1. Lunada Bay

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Palos Verdes Estates, CA

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Lunada Bay

4.4 (46 reviews)

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Joan S.

Event: Crow Show Time: every afternoon, weather permitting (the show is cancelled during heavy fog, rain - what's that?, or gale force wind) Admission: free Attire: anything old & ratty Parking: street, plentiful, free Avail on site: no food or drink, no restroom, no seating except one rock Place: Lunada Bay (Paseo Del Mar at Oakley Rd./Via Bandini) Leashed dogs welcome, BYO poop bag Good for kids if they're not scared of large birds A small group of spectators (like maybe 5) often gathers on the bluff to watch the crow antics. The birds can fly at 60mph & dive at 70mph so if you score an action photo consider it pure luck. Crows are highly intelligent, can identify a human & do not forget a face (the original facial recognition?). They know me & often buzz me just for fun. My fave is a one-legged crow who sometimes lands beside me along with a couple of his/her buddies, curious & waiting to have their picture taken. I've determined that crows are show-offs. They perform impressive aerial maneuvers, each trying to outdo the other with flying skills. How many crows to expect? It's hit or miss - some days there are dozens, some days fewer than 10. I'm not especially fond of the crows who leave dead rats in my gutters or pound on my chimney cap incessantly....but those Lunada Bay crows have won me over. I've been known to hang out with them 'till my camera battery dies. And then I get home only to discover I've barely missed every great shot, except occasionally one, cuz they're so fast & my camera is slow. I'll get a better camera & then perhaps will have something to crow about. Meanwhile, the show must go on.

This Yelp map leads you to someone's private driveway at 2735 via oleadas in a cul de sac. Very confusing Set navigation to 2828 paseo Del Mar and park at the empty grounds. There is a very rocky, steep, man-made path that can lead you to the beach ground. It is unsuitable for kids and elderly.

My kiddos overlooking Lunada Bay!
Mary J.

Wow Lunada Bay and surrounding area never disappoints, the directions from this Yelp review are very spot on! It leads you to the overlook where you can either take in the view and take lots of pictures or take your chances and climb down the cliffs to the tide pools! My Dad is a surfer and used to bring me here as a kid to play in the tide pools however it's not an easy climb down! Make sure you come prepared! Whenever I come here I decide what it is I will do here, either just come looking nice and take pics with the gorgeous overlook or rather wear hiking clothes or bathing suit and climb down to the tide pools! Very rocky terrain! Beautiful views! Lovely weather! Sometimes it's foggy but hardly during summer! Enjoy!

Zach S.

Best Dog Romp Beach Hike ever! Ssh! It's a secret! Don't forget to bring your poop bags but this location is really good for dogs to run and enjoy the beach cliffs while getting in a good hike for yourself as well. Nestled in Palos Verdes it's a great low traffic spot for surfing , diving and dog friendly to the locals. Just be respectful of the area with your Dog and you can totally offleash here being mindful of others. We love this secret hike. Takes about 45 mins round trip without stops

Paseo Del Mar
Etienne H.

Gorgeous day for a short walk. Can't wait until this is fully open. Parking is limited but the views are amazing

Scott S.

This is one of the best, most beautiful views in all of Palos Verdes. I've noticed that some people have written reviews about growing up in this neighborhood or living in the area, all that is great. But, for those of you who do not live here, I will discuss the actual bay. Visually, this is a beautiful, scenic location. You can get to it very easily and there is plenty of parking that lines its upper cliffs. Personally, I stop here all of the time just to take a moment, take a few deep breaths, watch the waves, and admire the beauty of the sea and the cliffs. Speaking of the cliffs, they are constantly receding. From this, the pathway down to the water can be pretty treacherous and scary. So, for many people you may not want to take that walk. The pathway down itself is constantly changing as well, so I cannot provide you with the best route as it may all be gone tomorrow. But, if you do make your way down to the sea, what you will find is a narrow, rocky beach. You can just stay there or you can follow it a long way around the P.V. peninsula. Your choice. It is all a beautiful, great experience. The upper region, overlooking the bay, is also constantly changing. There is a fairly large landmass between the street and the cliffs. In times gone past, before the most recent drought, it was very green and grassy much of the year. For the past few years, however, it is pretty much just dirt. So, it is not a great place to hang out. This being said, it still leads you to the overlook of the sea. So, it is still serving its purpose. Beautiful location that is worth taking a moment to study.

