The Best Santa Monica Bay Beaches: Sun, Surf and Volleyball, What More Do You Want?

Santa Monica Bay has many beaches you can visit. I lived in Santa Monica for five years and definitely have my favorite beaches, but all of them really are wonderful to visit. Santa Monica Beach, Venice Beach, Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach though are my favorite Santa Monica Bay beaches and here is why.

Santa Monica Beach - Santa Monica Beach runs from halfway to Malibu to almost to Venice. It's a flat beach with nice relatively powdery sand and a wonderful boardwalk that goes for miles. Every morning, I used to get up early, take my rollerblades down to the beach and skate on the boardwalk from the Santa Monica Pier down to the lifeguard center on the way to Malibu. Early in the morning, it's very quiet, with only a few people around - a lovely time to get exercise and enjoy the Pacific Ocean. In the evening, I would run on the same boardwalk for around an hour. At this time of day, it's absolutely packed with people jogging, cycling and rollerblading so has a wonderful atmosphere. In the summer, the beach itself is very busy with tourists sunbathing, playing beach volleyball, and swimming. The water is actually very cold, even in the summer, so I never really liked to swim here. Santa Monica beach though is a great place to exercise, sunbathe, rollerblade, or even just eat lunch at one of the oceanside restaurants next to the boardwalk. Santa Monica Beach also has a nice pier with a small amusement park, shops and restaurants. The top of the ferris wheel on the pier is a fabulous place to see all of Santa Monica Bay.