There's also some white fine sand beaches that are quite picturesque. They offer some picnic tables and benches to sit on and avoid seagulls. I recommend bringing shoes, as the rocks at the tide pools can be sharp. Be sure to check out the lighthouse! When I went, I was warned not to go swimming due to water contamination issues. They offer parking for a fee. I wouldn't call this the cleanest beach. They have some litter issues. read more

People... (Especially all the negative reviewers)... If nothing else, understand ONE thing. Cabrillo Beach is in essence, two separate beaches. The Inner beach (calm side) and the outer beach (rough side). As a 'Pedro lifer I will be the first to admit, Cabrillo isn't the greatest beach in the world BUT, (and this is a big but), it is not worthy of only one or two stars!!! That said, would I "swim", (or allow my grandchildren to swim), in the waters of the inner beach? Hell no!!! Heal the bay will regularly give it a "D" or "F" grade on water quality. Why, one might ask? Easy answer... the water is static, with little or no current because it's inside the break-wall. It's a freaking stagnant zone. Yes there is a nice grassy area with multiple picnic tables, bike path, children's apparatus', etc. as well, but like I said I would be hesitant to let my kids/grandkids go in the water, even though I did as a young child myself, (and I'm still upright and breathing!!!). Now... The outer beach on the other hand will regularly get "A's" or "A+'s" on water quality. Yes the beach is small but it can be quite picturesque, especially early morning and sunsets. Clear days offer up stunningly gorgeous views of Catalina Island. The water is typically colder than most Southern California beaches (by 5-10 degrees) due to the extreme "drop-off" just off the coast. The outer beach area closest to the pier / breakwater is often dubbed "Hurricane Gulch" because of the near gale force winds that develop in the afternoons, and it's a favorite of wind surfers / para-surfers. The western most end of the beach is home to cliffs and tidal pools that are ripe for discovery as well as a couple other small grassy areas and volleyball nets. Like many others have said, parking is reasonable and plentiful. Be sure to visit the aquarium as well. Always a fave with the little ones!!!. read more

Cabrillo Beach is different than most other beaches I have been to. It is more like a park with grass, benches and a BBQ area, it gets very full, tons of military due to being right next to a base. Very pretty as all beaches, but I did not get the relaxed, in another world vibe. I can't knock the beach, but there are others in the area I would go to before I come here again. This is great for groups or a picnic, not so much for a romantic stroll. read more

Cabrillo Beach - Beaches Near Me - San Pedro, California

See all

After the gate being removed on Friday night (4/2) the city of LA has put up a new gate today (4/5). The pier remains closed and awaits repairs read more

See all

Love it down by the harbor! Joey gets a lonnng walk all around the piers, this time there were schools of small fish swarming through the water, around the boats, and some huge birds (cranes?) fishing off the large spread of rocks that lines the water. Enjoy seeing the people on their boats, some dogs, friendly atmosphere. The Doubletree Hotel is right there at the port. Haven't stayed there but they are always having weddings under the lovely trees, with an outdoor area for the reception. The other way from the harbor is Cabrillo Beach, and they are always having events there. There are convenient bathrooms, not many places to eat but Ports o' Call is just a few minutes away. San Pedro is really one of Los Angeles County's hidden gems. Great place to come for the day. read more

Cabrillo beach has perfected the parking and controlling of the home boys hanging out. With that I gave an increase with a star. The pay as you park with the attendant on site is excellente'. Because it adds a since of observation and call for the Calvary to come if needed. The life guards are concerned with pay issues as I hear in the distant discussions. For example, "how much overtime are you getting A and B who's working tomorrow." They should help with the law enforcement as well l guess that is a whole other story. read more

See all

Bottom line: don't come here to swim. The water is filthy. It's attached to the port of la so what do you expect. The beach itself is nice to walk/run along the sand. The parking is convenient. The bathrooms are filthy. The lifeguards are non existent. They just sit in their tower and collect a check. A new problem is that the beach itself has become infested with earwigs. The seaweed that has come ashore is not removed and left damp on the sand mixed with trash. This has become a breeding ground for earwigs. So you can no longer sit lay on the sand without the fear of earwigs crawling all over you. There was mention of a Sketchy people walking around and I was about to mention that there are none. I saw a guy peeing in a bush. Clearly could have walked to the restroom but maybe he knew it was already disgusting in there. read more

Cabrillo Beach - Guy peeing in the bushes. - Beaches Near Me - San Pedro, California

Go early to reserve a bon fire pit. The beach itself is ok. The sand is pretty dirty and rough, the bon fire pits are nice but too close to each other, the rest rooms are too far, the parking gets crowded ($1 per hour, max $9 for parking), and the beach itself is overly crowded with locals. The beach is also hard to find if you're not from the area. Make sure you move your car out of the paid parking lot by their posted closing times for the parking lot. You don't want to leave your car overnight, you'll probably get your car towed and ticketed or vice versa. It was a good time out there for a birthday but I don't think I'd be back to Cabrillo Beach. We're spoiled in SoCaL....I'd drive a bit north to find a cleaner, more secluded beach to chill on. Thanks to the birthday party for setting up the bon fire though, it was fun!! read more

See all

2.5 stars. I'll start with the pros. Wasn't hard to find parking space in the lot and parking is close to the beach. Lots of benches and tables and free wifi (spotty). They have a free aquarium, although you should really donate something. They have a free trolly that makes a few stops like ports o' call, uss iowa, downtown San Pedro. I'm not sure if the free trolly is during fleet week only though. 3 stars for the pros. Cons: it's dirty and a tad bit "ghetto". Sketchy characters everywhere. The restrooms were so filthy and smelly even after they just cleaned it. I walked to the aquarium to use the restrooms which were 1000x better but aquarium closes at 5. The beach itself 2 stars. read more

