Beach Questions from a Beach Newbie

[Delilah1310]

okay ... for beach people this is probably a really stupid question, but I don't understand the multiple names of beaches within the beaches.

For example, a friend recommended that we go to Newport beach. OK, so I go to the website http://www.visitnewportbeach.com and then there are like 6 different beaches -

crystal cove
corona del mar
little corona in corona del mar
the wedge
upper newport bay
newport municipal beach
newport pier at balboa

laguna is the same.

so ... as a beach newbie, what does this mean? Can we walk from one to the other? are these beaches within the beaches so distinct? is there anything to keep in mind when considering kiddos at these places?

Also I see a lot of complaints about parking. is there a site or something that can help show me where I can park?

We are going in early August and want to do a beach afternoon / after lunch visit to the beach and stay through sunset. We are staying at the Grand Californian and have a car.

obviously, we are not really beach people, so thanks for any advice you can give me.

 

[SMD]

There is no beach within a beach. Newport Beach is an actual city that encompasses more than just the coast. I'm surprised a box with that info didn't show up in Google or it wasn't clear that that URL is referring the a city, not a strip of sand.

If you want to go to the beach for lunch, Huntington Beach pier is close and relatively straight forward. Anaheim Tour Company also does OC beach tours that leave from the DLR area that would take away the parking issue.

 

[DLgal]

okay ... for beach people this is probably a really stupid question, but I don't understand the multiple names of beaches within the beaches.

For example, a friend recommended that we go to Newport beach. OK, so I go to the website http://www.visitnewportbeach.com and then there are like 6 different beaches -

crystal cove
corona del mar
little corona in corona del mar
the wedge
upper newport bay
newport municipal beach
newport pier at balboa

laguna is the same.

so ... as a beach newbie, what does this mean? Can we walk from one to the other? are these beaches within the beaches so distinct? is there anything to keep in mind when considering kiddos at these places?

Also I see a lot of complaints about parking. is there a site or something that can help show me where I can park?

We are going in early August and want to do a beach afternoon / after lunch visit to the beach and stay through sunset. We are staying at the Grand Californian and have a car.

obviously, we are not really beach people, so thanks for any advice you can give me.

With kids, you want to go to Corona del Mar. Newport Beach is a city. Within it, there are several beaches. Corona del Mar is our favorite due to the facilities, calm waters, gorgeous cliff views, ample parking, restaurant on the beach, and ample lifeguards.

Crystal Cove is a State Park. It's not really a swimming beach. It's VERY difficult to access...you must traverse down a long steep set of stairs or use a long winding path. There are no bathrooms. Not sure there are lifeguards. People typically just walk/jog on this beach.

Little Corona is the same as Crystal Cove. No parking or facilities nearby.

The Wedge is a popular surf spot at the far end of Newport Municipal Beach on the other side of the jetty near Corona del Mar. Waves here are GIANT and there is a dangerous undertow. This beach is for surfers and expert swimmers only. NOT a spot for kids.

Upper Newport Bay is a nature preserve. It's not a beach. It's WAY inland on a bay of water. You can see lots of wildlife here, rent kayaks, etc.

Newport Pier at Balboa is the main pier at Newport Municipal Beach. Balboa is the name of the peninsula that the beach is on (Corona del Mar is not on the peninsula, it's on the other side, south of Balboa). There is a waterway for boats to enter/exit Newport Harbor between the two. The pier is for fishing and at the very end is a restaurant called Ruby's Diner. It's a Southern CA staple. It's a 50's style burger joint. This main beach has a parking lot and bathrooms and lifeguards but is usually kind of dirty, and it gets very crowded. It is also harder to get to, traffic wise.

Corona del Mar has parking but it often fills up. I recommend going on a weekday rather than a weekend. You pay for parking by the hour. There are machines that take credit cards and you pay in advance for how long you plan to stay. I want to say it is like $2-3 per hour? The lot is literally right ON the beach. If you want to skip paying or the lot is full, there is plenty of street parking in the neighborhood above the beach, but it's about a 10 minute walk down, and steep in spots (it's a paved trail).


Don't bother going all the way to Laguna. Parking there is a nightmare and honestly, the beaches aren't as nice, IMO.

Huntington Beach, I just don't like. It's ugly, kind of dirty, and just too much like LA.

 

[oakleycat]

Agree, assuming you're traveling with kids go to Corona del Mar! Beautiful beach, tide pools for exploring, nice facilities and the parking is not too bad.

 

[Delilah1310]

Thank you so much, @DLgal! this is very helpful!!!

 

[Tarheel girl 1975]

We spent 3 days in Laguna Beach and spent one morning at Crystal Cove Historic District. We really liked it. There are two restaurants there, one one the beach and a Ruby's shake shack up on the cliff. The parking isn't right next to the beach, but the walk isn't too bad or you can pay to take the shuttle.