Terranea Beach — Attraction in Rancho Palos Verdes

A spectacular well-hidden spot that’s open to the public not just the resort.

For those who may not know, this spot is entirely open to the public. We initially went there and saw lots of cars entering the resort with valet parking up to $25 per day and parking lots for guests only. It’s very confusing, maybe cause the resort doesn’t want hundreds of people crowding their space.

But if you park on the street before you hit the valet entrance, parking is completely free. And there’s a side walk trail that avoids the golf course and goes straight to this point. About a 5-10 minute walk, but the plants trees and views are so incredible you won’t even realize it.

Once there, there’s a place to rent kayaks, practice archery, or simply lounge around. Several wooden chairs are organized by the park managers for anyone to use. There’s also a rocky area. Our favorite though is this short little hill you climb to get amazing views of the ocean from the cliff.

Seriously - check this place out. You won’t be disappointment.

Just a small thing to be aware of in case you’re interested: you cannot directly see the sunset from this area; it faces a...

A very small little rocky beach almost hidden as a private beach belonging to the resort. Glad I drove up to ask the guard at the booth and found out there’s free public parking area and free public access to the beach. A short 5-15 minutes trail walk (depends how fast or slow you walk) to reach the beach. Very cozy little enclosed beach, with boat rental available (closed) and rows of empty chairs to relax on. Love the natural rock formation there with holes all over the rocks! I visited during full moon when the tide is higher which prevented easy access to the cave. Gotta return during low tide so I can walk over and check out the cave next time. I was there on a Monday around 5-6 pm and there were only a handful of people I passed by. Love the peace and serenity of enjoying nature the way nature is meant to be enjoyed. Definitely worth a quick rest stop if in the area for a relaxing hike and a meal or dessert before or after the hike...

Gorgeous little beach cove at Terranea Resort, accessible to the public as well as resort guests. It's a rock shoreline, fun to climb down and get splashed. There's a small, sandy area for sand play. The best part is you can climb over the rocks to see a cave! It's really cool to see waves pounding and splashing into the cave. No shade, so definitely bring an umbrella/tent/hat. The beach is in a little cove so it gets extra hot...