Venice Beach

Overview

Located in the city of Venice in Southern California, Venice Beach – also known as Venice City Beach - is an extremely popular three-mile-long beach with light brown sand and rocky breakwaters.  The beach area is very large – approximately 238 acres in size. 

The southern portion of Venice Beach is known as Venice Pier Beach which is named after a 1,300-feet long pier named the Venice Pier.   

Venice Beach attracts nearly 10 million visitors a year and is one of the most popular beaches in California, and in 2022 was named the 3rd Best Beach in the Top 50 Beaches in the United States by Randall Kaplan, the world's foremost beach expert who is known as Mr. Beach. 

Amenities

Venice Beach has lifeguards from 8 am to sunset during summers, and offers many other amenities including picnic areas, restrooms, showers, bike rental facilities, a bike path, grassy recreational areas, paddle tennis courts, basketball courts, skateboarding, volleyball courts, handball courts, walking paths, nearby watersports equipment rental facilities, and a kids’ play area.  Dogs are not allowed on Venice Beach. 

Disabilities Access

Venice Beach also offers accessibility to people with disabilities - this beach has a beach access mat for visitors on wheelchairs which is located to the west of Venice Boulevard near a bike-rental concession stand.  Please note that this access mat is available for use between April and October only.  In addition, there are complimentary beach wheelchairs on a first-come-first-serve basis between 9 am and 5 pm at the lifeguard headquarters which is located near 2300 Ocean Front Walk.  You can contact the lifeguard headquarters by phone at (310) 827-4873 for more information regarding the wheelchair booking rules.  You can also rent beach wheelchairs from Jay’s rentals at  1501 Ocean Front Walk.

Activities

Venice Beach offers many fun activities including sunbathing, beachcombing, wildlife watching, picnicking, fishing, volleyball, biking, swimming, surfing, bodyboarding, bodysurfing, skimboarding, kneeboarding, paddleboarding, kayaking, canoeing, surf skiing, scuba diving, snorkeling, jet-skiing, waterskiing, boating, windsurfing, kitesurfing, and paddleboarding. 

Venice Beach is popular with surfers because the water here occasionally offers fun surfing waves, particularly during early morning - the most popular surfing site at Venice Beach is around a breakwater named the Venice Breakwater.  In addition, the area around the Venice Pier is also a popular surfing site.  If you’re going into the water, please note that Venice Beach that the organization Heal the Bay has named Venice Beach on its “Beach Bummer List” of the 10 most polluted beaches in the State of California.

Interesting Fact

Venice Beach has a very popular and world-famous outdoor workout area named Muscle Beach that is also known as Muscle Beach Venice - this workout area started in 1963 and is known as “the home of bodybuilding” and has many amenities including weightlifting equipment and a large sandbox that has equipment for gymnastics, rope climbing, and acrobatics. 

Please also note that the Muscle Beach in Venice should not be confused with the “Original” Muscle Beach in Santa Monica which is located just south of the Santa Monica Pier.  The “Original” Muscle Beach was established in the 1930’s and became popular in the 1950s.  Similar to Muscle Beach in Venice, it has a large variety of workout equipment and also has an extensive gymnastics training area, chinning bars at various heights, parallel bars, rings, a small jungle gym for children, and a padded gymnastics area.

Accessibility and Parking

Getting to Venice Beach is easy - this beach is located near 2700-3100 Ocean Front Walk and there is a paid parking lot near the western end of Venice Boulevard at 2100 Ocean Front Walk.  In addition, there is a second paid parking lot near the southwestern end of Rose Avenue.  In addition to these two parking lots, you can also park at a third paid parking lot that is located at the southern end of Venice Beach near the Venice Pier.  This paid parking lot is located near the intersection between West Washington Boulevard and Ocean Front Walk - once you park at this parking lot, you can then walk north along the shoreline to reach the main portion of Venice Beach. 

In addition to the paid parking lots, there are also free street parking spaces that are located along many streets near Venice Beach - the closest streets that offer free street parking near Venice Beach include Pacific Avenue and Strongs Drive.  In addition, you can also park your car at the free street parking spaces that are located along 18th Avenue, Mildred Avenue, Abbot Kinney Boulevard and Venice Way.  In addition to these free street parking spaces, metered street parking spaces are also located along Washington Boulevard and Main Street - once you park your car at these street parking spaces, you can easily walk to Venice Beach.

If you want to travel to this beach by public transportation without paying any charges, there is a complimentary beach shuttle service that operates during the summer, weekends, and select holidays.Please visit Los Angeles County’s website for more information regarding the seasonal shuttle bus operational time and the bus route stops.

Attractions

There are many attractions near Venice Beach.  The Venice Beach Boardwalk – also known as Ocean Front Walk - is an oceanfront promenade over two miles long that is famous for having many interesting street vendors and street performers.  The walls of buildings around this boardwalk also have interesting murals painted by local artists.  If you like roller skating and skateboarding, the world-famous oceanfront Venice Beach Skatepark is located between the Venice Beach Boardwalk and the ocean - this skate park offers a fun skateboarding and roller skating experience.  Venice Beach Recreation Center offers many fun activities including basketball, handball, paddle tennis, and volleyball.  If you like shopping, Abbot Kinney is a mile-long street that has many shopping stores, fitness studios, art galleries, and restaurants.  It has been named by GQ magazine as "The Coolest Block in America” and also hosts many fun events including the Abbot Kinney First Fridays.

Restaurants

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Venice Beach.  Forma offers a diverse, contemporary Italian menu in a modern setting and serves a wide variety of freshly cooked pasta finished in large cheese wheels – and also features an excellent variety of other entrees, wine, beer, and cheese tasting options.  The Waterfront is a popular local favorite with a vivid decor and a casual ambiance that serves delicious Coastal California cuisine including seafood, tacos, burgers, salads, chicken wings, fries, sandwiches, and avocado toast.  The Rose Venice is a popular local restaurant that offers a variety of delicious seasonal dishes with local and international culinary influences, and it also has a beer garden and outdoor dining area.  If you are looking for another good restaurant in Venice, Gjusta is a bakery and café that serves globally inspired dishes in a fast-casual setting. 

Hotels

If you are looking for a hotel near Venice Beach, there are many great nearby options.  The 5-Star Ritz-Carlton, Marina del Rey offers many amenities including a saltwater pool, a tennis court, a basketball court, two restaurants, a fitness center, a spa, bicycle rental facilities, poolside cabanas, a gift shop, a jewelry shop, access to nearby walking trails, and car rental facilities.  Another upscale hotel is the 4-Star Hotel ERWIN (also called Hotel Erwin) that is a popular boutique hotel with modern design and many amenities including a rooftop lounge, a welcome drink at arrival, and loaner facilities for bikes and helmets, mini coolers, sports equipment, yoga mats, beach chairs, beach umbrellas, and a restaurant.  This hotel has also been praised by many online and print publications and news channels including Travel + Leisure magazine, Los Angeles Magazine, the food website Eater, and the news network NBC.  A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star AIR Venice which offers many amenities including vending machines, ice machines, and bike rental services