One cove over...a friendlier surf spot.
Robin Z.

Ah, beautiful, peaceful, forever tranquil Lunada Bay... And then there was the time when my boyfriend said "Come on! I've always wanted to surf this place." And I said "You DO know this place is an infamous "Locals Only" spot, right?" And he says "No problem. Look, there's only a few people out." So we make the steep climb down, don our wetsuits and paddle out. A rowdy bunch of guys at the top of the cliff are screaming obscenities at someone. Could it be us? After a couple hours and some fun rights, we paddle back in. Hmm, that was easy enough I thought. We didn't get hassled once. Until my boyfriend opened his backpack to find someone had shit in it. (for an entertaining perspective on the "PV psyche", check out Joy Nicholson's "The Tribes of Palos Verdes")

Tom P.

WARNING: Watch your back and your car if your surfing here. There is a well documented local gang of surfer here. Visiting surfers have been assaulted and sued PV and gang residents. The local PV police refuse to get off their asses to run gang surveillance. Bring your surfboard,camera, and a lookout for these white 20s-40s crowns. Enjoy your time here. Good view, not great. Looks even worst in person. Too many rocky free side parking. These open spaces overwhelm me since in LA you have no choice. Thinking is too hard. Very wide trail, not much to do besides smell the sea and roses. Very calm with almost no people Limited and difficult beach access. Damn you multi-million dollar homes for blocking my beach access and building on an ancient Spanish Mission Town. This place is too gentrify for my sensibility. -Ritz place with a white ghetto gang, useless cops. Take back the beach don't let fear and elitist PV residents win a public beach battle. You shouldn't have to be uber rich to enjoy some public beach time :)

Jermaine C.

This is a great place to just sit and enjoy the views. the breeze is refreshing during the hot summer days and you'll see plenty of birds flying in the distance. Unfortunately, there's not much to say about this place. It's in a nice quiet neighborhood, there are always plenty of people here, but other than that I cant see myself spending more than 15-20 minutes here

Atop the cliffs
Kade L.

Great spot. Whether you're a local or a tourist, it's worth seeing and coming back to. Fun to simply stand and look at views on top of the cliffs. If you're a surfer, it's a good break. Local surfers have a reputation for being old, immature adults. Best way to deal with them is to paddle out and ignore them. Police patrol the area to make sure everyone is able to enjoy Lunada Bay and all its glory.

Gerald G.

The cliffs are a great place to sit and have a small picnic. A good spacious place to jog. In the evening or late afternoon, there are many parking spaces to park if you're traveling to jog. A great view, nice weather, and a quiet neighborhood.

I'm scared of heights so the steep climb down was not fun!

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Best place to learn on the planet! No equipment rentals so bring your own board. Clean and uncrowded. Plenty of parking. Check it out!

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Page 1 of 2

Ask the Community - Lunada Bay

Review Highlights - Lunada Bay

“The surf spot is also a beauty, the wave breaks in a clean line in good condition.”

Mentioned in 5 reviews

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Right at Torrance "Rat" Beach - Next stop, sand & strand.

Right at Torrance "Rat" Beach

4.4(48 reviews)
3.0 mi

Love this beach and will come here more often. Some of the major state beaches can be so overrated…read moreand too much of a hassle when all you want to do is arrive and sit at the beach. This beach is a big, long stretch of land. It is clean and has more of a peaceful, and intimate atmosphere. More of the locals frequent this beach. At the parking lot, there is a white railing bordering a cement pathway to head towards the beach. I believe there are some other ways to enter the beach from the opposite ends though I've not tried them. Came to surf and was surprised by how fun the waves were. There are several pockets of waves to ride throughout the entire stretch of beach but you just have to look for those spots. Be mindful that if you do plan to go in the water, there is a separate swim and surf zone and orange flags indicating boundaries. I did not know this and the signs are hard to miss. The lifeguard on duty was attentive letting me know to shift a little more to the left and I appreciated the alertness to keep safety at hindsight

