Sorrento Beach

Sorrento Beach is the northernmost beach in Santa Monica State Beach yet just one mile from the Santa Monica Pier. This is an enormous beach with sand volleyball courts, a bike path, and a playground for kids.

The Sorrento Beach parking lot (signed “Lot 8 North”) is located on Pacific Coast Highway where Montana Ave would end if the street continued all the way to PCH. A pedestrian overpass takes beachgoers from downtown Santa Monica at Montana Ave to Sorrento Beach. This lot is just north of the “California Incline” where California Avenue descends the steep bluff down to PCH.

Palisades Park is the blufftop park between Ocean Avenue and PCH that looks down on Sorrento Beach. Views from the bluff are spectacular and it’s popular for walking and running due to wide paths that stretch for miles.

When you get to Sorrento Beach, if you have children, stop at North Beach Playground for them to see what it’s like before venturing onto the sand. A wooden platform has been installed on the sand to make it easier to walk from the parking lot to the ocean, a distance of over two football fields.

Walking at the water’s edge is pleasant here and you can go for miles. To the north you’ll be on Will Rogers State Beach and to the south you’ll be on Santa Monica State Beach on the way to and beyond the pier. If walking on a paved path sounds better (or if you have a bike), you can take the Marvin Braude Bike Path which meanders along the back of the beach and continues south for about 20 miles.

Santa Monica Pier is visible to the south from Sorrento Beach. If you haven’t been on that pier before, it’s worth the walk down there to check it out. The pier is home to an amusement park, an aquarium, restaurants, and so much more.

Sorrento Beach is known for its beach volleyball courts and has been since the 1950’s when the beach got its nickname from the Sorrento Grill which was next to the courts. This greasy spoon, which had a volleyball “Wall of Fame,” was demolished in 1975, but the name for this stretch of beach continues today.

Address

800 Pacific Coast Hwy
Santa Monica, CA 90403

Phone

310-458-8300

Park Name

Santa Monica State Beach, Palisades Park

Owner

State Parks

Pet Details

No dogs allowed on the beach

Fees

Fee for parking in the lot

Activities

Beach Volleyball, Biking, Running, Swimming, Sunbathing, Surfing, Beach Walking

Amenities

Paved Bike Path, Restrooms, Showers, Volleyball Courts, Lifeguards

Links

Water Quality
Water Temperatures
Tide Charts