Manhattan Beach may be one of the best classic Southern California beach towns that many visitors to Los Angeles never think to visit.

It has the broad sandy beach, surfers, lifeguard towers, volleyball courts and oceanfront homes that people picture when they dream of California. But compared with Santa Monica or Venice, Manhattan Beach feels smaller, calmer and the classic vibe of the SoCal beach community.

This itinerary follows the route featured in my Photowalks episode, beginning with a morning walk along the beach, continuing through downtown and its restaurants, and ending with the essential Manhattan Beach sunset photo under the pier.

Before You Go

Manhattan Beach is in the South Bay area of Los Angeles, close to LAX and easy to visit as a day trip from other parts of the city. The compact downtown has dozens of restaurants and plenty of shops within a few blocks of the beach.

Parking can be the biggest challenge, especially on weekends and sunny afternoons. Downtown offers public lots, metered street parking and beach lots, but arriving early will make the day much easier.

8:00 a.m. — Walk The Strand

Start your day on The Strand, the oceanfront path that runs alongside the beach.

This is Manhattan Beach at its most local. You will see people walking dogs, jogging, biking, checking the surf and starting the day with an ocean view. The Strand is also a great place to admire the beachfront homes and photograph lifeguard towers, surfers and the morning light.

9:00 a.m. — Explore the Manhattan Beach Pier

Continue to the Manhattan Beach Pier, the town’s most photographed landmark.

The pier gives you a perspective that you cannot get from the sand. Walk to the end and look north and south along the coastline, watch surfers near the pilings and photograph the waves from above. The pier area also includes surfing, fishing, volleyball courts, The Strand and beach facilities.

At the end of the pier, stop at the Roundhouse Aquarium, a small marine science center devoted to ocean education. It is an especially good stop for families and children.

10:30 a.m. — Watch Beach Volleyball and Surfing

Manhattan Beach is not just a beach town. It is one of the most important places in the history of beach volleyball.

The sand around the pier is lined with courts, and games often begin early in the day. The annual Manhattan Beach Open is one of the city’s signature events, while the pier courts remain active throughout the year.

You will also usually find surfers near the pier. The pilings affect the waves and give local surfers a reference point as they paddle out and line up their rides.

11:30 a.m. — Stroll Through Downtown Manhattan Beach

Walk up Manhattan Beach Boulevard into Downtown Manhattan Beach.

The downtown district is small, walkable and filled with independent businesses, restaurants, galleries and shops. It has many retailers and is only steps from the pier.

A worthwhile stop is Pages: a bookstore, the town’s independent bookstore. It is the kind of local business that helps Manhattan Beach feel like a real community instead of a resort town.

Art lovers should also visit the Bo Bridges Gallery, where the work reflects the surfing, travel and action-sports world that is such a large part of local life.

12:30 p.m. — Choose Your Manhattan Beach Lunch

Manhattan Beach has become a serious dining destination, with everything from casual local bars to high-end seafood and ocean-view restaurants.

For an Ocean View: The Strand House

The Strand House sits just above the beach and offers one of the best dining views in town. The restaurant serves chef-driven coastal California cuisine with a front-row view of the pier and Pacific Ocean.

This is the place to choose when you want lunch to feel like part of the sightseeing.

For Seafood: Fishing With Dynamite

Fishing With Dynamite is a small seafood restaurant built around a lively oyster bar, with both traditional seafood dishes and more modern flavors.

Reservations are wise because the dining room is tiny.

For a Casual Local Hangout: Shellback Tavern

Shellback Tavern sits across from the pier and is one of the best places to experience the informal side of Manhattan Beach. This is a neighborhood bar where beachgoers, locals and visitors all mix together. This would be my pick–either that, Ercole’s or El Terasco.

2:00 p.m. — See the Beachfront Homes

After lunch, return to The Strand and walk south or north past the beachfront homes.

Living directly on the beach is a dream for many people, and this walk gives you a look at what that dream looks like in one of Los Angeles County’s most desirable communities. The homes range from older beach properties to modern multi-million-dollar residences.

Even if you are not shopping for real estate, it is a fascinating architectural walk. On Sundays, you may even find some open houses.

3:30 p.m. — Visit the Library for a Different Pier View

The Manhattan Beach Library offers one of the town’s most surprising views.

From the upper level, you can look down toward the pier and ocean through a large window. It is a quiet place to take a break, and the elevated angle gives you a different appreciation of the town’s relationship with the beach.

Sunset — Photograph the Pier from the Sand

End the day where every Manhattan Beach visit should end: back at the pier for sunset.

Walk underneath the pier, then move to the wet sand near the waterline. As the waves retreat, the sand becomes reflective and creates swirling patterns around the pier pilings.

This is the iconic Manhattan Beach photograph.

Suggested One-Day Manhattan Beach Schedule

Time	Stop
8:00 a.m.	Walk The Strand
9:00 a.m.	Manhattan Beach Pier and Roundhouse Aquarium
10:30 a.m.	Beach volleyball and surfing
11:30 a.m.	Downtown shops, bookstore and gallery
12:30 p.m.	Lunch
2:00 p.m.	Beachfront home walk
3:30 p.m.	Manhattan Beach Library
4:30 p.m.	Ercole’s or another local stop
Sunset	Photograph the pier from the sand

Final Thoughts

Manhattan Beach offers nearly everything people want from a Southern California beach town: an iconic pier, excellent food, surf culture, volleyball, walkable streets and one of the best sunset photo opportunities in Los Angeles.

The secret is that it still feels like a community. Spend a day here, and you may understand why locals say living in Manhattan Beach feels like being on vacation every day.