Things to do / Travel Guide
Address:Redondo Beach, California
The largest of Southern California's beach towns, Redondo Beach is a family-oriented community and the beach here is a great place to enjoy a day trip, or a lengthy vacation, with the kids. With California weather that's perfect for swimming, surfing, boogie boarding, snorkeling, or just sitting on the beach, everyone will find something to entertain them here.
If you enjoy people-watching, you'll love the typical beach day at Redondo State Beach, where thousands of people pass by on foot, wheelchair, bicycle, skateboard, rollerblade, and stroller, enjoying the sun and sand. The area is even more popular, though, for its sport-fishing, and for its dining options at the many restaurants on the pier and marina. Surfing is a huge part of the lifestyle here all year-round, and it's very common to see die-hard locals still out on the waters, catching waves on Christmas and New Year's Day. Beach Volleyball is also popular here, and the wide and flat sand beaches couldn't be better for it. There are permanent poles and nets maintained by the city year-round for the sport.
When you're ready to take a break from the sand, check out the Redondo Beach Pier (open 24/7) where there's free public fishing, and free concerts on Thursday and Saturday evenings. There are also plenty of restaurants, gift shops, and boutiques, as well as a dance club and jazz and blues club. Redondo also has a large marina and, of course, a lovely boardwalk for strolling and biking.
Note that the beach gets quite busy on summer weekends, and the most convenient parking option in the area can be found in the big, paid, multi-story structure at the pier. You can also try to see if you can grab one of the limited metered parking spots at Veterans Park, located off Catalina Avenue, above the beach. There are restrooms and showers available here, as well as a lifeguard on duty during daylight hours.
Recently, Redondo Beach has become a popular place for filming production as well, including Rob Schneider's The Hot Chick (2002) which featured the long row of benches at Redondo High's football field. Finally, the Beach is filled with great dining options. Everything from fast food and ethnic food to seafood and steaks can be found here at Redondo Beach.