Pirate's Cove Beach

Located in the city of Malibu, Pirate’s Cove Beach is a small and excellent beach on the west side of Point Dume. The beach was the shooting spot for the final scene of the classic 1968 movie Planet of the Apes. Pirate’s Cove Beach has a few fun activities including swimming, hiking, and photography. Getting close to the beach is very easy – after you get off of Pacific Coast Highway, drive down on Westward Beach Road to the last paid parking lot on Westward Beach. However, once you arrive access to Pirate’s Cove Beach is difficult and if you’re walking is only possible during low tide. You will start at the southern end of Westward Beach where a high rock wall with large boulders stands and then need to go around the many large and small rocks that surround the water along the base of Point Dume. We don’t recommend it, but during deep waters and high tides, visitors can hike up and climb over a rugged path behind the boulders to reach Pirate’s Cove Beach.

If you are looking for attractions near Pirate’s Cove Beach, there are many within a 20-minute drive. Point Dume is a beautiful and large promontory that projects into the Pacific Ocean and forms the northern end of Santa Monica Bay – and offers an incredible view and is a fantastic place for Instagram-worthy pictures, and is also a perfect spot for hiking, especially for beginners because of its natural climbing wall with moderate single-pitch rock climbing routes. Spread across 1,000 acres on the Saddleback Ranch, Malibu Wine Safaris features wine tastings, a visit to the ancient Chumash cave paintings, and safari trips to see zebras, camels, alpacas, bison, and a giraffe named Stanley. Heal the Bay Aquarium, also known as the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium, is a short drive down Pacific Coast Highway that offers educational programs, and events to spread awareness for marine conservation, pollution prevention, and environmental education to over 100,000 visitors every year. Another good option near Pirate’s Cove Beach is Paramount Ranch, a national park with several multi-use trails for mountain bikers and hiking which will take you through chaparral, riparian, and valley oak savannah plant communities – it’s also a great place wildlife sightings that include red-tailed hawks, acorn woodpeckers, blue heron, and deer. Paramount Ranch has been featured as an old western town in many famed Hollywood movies and television series, most notably Caught in the Draft, The Lake House, and Westworld.

If you are looking for attractions near Pirate’s Cove Beach, there are many within a 20-minute drive. Point Dume is a beautiful and large promontory that projects into the Pacific Ocean and forms the northern end of Santa Monica Bay – and offers an incredible view and is a fantastic place for Instagram-worthy pictures, and is also a perfect spot for hiking, especially for beginners because of its natural climbing wall with moderate single-pitch rock climbing routes. Spread across 1,000 acres on the Saddleback Ranch, Malibu Wine Safaris features wine tastings, a visit to the ancient Chumash cave paintings, and safari trips to see zebras, camels, alpacas, bison, and a giraffe named Stanley. Heal the Bay Aquarium, also known as the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium, is a short drive down Pacific Coast Highway that offers educational programs, and events to spread awareness for marine conservation, pollution prevention, and environmental education to over 100,000 visitors every year. Another good option near Pirate’s Cove Beach is Paramount Ranch, a national park with several multi-use trails for mountain bikers and hiking which will take you through chaparral, riparian, and valley oak savannah plant communities – it’s also a great place wildlife sightings that include red-tailed hawks, acorn woodpeckers, blue heron, and deer. Paramount Ranch has been featured as an old western town in many famed Hollywood movies and television series, most notably Caught in the Draft, The Lake House, and Westworld.

If you get hungry, you can drive four-minutes to The Sunset Restaurant, an excellent American restaurant located directly on nearby Westward Beach that offers a comfortable setting with comfortable couches, has a great bar area, and a diverse menu that includes starters, salads, burgers, rolls, tacos, and wines. If you love Italian food, Spruzzo Restaurant & Bar offers pizza, pasta, sandwiches, cocktails, drinks, and desserts. Another great restaurant near Pirate’s Cove Beach is Sabor A Malibu which means Taste of Malibu in Spanish – and features street-food items of many international cuisines, including Mexican, American, European, and Albanian dishes.

If you are looking for a hotel near Pirate’s Cove Beach, you can drive five-minutes to the upscale Jet Luxury Resorts Malibu Estate that sits over an acre of oceanfront land and has many amenities including a pool, spa with waterfalls, tennis court, basketball court, and wine cellar. The Surfrider Hotel, Malibu is a 4-Star hotel featuring a lounge, rooftop bar, and restaurant. Other affordable hotels include the pet-friendly Malibu Country Inn which has a pool and an outdoor fireplace, and the 2-Star hotel The M Malibu which has a pool and wine tasting sessions.