Point Vicente(Palos Verdes Peninsula, Point Vicente Lighthouse)

Located in the southern part of the Palos Verdes Peninsula, Point Vicente is a bluff-top park featuring walking trails, an interpretive center, and the iconic Point Vicente Lighthouse. The park was earlier known as Point Vincente. The grounds around the lighthouse and the interpretive center are part of Vicente Bluffs Preserve. A narrow and rocky beach is present below Point Vicente. 

While this beach has no lifeguards, the nearby park offers a number of other amenities including restrooms, walking trails, and picnic tables. 

The beach and the park offer a number of fun activities including swimming, snorkeling, boating, canoeing, surfing, tide pooling, beachcombing, hiking, biking, kayaking, wildlife watching, beach walking, kitesurfing, boogie boarding, and paddle boarding. The water near Point Vicente is known for dangerous rip currents, so it’s best to be careful when swimming or engaging in water sports here. The park near the beach has a coastal scrub habitat that can be explored via hiking and biking trails. Point Vicente is a famous spot for whale watching; many visitors gather along the bluff top areas here to see migrating grey whales generally from December to April. Other creatures found in the waters around Point Vicente are seals, sea-lions, and dolphins. The preserve also houses the Point Vicente Interpretive Centre which has interesting exhibits giving a peek into the vibrant biodiversity, geology, and history of Rancho Palos Verdes and features a native plant garden. The Point Vicente Lighthouse is a part of the United States’ National Register for Historic Places. It is open for tours and visitation on the second Saturday of every month between 10 am to 3 pm. On the first Saturday of March, a local celebration commemorating the annual grey whale is held in Point Vicente, which sees cultural performances, exhibitions, and live music being organized near the lighthouse.

The beach below Point Vicente is accessible from the nearby Pelican Cove Beach(situated at 31300 Palos Verdes Drive South), from where you can walk along the shoreline to the beach below Point Vicente. There is a free parking lot near Pelican Cove Beach.

The beach and the park offer a number of fun activities including swimming, snorkeling, boating, canoeing, surfing, tide pooling, beachcombing, hiking, biking, kayaking, wildlife watching, beach walking, kitesurfing, boogie boarding, and paddle boarding. The water near Point Vicente is known for dangerous rip currents, so it’s best to be careful when swimming or engaging in water sports here. The park near the beach has a coastal scrub habitat that can be explored via hiking and biking trails. Point Vicente is a famous spot for whale watching; many visitors gather along the bluff top areas here to see migrating grey whales generally from December to April. Other creatures found in the waters around Point Vicente are seals, sea-lions, and dolphins. The preserve also houses the Point Vicente Interpretive Centre which has interesting exhibits giving a peek into the vibrant biodiversity, geology, and history of Rancho Palos Verdes and features a native plant garden. The Point Vicente Lighthouse is a part of the United States’ National Register for Historic Places. It is open for tours and visitation on the second Saturday of every month between 10 am to 3 pm. On the first Saturday of March, a local celebration commemorating the annual grey whale is held in Point Vicente, which sees cultural performances, exhibitions, and live music being organized near the lighthouse.

If you're looking for a restaurant, Mar’sel is a fine dining restaurant offering California Coastal cuisine made with locally sourced ingredients and serves great seafood and steak. A family-friendly dining option is Fu Yuan Low, which offers excellent Chinese dishes including egg rolls, chow-mein, Mushi pork, and fu young. The modestly priced Happy Diner which is 20 minutes away also offers great breakfast dishes, burgers, and fries.

If you are looking for a hotel near Point Vicente, there are many great options. The 4-Star Shade Hotel Redondo Beach is 30 minutes away and features a variety of amenities including a restaurant, a pool, a hot tub, and a spa. A more affordable option is the 3-Star Bluestem Hotel Torrance- Los Angeles, Ascend Hotel Collection which is 22 minutes away and features a fitness center. The modestly priced 2-Star Travelodge by Wyndham Harbor City is another good option.