Visiting Laguna Beach, CA
Walks & Hikes:
Heisler Park - This is the best for walks, sunset, and beach views.
Crystal Cove - This is a few miles away from town but is a stunning state park overlooking the ocean with walking/biking paths and trails (costs $ to park)
El Moro Canyon - Gorgeous hiking trails overlooking the ocean (pay to park, it's a state park)
Laguna Canyon - Canyon hiking trails pretty much any distance you want
Top of the World - Hiking trails from a beautiful neighborhood on the top of the hill in Laguna.
Beaches:
Shaw's Cove - Best for swimming, beach day, tidepools, & sunset (next to Fisherman's) (North Laguna)
Fisherman's Cove - Best for kayaking, stand up paddle boarding, tidepools, & sunset (North Laguna)
Woods Cove - South Laguna (closer to downtown)
Victoria Beach - South Laguna (+ iconic pirate tower)
1000 Steps - South Laguna
Not Main Beach!
Restaurants:
Zinc Cafe - Casual healthy breakfast/lunch in downtown Laguna + cute to-go bistro
Driftwood Kitchen - Sit-down brunch on the ocean (indoor)
La Sirena Grill - Very casual Mexican food, one of our favorites in town. South Laguna location has more seating & beer. Downtown Laguna location is tiny.
Asada Tacos - North Laguna Mexican food, very casual, Adam's favorite
The Deck - Outdoor happy hour on the ocean, outside
The Rooftop Lounge - Gorgeous outdoor rooftop for drinks with full ocean/city views
San Shi Go - Sushi
Shopping:
Downtown Laguna (especially Forest Avenue) - art galleries, surf shops
Laguna Beach Books
Other Things:
Stand Up Paddle Board Rentals - Fisherman's Cove is a good place
Pacific Marine Mammal Center - in Laguna canyon
Whale Watching - Newport Coastal Adventures or Captain Dave's
Balboa Island - in Newport Beach (balboa fun zone/ferris wheel for kids)
We hope our guests will stay in Emily's beautiful hometown Laguna Beach, CA.
Flying
To Orange County: The closest airport is John Wayne (SNA) in Orange County, CA. From there, it's a ~20 minute drive to Laguna Beach. You can get an Uber, Lyft, or rental car. If you stay in one of our recommended hotels, you probably won't need a rental car to explore Laguna. We will have transportation to and from the wedding venue from a few central hotels. The city also has a free trolley that goes all over town.
To Los Angeles: Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is about 1-1.5 hours away, depending on traffic! If you plan to fly into LAX, we recommend renting a car and avoiding rush hour on weekdays at all costs (unless you want the drive to take 2 hours). You can also get an uber or shuttle van, but it's not cheap.
To Long Beach: Long Beach Airport is ~40 minutes from Laguna and is way easier than LAX.
To San Diego: If LA sounds too daunting, San Diego International Airport is about a 1.5 hour drive from Laguna.
Driving
Laguna Beach is approximately 1 hour south of Los Angeles and 1 hour north of San Diego by car. We're also a 2 hour drive from Palm Springs and a 28 hour drive from Minneapolis.