Latigo Beach

Located on the east side of Latigo Shore Drive (which is also known as Seagull Drive) in the city of Malibu, Latigo Beach is an excellent beach for surfers and families. This beach is very calm and has lots of sand as most of the wind coming from the coast is blocked by Latigo Shore Drive. It is relatively quiet and less crowded in comparison to other nearby beaches – the locals have hired a security guard to make sure unauthorized people do not park on Latigo Shore Drive.

There are no public amenities available here. Latigo Beach is known for its slow and long waves, making it a popular point break for beginners as well as experienced surfers.

You can also enjoy doing other activities here including fishing, swimming, and scuba diving beneath kelp forests. You can also walk to tide pools on the west side of the beach to check if the tide is low. Please note that Latigo Beach is lined with private homes and condominiums, and public visitors must stay "seaward of the mean high tide line," which means staying 10-15 feet from the properties that line the beach.

Getting to this beach is very easy – while driving on the Pacific Coast Highway, lookout for a "Coastal Access" sign that points into Latigo Shore Drive. There is free parking available on the west side of Pacific Coast Highway; if you park on Latigo Shore Drive, you may get a ticket. To access the beach, there is a public staircase with 55 stairs located near the intersection of Latigo Shore Drive and Pacific Coast Highway which will take you directly to the beach.

Latigo Beach is four-and-a-half miles north of Malibu Pier which is a historic tourist attraction site famous for its iconic dual white towers, rough-hewn planks, and restaurants. Visitors can also shop, fish, watch dolphins, and meet movie stars here on a lucky day. If you like hiking, Vanalden Cave is a sandstone formation in the Santa Monica Mountains which is about 25-feet tall, 25-feet wide, and 50-feet deep. The 1.55-mile long and 100-feet tall Vanalden trail leads to a vista point that provides an incredible view of the Santa Monica Mountains. Point Dume is a large rock-like plateau that juts out into the Pacific Ocean which is an 11-minute drive away – it is great for hiking as well, especially for beginners because of its natural climbing wall with moderate single-pitch rock climbing routes. If you need to use restrooms or showers, you can walk a few minutes to Dan Blocker Beach at the east end of Latigo Beach.

If you get hungry, there are many restaurants within a 10-minute drive. Spruzzo Restaurant & Bar is a vegetarian-friendly Italian restaurant-bar offering pizza, pasta, sandwiches, cocktails, drinks, and desserts. Geoffrey's is an upscale restaurant that serves special diets for vegans and was mentioned in ‘The 100 most scenic restaurants in the US’ by Business Insider. Lily's Malibu is an affordable vegetarian-friendly Mexican eatery with a nice menu that includes burritos, tacos, and French fries.

If you are looking for a place to stay near Latigo Beach, you can drive 10-minutes to various hotels nearby. The 5-Star luxurious beachfront hotel Nobu Ryokan Malibu has a fitness center with a gym. The Surfrider, Malibu is a 4-Star hotel – it has many amenities including a lounge, rooftop bar, and restaurant. Malibu Country Inn is a pet-friendly 3-Star hotel with a pool and an outdoor fireplace. If you are looking for an affordable option, the 2-Star hotel Native allows pets and provides hiking tours.