White Point Beach(Whites Beach, White Point County Park)

Located in the San Pedro neighborhood of Los Angeles, White Point Beach - also known as Whites Beach - is a mostly rocky beach with some sandy parts. The popular beach is situated below an oceanfront blufftop area named Whites Point. White Point Beach is also part of a recreational park named White Point - Royal Palms Park. It is important to note that another separate beach named Royal Palms Beach is also a part of this park. There are varied theories as to how White Point Beach got its name - some say that this beach was named after a sailor named "White" who jumped off his ship and swam ashore to White Point Beach. However, others say that White Point Beach got its name due to the light-toned bluff-sides present along the beach which looked white to sailors who sailed in the water near the beach. Another theory says that this beach was named after a renowned local politician named Stephen White. During the late 19th century, Japanese immigrants operated an abalone harvesting and processing business in the area around this beach. A popular hot springs resort was also present in the area around the beach in the early part of the 20th century. White Point Beach and the area above it have many amenities including lifeguards, picnic tables, restrooms, walking trails, showers, and a children’s playground. Dogs are not allowed on the beach.

White Point Beach offers many fun activities including picnicking, tidepooling, wildlife watching, beachcombing, fishing, kayaking, surfing, bodyboarding, kitesurfing, windsurfing, canoeing, boating, surf-skiing, jet-skiing, scuba diving, and snorkelling. If you are planning to go into the water near this beach, we recommend being careful as the water here is known to have rip currents. In addition, the rocky shoreline around the beach can inflict grave injuries. However, despite the unsafe water conditions, scuba divers and snorkelers often enter the water near this beach to explore the vibrant marine landscape and biodiversity present here. The water near the beach has kelp beds, thermal vents, remains of a ship-wreck, and rocky reefs. The water here is also home to many kinds of fish including bass, halibut, leopard sharks (which are harmless), opaleye, garibaldi, and sheephead. You can also view interesting marine invertebrates here including limpets, sea stars, sea fans, crabs, sea snails, and cowries. Depending on the time of the year, you can also see many kinds of marine mammals in the water here including seals, sea lions, and migrating whales. If you like birdwatching, you can also view many kinds of shore birds around White Point Beach including pelicans and gulls. However, we recommend being careful while bird watching in White Point Beach as the gulls here can behave aggressively towards visitors. As an interesting fact, the beach is also home to a colony of feral cats. If you are planning to fish in the water near White Point Beach, please make sure that you follow the local fishing regulations. A popular activity in White Point Beach is tidepooling - during low tide, you can explore the interesting tidepools present around White Point Beach. These tidepools are home to many wonderful creatures including mussels, hermit crabs, barnacles, sea-snails, sea urchins, and starfish. However, we recommend being careful while interacting with the creatures in the tidepools in White Point Beach as harming them is prohibited - the intertidal ecosystem in this beach has been greatly damaged from recent over-exploitation. The blufftop area above this beach offers amazing Instagram-worthy views of the South California shoreline and the Pacific Ocean.

The White Point Nature Education Center and Preserve is also present near this beach. The 102-acre preserve offers an interesting insight into the local biodiversity and also provides an amazing hiking experience. The preserve also has a nature center which offers interesting exhibits about the local natural and cultural history. The preserve also has military installations dating back to the 1940s and a Cold War - era Nike Missile launching site.

Getting to White Point Beach is easy - from West Paseo Del Mar, you need to turn towards Kay Fiorentino Drive and drive left along this road. Kay Fiorentino Drive will lead you to the paid parking lot for White Point Beach. You can easily walk to the beach from this paid parking lot. We recommend wearing appropriate footwear while visiting White Point Beach as the beach is mostly rocky and can also be slippery during high tides.

There are many attractions near White Point Beach. Cabrillo Maritime Aquarium has interesting exhibits which highlight the amazing marine biodiversity of the Southern California coastline. In addition, this aquarium also offers interesting exhibits for kids and adults including informative lectures, whale watching trips, art classes, and workshops. The Korean Bell of Friendship (also known as the Korean Friendship Bell) is a massive bronze bell set within a beautiful wooden pavilion. This bell was presented by the Government of the Republic of Korea to the Government of the United States in 1976 and signifies the strong relations and amiability between both countries. If you are looking for another attraction near White Point Beach, the Los Angeles Maritime Museum has interesting exhibits on the history of commercial diving in the Los Angeles Harbor. The Los Angeles Maritime Museum also has models of a variety of ships including square-riggers and sailboats. The Los Angeles Maritime Museum also has a fully operational ham radio station. The museum also has a tugboat named Angels Gate which was built in the 1940s. 

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near White Point Beach. Think Prime Steakhouse is an upscale restaurant that offers delicious steaks. In addition, this restaurant also offers daily live music performances. Raffaello Ristorante is an Italian restaurant that offers amazing pastas, risotto, steaks, seafood, and poultry dishes. If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near White Point Beach, San Pedro Cafe offers amazing breakfast dishes, salads, soups, sandwiches, burgers, Mexican dishes, and pasta. The restaurant has also been praised by the Daily Breeze newspaper. 

If you are looking for a hotel near White Point Beach, there are many great options nearby. The 5-Star Terranea Resort has Mediterranean-style architecture. In addition, the hotel offers many amenities including access to a fitness center, eight restaurants, an adults-only spa, yoga classes, a nine-hole golf course, and four pools. As another upscale option, the 4-Star Hotel Maya - a DoubleTree by Hilton is 22 minutes away by car and offers many amenities including a restaurant, a fitness center, a pool, and a patio with fire-pits and cabanas. A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star Best Western Plus San Pedro Hotel & Suites which offers many amenities including a pool, a hot tub, a fitness center, and complimentary breakfast. If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near White Point Beach, the 2-Star Americas Best Value Inn Rancho Palos Verdes is located conveniently close to some of the major landmarks in Los Angeles County. In addition, the hotel also has a restaurant.