Sometime last year my wife and I stumbled across Rat Beach by accident and when we decided we…read morewanted to hit one up last week to hangout, eat some snacks, and read, we figured why not spend the morning at Rat Beach? We showed up here around 8am on a Sunday and this place already had a good amount of people laying out, surfing, and just hanging out. The free parking seemed to be gone so we turned into the main lot and found a spot no problem. It was far from a hot day, but the perfect day to put some beach chairs down, read a book, and just enjoy the wonderful pacific ocean. We spent about two and a half hours just relaxing and it was a really enjoyable time. Overall, Rat Beach is not one of those California tourist beaches packed with people and super loud, oh no, it's a quiet place to hang out and have a relaxing time. I'll absolutely be back here with some more snacks and books soon.

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Right at Torrance "Rat" Beach - What a beautiful day at "Rat"  Beach.

What a beautiful day at "Rat" Beach.

Right at Torrance "Rat" Beach - Beach rule #1: If you hear the ice cream cart bell, you sprint. Beach rule #2: Thank God this guy takes Venmo & Zelle

Beach rule #1: If you hear the ice cream cart bell, you sprint. Beach rule #2: Thank God this guy takes Venmo & Zelle

Right at Torrance "Rat" Beach - Views from the sand.

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Views from the sand.

Malaga Cove Beach

Malaga Cove Beach

4.4(8 reviews)
2.7 mi

Malaga Cove is one of five neighborhoods in Palo Verdes Estates, named after the famous city of…read moreMalaga, located in the Costa del Sol region in Southern Spain. Per Google Maps, it is also the small body of water (inlet) that is just offshore of Malaga Cove Beach, Malaga Creek and Falls (which sometimes empties in this area), Malaga Canyon, and Malaga Cove Trail. The beach is the rocky shoreline that is just SW of the sandy RAT (Right After Torrance) Beach. The Malaga Cove Trail connects it to RAT and the rest of the Redondo Beach. There is a free, plentiful, parking lot above on the bluffs, with Roessler Point and Gazebo being a great vantage point. As for the beach itself, it is very rocky and is used as an entry point for SCUBA enthusiasts. There is a very steep, paved walkway (also can be used by emergency vehicles) that connects the parking area to the beach. You can then walk the trail to get to RAT beach (where there are sandy entry points and lifeguard stations). Instead, we chose to put down our mat in the shadows of the bluffs right as we came down to sea level. It was a great shady area, and still close enough to hear the crashing of the waves against the rocks. It also provided a very clear view of the Los Angeles shoreline, all the way to Santa Monica and Malibu. Redondo Beach was not crowded at all. We even got to see a pod of dolphins playing in the ocean near where we stayed.

Malaga Cove Beach has plenty of parking, a fantastic view, and is not crowded, allowing you to…read moreenjoy wandering on the beach, taking in the views, and smelling the ocean. A nice place to visit!

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Malaga Cove Beach
Malaga Cove Beach
Malaga Cove Beach

