- Location: West Los Angeles on the Santa Monica Bay, south of LAX. See directions below
- How Long: Allow a couple of hours up to a full day
- Best Time to Visit: Like most of the Los Angeles coastline, Manhattan Beach can be shrouded in foggy "June gloom" for days or weeks on end. Rainy, winter days may be best spent elesewhere, but on a clear day just after a rain, the views are stellar.
- See It Now: Photo Tour
More Nearby Towns: Hermosa Beach | Redondo Beach
The most upscale of the South Bay beach towns, Manhattan Beach faces the ocean with an urban beach and lots of volleyball nets, sandwiched between the surf and homes lining paved walkways for pedestrians and bicycles.
Manhattan Beach Points of Interest
- Manhattan Beach Pier: The red-roofed, hexagonal-shaped building at the end makes it one of the prettiest piers on the Santa Monica Bay, and it's also home to a small but fun aquarium
- The Strand: Our favorite Manhattan Beach pleasure is a simple one. Just walk down to the beachside sidewalk and take a stroll. You can walk for miles in either direction and never run out of things to see.
- Beach Volleyball: The sand bristles with nets, and in August, the pros arrive for the Manhattan Beach Open Volleyball Championships
- Downtown Manhattan Beach: Manhattan Avenue and Manhattan Beach Boulevard are lined with lots of fun shops and places to eat.
Manhattan Beach Tips
- It's almost impossible to avoid paying to park in Manhattan Beach. Bring lots of quarters for the meters (and patience to find one to park at). If parking places are full near pier, try the parking lot north of Manhattan Beach Blvd off Highland, which is a bit less-known (but also requires change for the meters).
- Several shops downtown rent beach gear, boogie boards and so on.
Manhattan Beach Review
We rate Manhattan Beach 4 stars out of 4 for the prettiest pier, most active beach area and best shopping of the South Bay beach towns.
Others may disagree. You can see what other people just like you think about it, then bookmark this page and after you've been there, come back and tell us what you think.
What do you think of Manhattan Beach as a tourist destination?
Getting to Manhattan Beach
The Manhattan Beach pier is at the end of Manhattan Beach Boulevard. Exit I-405 on Hawthorne Boulevard north and turn left onto Manhattan Beach Boulevard.
