The beaches in Malibu are some of the prettiest in all of southern California! If you plan to visit Los Angeles, you absolutely should make time to explore Malibu’s scenic 27 miles of coastline.
Since the Pacific Coast Highway runs the entire length of Malibu’s coastline, it is easy to visit several of Malibu’s best beaches in just one day. In fact, many of the beaches in Malibu can be seen from the road. No need to even get out of your car!
This is awesome news if you’re planning a California coast road trip and don’t have time for many stops on your driving itinerary.
However, if you really want to experience Malibu’s laid-back beachy lifestyle, and soak in the beauty of one of the most beautiful destinations in California, be sure to make time to spend at least a few hours at one of these beautiful beaches in Malibu!
There are countless beaches in Malibu; from wide sandy beaches to secluded coves, and beaches that are perfect for surfing and exploring tidepools. So then which are the best beaches in Malibu?
Here are the stand-out beaches that make Malibu a dream destination for so many! Whether you’re visiting from out of state or a Los Angeles resident, these are the best beaches in Malibu worth planning a day trip around.
The Most Beautiful Beaches In Malibu Worth Planning A Day Trip Around
Surfrider Beach
Surfrider Beach is one of the most popular beaches in Malibu and one of the first places where modern surfing culture developed. Surfrider became a popular surf spot in the 1950s and today, it is one of the most popular surfing beaches in Los Angeles famous among surfers for its long right-hand break.
This legendary beach is crowded almost every day of the week year-round! So if you want to tick Surfrider Beach off your Malibu bucket list you best get here early or be patient and wait for a parking spot to become available.
Is Surfrider Beach worth the hype? Yes, I do think it is. While the beach is small and can get very crowded, it is really nice for swimming since it is protected from big waves.
It’s also a good beach for learning how to surf since the waves are usually gentle and between one to two feet. There is a surf shop across the road where you can rent surfboards and wetsuits if you want to give the sport a go. Otherwise you can book a private surf lesson here.
Right beside Surfrider Beach is Malibu Pier where you’ll find Malibu Farm Cafe, a popular restuarant where you can enjoy breakfast or lunch with ocean views, or grab a fancy cocktail to watch a gorgeous west coast sunset!
Where To Find Surfrider Beach: Surfrider Beach in Malibu can be found along the Pacific Coast Highway adjacent to Malibu Pier. There is a small parking lot that gets full early in the morning. There is also limited street parking.
Westward Beach
Although Point Dume is a popular hiking spot in Malibu, Westward Beach which lies on the western side of Point Dume is not as well-known. This is probably because the beach is not visible from the Pacific Coast Highway.
Even though I have lived in the area for several years, it took me awhile to discover Westward Beach for this reason. And I only stumbled upon it while looking for the hiking trail to Point Dume.
Westward Beach is situated on the southern and quieter end of Zuma Beach. While not a huge beach, there is plenty of room for beach-goers to spread out. In saying that, you sure can expect this beach to be packed on weekends when the weather is warm and the sky is blue!
My advice if you plan to visit this beach on the weekend is to either arrive early or come late in the afternoon to ensure you get a parking spot!
Whether you visit on a weekday or weekend, you are guaranteed to be impressed by the views from this beach. The rocky headland is really cool to see up close and you can enjoy views of Zuma Beach to the west.
If you’re looking for a beach to spend the entire day, somewhere you can enjoy a beachfront picnic, or a place to savor a southern California sunset, this might just be the place for you. That is if you’re willing to pay the outrageous $15 parking fee.
Where To Find Westward Beach: To get to Westward Beach, turn off Pacific Coast Highway onto Westward Beach Road and take it all the way to the end. For free parking, look out for spots on Westward Beach Road. If there are none you’ll need to pay for beach parking which is quite steep at $15 per day.
Zuma Beach
Zuma Beach is hands-down the most popular beach in Malibu! This beach is known for its long and wide shoreline with bleached-white sand. It’s very similar to Santa Monica Beach in appearance except this beach has views of the stunning Santa Monica Mountains.
Not only is it one of the largest beaches in Los Angeles County, it’s also one of the best beaches in southern California! Well, in my opinion anyway.
You’ll enjoy 1.8 miles of beach frontage here which is perfect if you like long walks on the beach. It also means you won’t have to rub beach blankets with other beach-goers.
The southern end is usually the most crowded and where you’ll find volleyball nets and a large paid parking lot. Further north along the beach, crowds begin to thin out. Even though this beach is packed on weekends and school holidays, it’s not hard to find a spot to yourself since there is so much space.
