Best Beaches near Hollywood

Visiting Hollywood and want to see beaches too? Hollywood is an inland district of LA but it still has easy access to beaches in Santa Monica, Venice, Malibu, Marina Del Rey, and other Los Angeles coastal communities. Santa Monica Boulevard (California State Hwy 2) and I-10 both end at the waterfront in Santa Monica, but the latter is often faster. Even though Hollywood is just 12 miles to the coast, plan on at least a half-hour drive which can be much worse during rush hour.

bigs-HOLLYWOOD-sign with flowers in foreground Los Angeles CA-e1 (Large)

Find parking in the area and then head out to the food and fun at Pacific Park on Santa Monica Pier. From there if you walk north you’ll be on Santa Monica State Beach’s north strand which continues up to Will Rogers State Beach. If you walk south from the pier you’ll be on South Beach which continues to Venice City Beach and then to Venice Pier Beach.

bigs-Santa Monica State Beach aerial shot showing pier and city-148775819 (Large)Santa Monica State Beach

Malibu is nearby and Sunset Boulevard is a great way to get there from Hollywood. Malibu has a host of famous beaches along Pacific Coast Highway that includes Surfrider, Zuma, and El Matador Beach, but this long south-facing coastline also has some of the best hidden beaches where you can find solitude (we have hidden one of the map above!).

Other popular beaches on Santa Monica Bay that are not far from Hollywood can be found at Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, and Hermosa Beach. Each has a pier, shops, restaurants, ample sand and lifeguards.

Palm trees and Pier at Manhattan Beach in Los Angeles at sunset.

See the map above and the list of suggested beaches near Hollywood below.