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JoAnn DeFlon Real Estate

JoAnn DeFlon Real Estate

4.7(43 reviews)
0.5 mi

My original FTR of Malaga Cove was posted 12 years ago, so time for an update…read more I can see from some other reviews that people unfamiliar with the area don't realize that Malaga Cove is not just the name of the ocean cove itself, but the area (in Palos Verdes Estates) surrounding it...bordered on the north by Torrance/Redondo & on the south by Lunada Bay (also an area of PVE). To clear up another point of confusion: the Malaga Cove hiking trails are in the hills above PV Dr West. As stated in my 2008 review, directions to trailheads are found in my old photo captions. I frequently see wedding & model photo shoots in Malaga Cove Plaza. There are signs stating that a permit is needed for professional shoots there. PVE City Hall (Civic Center) is half a block south from the plaza so they could offer more info. The small sand beach at Malaga Cove is actually RAT Beach (Right at Torrance or Redondo at Torrance). RAT Beach can be accessed from a path next to Roessler Point gazebo (in lower Malaga Cove area) as well as from the north end of the beach that is Torrance. Someone recently asked "can I bring my dog?" (to Malaga Cove). To the area, of course. To RAT Beach, no. Technically, dogs are not allowed on any beaches, even leashed. The only official dog beach I'm aware of is in Long Beach. However...I've seen leashed dogs being walked down the steep trail at Bluff Cove (also in the area of Malaga Cove, PVE). It's not really a beach but rather a rocky shoreline, beautiful place, part of Palos Verdes Estates Shoreline Preserve. So you can walk with your dog in PVE Shoreline Preserve in multiple oceanfront parklands along PV Drive West & also Paseo Del Mar. All that said, this review update was intended to focus on peafowl! Let's get to it. This is mating season & they're all over Malaga Cove (area, not ocean shoreline). They're around the Malaga Cove Library today en masse. We refer to both sexes of peafowl as "peacocks" but....the males are peacocks & the females are peahens. Males have the colorful plumage, females don't. Their offspring will be paraded through the area when they're the size of chickens. Drivers need to slow the F down!! This morning I saw cars & work trucks speeding on quiet residential streets, narrowly avoiding hitting peafowl or running over long peacock trains. This was so disturbing to me that I didn't stay long. Yes, peafowl can fly & you'll see them up in trees. And their shriek is so loud it can be heard blocks away. They sit on roofs & on porches & they eat your plants. Males are currently displaying full plumage when the "ladies" are nearby. Wherever the girls are, the boys are, following them around, mostly being ignored. Hang in there, boys. Those girls are busy feasting on people's landscaping but eventually they'll mate with you. Girls appreciate patience. ( ; I appreciate the photo ops in this peacefully magical place.

Malaga Cove is a very popular place for photographers and bloggers to visit because of its…read morebeautiful architecture and friendly community. It's a small plaza that has businesses in finance, real estate, restaurants, antiques, and a small local market. I like walking my dog here and I feel safe knowing the police station is right around the corner. If you're looking for a quiet nice neighborhood to visit with a short distance to the beach, this place is a must visit.

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JoAnn DeFlon Real Estate
JoAnn DeFlon Real Estate - Oh there's also a cute little library up the hill

Oh there's also a cute little library up the hill

JoAnn DeFlon Real Estate - Offices

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Offices

Portuguese Bend Beach Club - Sunset at Portuguese Bend, Rancho Palls Verdes, California June 2026.

Portuguese Bend Beach Club

4.2(21 reviews)
4.5 mi

I've been going to PBC for the better part of 30 years. Unless you reside within the charming…read morelittle beach community, you need to procure a membership, which requires a LONG waiting list. This particular sandy beach head is private and exclusive, so it's never too crowded. Yes, anyone can walk the wet part of the beach in front of the club by starting at either of these public beaches. Just stay back from the private beach and facilities, or you will get a chance to meet security. I've been lucky enough to be hosted over the years. What makes this place so great is that it's well maintained and private. If you like paddle tennis, they have two courts. If the kids like swings, they have a fun set-up right on the sand. If you like to BBQ, they have great fire rings with grates you can put over the top. If you like a great view, they have that also, panoramic views of the Palos Verdes bluffs and beautiful ocean. If you want protection from the sun, they have palm tree thatch table/canopy set-ups. Most important, if you like a clean bathroom, you are in luck, they have that also. I always consider myself blessed when I get a chance to spend a day/night down on the sands of PBC - thanks to all those who have invited me over the years.

Sad with the rerun of extreme land movement. paddle tennis courts are out, no running water,…read morebathrooms closed,. My grandparents, parents and I have been members. Remember the dock and salt water pool- gone with the courts. Still a great sunset.

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Portuguese Bend Beach Club
Portuguese Bend Beach Club
Portuguese Bend Beach Club

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Lunada Bay - beaches - Updated October 2026

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