Cabrillo Beach - Beaches Near Me - San Pedro, California

Pretty neat little beach. Walk past everyone on the sand to go to the tide pools at Point Fermin. At low tide you'll be able to walk out into the rocks to see a ton of hermit crabs and anemones in the water. read more

See all

What a hidden gem! Parking is $1 per hour with a huge lot. there is a boat slip, play area,jet ski area and swimming zone with lifeguards. This beac(is also right in front of the children's aquarium. Unfortunately the weather and water temp were too cold for a swim but we really did enjoy walking the immaculate immense beach and long pier. This beach is in easy walking distance to Doubletree hotel. I highly recommend this beach area! read more

This beach is pretty cool, although I wouldn't suggest going swimming. It looks very dirty, and there's trash everywhere throughout the beach. Get there early for the free parking! After arriving at the beach to the right is the tide pool area. Bring good shoes! There's rocks everywhere to climb over to get to it. We didn't see too much but a few sea snails, anenome, hermit crabs and tons of sand fleas. There is also some pretty cool shells to find. If you go very far out around the tide pool area, there's lots beer bottles and spray cans. On your left hand side you can see the light house, where you can go in on Tuesdays through Sunday 1:00 to 4:00pm. The Tours start at 1:00pm, 2:00pm, and 3:00pm. What's also nice about this beach is there is fire pits for a bonfire and tables to eat your food at. read more

Cabrillo Beach - Cabrillo Beach Tide Pool Area - Beaches Near Me - San Pedro, California

This beach is disgusting. Been coming here all my life & recently since I have kids of my own now, I've noticed it's extremely polluted. There are signs saying don't litter everywhere & I did see people bagging up their trash & putting it in the trash cans but why aren't the trash cans being emptied so that the seagulls don't drag it all over the beach. Lifeguards seem to care less, any other authority around here? It's so profoundly sad as shit that this beach isn't properly taken care of. I'm so appalled at the unsightliness of this place. Disgusting!! And it's all going into our ocean! read more

See all

January time frame is cold so not a whole lot of crowds to have to maneuver around... So that's why I am giving this a 5 star. The walk from the parked car was a ways, we were at the beach that face south looking toward the ship yards, we were the only ones on the beach plus the seagulls! Clean, quiet, water was calm... nice to have the kids play in my view with no one around!! read more

See all

Had a bonfire here and it was the best choice!. We did get locked in at 10p so I suggest leaving before that

Love this beach came here on a family trip and got here early to grab tables and a bbq! Perfect if you have little ones who aren't ready for the beach yet while having the option for the older kids. Brought a tent and a cot so everyone was right at home!! read more

Cabrillo Beach - Picnic tables and bbq area so much space we brought a cot - Beaches Near Me - San Pedro, California

Located in a neighborhood, this little beach is hidden away. I came here with some friends to just relax for a little bit before having lunch. I was impressed with the very clean sand and relaxed waves. It was very nice to chill that Thursday with little people and enjoy the breeze. They do charge you a small fee for parking here. I think it's free the first 20 minutes and $1 each hour. There's a little area where you can buy hot dogs and snacks. The beach is very small and I don't know how pack it gets on the weekends but it was perfect on my weekday stop. read more

There are two previous reviews of this beach that are great. One reviewer mentioned that the place was just begging to be photographed, and I posted 45 pics.....so far. I'll be going back for more. I was at Cabrillo Beach for the first time yesterday, Friday, Nov. 7th, when temps were unseasonably in the mid-eighties. The good news is that the place was practically deserted, the bad news is that it was too effin toasty to walk as far as I had intended, in the hot sun. Nor did I realize it would be cheap to park in the lot. I was expecting SaMo prices, like 8 bucks. But it was only a dollar an hour. And I could have driven way down to the end of the beach, where the breakwater begins. Ah, well............. I parked on the residential street up the hill from the beach park and walked in. I had no idea what to expect, had not researched the place at all. What a joy it turned out to be, for a beach-worshipper like me, to discover a heretofore unknown stretch of pristine-looking sandy oceanfront, in an area I frequent. I don't know what took me so long to finally get down there. Well, in the summer months it was crowded, that's one reason I hesitated. The other reason was that I'd no idea how enticing the place is. On the day I was there it was akin to ethereal. It was almost unpopulated, and the sky was as blue as blue can be, and the water glistened as if laden with diamonds. I first walked along the raised wooden pathway near the entrance, very nice. It wraps around a bluff, overlooking the rocky shoreline. See the photos. Then I headed toward the historic Mediterranean-style bathhouse, not realizing it had been amost all restored to its magnificent original 1930's splendor. It serves as a community building for the park, and also houses the Marine Aquarium. http://www.yelp.com/biz/cabrillo-marine-aquarium-san-pedro#hrid:Vb6bbKk6UXql17LW-JLcEg/query:cabrillo%20beach There are picnic areas near the bathhouse, and a couple of volleyball nets in the sand, and I saw two fire pits. And there's a small kids' play area facing the water, wow. No dogs are allowed on the sand, I should mention. The beaches are on both sides of a sandy peninsula, or jetty, or whatever it is. One side views the harbor, with its big blue cranes & the Vincent Thomas Bridge, and the mountains in the distance. The other side of the jetty faces Catalina Island. Fishing boats drifted by, making for some nice photos. The scent of pine and eucalyptus was all around the grassy spaces. I was reminded of childhood times spent on Michigan dunes. The water looked clean on both beaches, see the photos. Maybe it was the time of year..... This mile-long beach with its 26,000 sq. ft. bathhouse is a treasure. I'm in the area often and I will be a visitor here every chance I get. I suspect the winter months will be magical here, and I'll be exploring further out on the jetty with camera. What a beautiful gift this election week has been, from start to finish. read more

See all