Woods Cove Beach

Woods Cove Beach is in a sandy cove that has rocky points at both ends and fancy Laguna Beach homes high above the bluff. Bette Davis lived in the English Tudor home just north of the stairs and it is now a registered historic structure.

Lovers Cove is the nickname of the southern part of this beach (south of the stairs). At the north end there is a rock arch that leads to Pearl Street Beach at low tides. This arch looks like a keyhole from some angles and is nicknames the Keystone Arch. Large rocks poke out of the water just offshore at the point and can be quite spectacular when large waves are present (don’t be on them during high surf).

This beach can be mostly wet at high tide so plan accordingly. At low tide the south end of the beach exposes tide pools to explore and another rock arch. When conditions are calm, Woods Cove is a real treat for scuba divers, but this is not a great swimming beach as rocks and rip tides can make it unsafe.

A steep stairway provides access near the center of Woods Cove. The entrance to these stairs is where where Diamond Street ends at Ocean Way one block west of Pacific Coast Highway (Hwy 1). Look for street parking nearby on Ocean Way or PCH.

Ruby Street Park is a small yet picturesque spot one block south at Ruby St. The overlook in the park has views out to the ocean and down to Woods and Lovers Coves (no beach access from the park).

Address

Ocean Way & Diamond St
Laguna Beach, CA 92651

Phone

949-497-0310

Park Name

Ruby Street Park

Other Names

Wood's Cove, Lover's Cove, Diamond Cove

Owner

City Beach

Pet Details

Dogs not allowed on beach 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. from June 15th through Sept 10th. At all other times they must be on a leash

Fees

Limited free street parking

Activities

Scuba Diving, Sunbathing, Tidepooling

Amenities

Lifeguard, Benches, Tide Pools, Rock Arch

Links

Water Quality
Water Temps
Tide Chart