It is a great beach for sunbathing, swimming, surfing, bodyboarding, and kite-surfing. Lifeguards do patrol the beach during the summer.
This seriously is the quintessential California beach. In fact, Zuma Beach was frequently used as the filming location of the hit TV show Baywatch which basically put southern California beaches on the map for so many people around the world!
Where To Find Zuma Beach: Zuma Beach is located on the Pacific Coast Highway. There are eight paid parking lots with approximately 2,000 spaces in total. You can however park on the PCH for free if you can find a spot alongside the road.
El Matador Beach
El Matador Beach is one of the most beautiful beaches in Malibu. What makes this beach so stunning are the sandstone cliffs that plunge dramatically into the ocean along the beach shoreline here.
In addition to the dramatic cliffs, there are several towering arches and rock formations in the ocean which help to make this beach visually appealing. Because El Matador Beach is so photogenic, it has become a hot spot for photographers and content creators so you can expect to encounter a photo shoot or two during your visit.
Although El Matador Beach is certainly a bucket list destination in Malibu, you should keep in mind that it is a very small beach squeezed between two headlands. During high tide, the beach becomes even smaller.
Because it’s such a small beach, it can seem crowded even when there aren’t many beach-goers. Therefore if you plan to visit on a weekend, be sure to get here early as parking is limited. However on weekdays there’s a good chance you might get lucky and score this place all to yourself!
Where To Find El Matador Beach: El Matador Beach is part of Robert H. Meyer Memorial State Beach hence there is a state park fee to access this beach. You’ll find El Matador just north of Zuma Beach. Keep an eye out for the El Matador parking lot which is just off the Pacific Coast Highway. There is a staircase that leads from the parking lot down to the beach.
La Piedra Beach
La Piedra Beach sits between El Matador Beach and El Pescador Beach — all three of these beaches make up Robert H. Meyer Memorial State Park.
Like El Matador Beach, La Piedra also has stunning sandstone cliffs that plunge into the ocean along the beach shoreline. However La Piedra does not have sea stacks that jut out of the ocean like its neighbor to the south.
Personally, this is my favorite beach as it is the most secluded of all the beaches in Malibu. This beach sees far less visitors than other Malibu beaches because access is somewhat difficult.
To access La Piedra Beach you will need to hike down a short, steep trail that has been carved into sandstone cliffs. For this reason, La Piedra Beach is not for you if you need to bring accessories like beach chairs, beach umbrellas, and coolers heavy with food or drinks to enjoy a day at the beach.
But if you can do without all the extra beach stuff, the hike down to La Piedra Beach is well worth the effort! There’s plenty of room to sunbathe and rocky pools to explore on low tide. It’s also a great beach for surfing.
Where To Find La Piedra Beach: You can find the parking lot for La Piedra Beach off Highway 1 between Encinal Canyon Road and Decker Road. There is an $8 parking fee which can be paid using coins or a credit card. As mentioned already, access to La Piedra Beach is via a short hiking trail that begins at the parking lot.
Leo Carillo State Beach
Leo Carillo State Beach can be found at the far northern end of the Malibu coastline 35 miles northwest of Santa Monica. There are actually two separate beaches here; South Beach and North Beach.
South Beach is located directly across the road from Leo Carillo State Park Campground while North Beach is north of Lifegaurd Tower 2. Both beaches are very popular during the summer, especially on weekends so plan your visit accordingly.
Whether you choose to spend your day at South or North Beach, you’re in for a treat! These beaches feature rocky outcrops in the ocean, numerous tidepools to explore, sea caves, and kelp beds that attract marine wildlife like dolphins and sea otters.
This gorgeous stretch of coastline is perfect for sunbathing, picnics, swimming, surfing, and fishing. In addition, there are several hiking trails across the road from the beach if you want to explore the Santa Monica Mountains.
There is also a campground here, and it’s one of the best campgrounds on the California coast! So if you’re planning a west coast road trip, this is a great place to break up the drive whether you’re coming from San Diego or road tripping between L.A. and San Francisco.
If during your visit this beach seems familiar, it’s because numerous movies were filmed here including Grease, Karate Kid, The Craft, Beach Blanket Bingo, and my personal favorite, Point Break (the fight scene between Keanu Reeves and Anthony Keidis was filmed at this beach).
Where To Find Leo Carillo State Beach: Leo Carillo State Beach is located right off the Pacific Coast Highway. Since it is a state park, there is a parking fee unless you park on the highway. Parking costs $3 per hour or $12 for the entire day.