Best Beaches near Anaheim | Daytrips from Disneyland
The Best Beaches near Anaheim, California
Are you thinking of take a day off from the Disneyland parks and giving those sore feet a break? There is no better way to spend a down-day than by hopping over to the fabulous beaches near Anaheim and the Disneyland Parks.
The journey is only 30 minutes by car in good traffic, and well worth the drive to enjoy the pleasant breezes and beautiful water.
There are several beaches to choose from, and my family and I visited all these beaches while in the area. There are similar in some ways, and different in others. I’ll break down each beach below, and tell you why these are the best beaches near Anaheim in California! Don’t forget to pack all the essentials Grab the 10 Best Beach Day Items on a Budget.
If you’re in the Anaheim area and looking to get the most out of your trip, be sure to check out my other posts for First Timers Guide to Disneyland or The 27 BEST Things To Do In Anaheim With Kids (By A Mom!) 2024 Guide
Below you’ll find an outline of the best beaches near Anaheim in California.
1. Long Beach
Long beach is one of the most famous beaches near Anaheim, it is also home to a massive marina filled with boats of all shapes and sizes.
Parking costs are $1.50/hr down by the sand. The sand is beautiful, and there are miles and miles of it for you to enjoy next to the breaking waves.
There is a 5 mile stretch of bike lane where you can rent e-bikes, peddle bikes, boogie boards etc. We enjoyed the 4 mile SE stretch peddling on a family-style bicycle. The cost was $30/hr for the family bike.
There is plenty to keep you occupied in Long Beach, it is the permanent home of:
- The RMS Queen Mary ship
- The Shoreline Village complex
- The Aquarium of the Pacific
The RMS Queen Mary made her maiden voyage in 1936 as a passenger ship from Southampton, England. She was retired from service in 1967 after a decrease of passenger demand, and found her permanent home docked at Long Beach in California.
After multiple tenants over the years, the ships lease was surrendered back to the City of Long Beach where extensive restoration work began.
The Queen Mary boasts a unique hotel with over 300 original first class staterooms, many dining options, daily public tours including: historical, ghost and engineering tours along with rotating exhibits and meeting rooms.
The Shoreline Village is a waterfront shopping district, with dining, and fun activities for all, overlooking Long Beach’s gorgeous Rainbow Harbor. Here is a list of all the activities you can do there:
- Parasailing
- Sailing
- Carousel
- Bike Rentals
- Harbor Cruises
- Family Photos
- Shopping
- Dining
- Boat Rentals
2. Seal Beach
Seal beach was easily my favorite beach stop! Although we didn’t spot any seals this day, unfortunately. We are a family that doesn’t enjoy huge crowds, so we felt right at home in this quaint seaside town.
Parking was limited, but if you’re up for a bit of a walk during peak times you could park on the street and walk down to the sand and pier. The lot was $10/day.
The sand was white and expansive; plenty of room for everybody there. A short walk from the parking lot had you close to the water or walking along the long pier where plenty of people were trying their luck at fishing.
There is a playground next to the parking lot and pier along with toilets.
While we were at Seal Beach, there were numerous groups of junior lifeguards in training. Probably 150 kids in total. We enjoyed watching the kids jump off the high pier into the ocean below, along with all the training they were conducting on the sand.
Duck off Ocean Ave and onto Main St for loads of restaurants and neat seaside shops. It was all decked out in flags for the 4th of July while we were visiting.
Pro Food tip: The Hangout Restaurant is a highly rated place to get breakfast, lunch and dinner all at reasonable prices. It sits on the corner of Ocean and Main, with views out over the pier and water.
3. Bolsa Chica Beach
Bolsa Chica Beach is a MASSIVE expanse of beach that is owned by the State of California. It offers firepits, clean toilets, white sand beach and RV spots. It is $15/day to park in their many many parking lots.
The main entry point is off Warner Ave where you pay to enter the area. There are 3 restaurants that we noticed while there, all offering outdoor seating options for the best view of the ocean and sand. They include:
This beach also backs on to the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve. The Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve is an approximately 1,300 acre coastal estuary.
Habitats include open water, mudflats, salt marsh, coastal dunes, seabird nesting islands, riparian, and freshwater marsh. M
ore than 200 avian species have been identified at Bolsa Chica and the reserve is very popular with birders and photographers.
4. Dog Beach (At Huntington)
We made a quick pit-stop here to take in the views. The parking is severely limited here ($3.50/hr), and the beach is set down below a large cliff. There were tons of people enjoying off-leash time with their dogs on this beach.
It is recommended that you keep you dog leashed until you reach the sand. The parking lot is very close to the Pacific Coast Highway, and a dog could easily escape into fast moving traffic otherwise.
There is a doggy drinking fountain, a fenced in area for smaller dogs, and a place to wash the salt water off your dog before returning to your vehicle.
The public toilets in this area are not good (at least they weren’t when we stopped there) – they were dirty and smelly.
Find more information about this dog beach on the the Huntington Dog Beach Website.
5. Huntington Beach
We made a stop at Huntington Beach for a couple of hours.
Pro tip: We grabbed a snack from Jack’s Beach Concession and Bike Rental. I recommend trying the shaved ice!
We were really surprised at the sheer size of Huntington State Beach. It is right off the Pacific Coast Highway, and offers plenty of parking opportunities. We ended up parking right on the highway because we weren’t able to find a spot within the parking lots. It costs $3.50/hr or $15/day.
Huntington Beach felt commercialized to us. There were big box stores and expensive waterfront resorts right on the main drive. It doesn’t detract from the beauty of the area, but we found it really busy with sun-seeking tourists.
The sandy part of the beach was the biggest we saw, and it was quite a long walk to the ocean. We found some handy walk-ways though, that saved our feet and legs to grab a spot close to the water so we could watch the surfers.
Pro Food Tip: If you’re looking for a unique dining experience, check out the Sahara Sandbar and Pizza right on the beach. It offers homemade pizzas, yummy cocktails, cornhole games, and swinging seats.
6. Newport Beach
Newport Beach was my second favorite beach after Seal Beach! This beautiful area kind of felt like a larger scale version of Seal Beach to be honest. It still had the charm of a small seaside town complete with a fish market right on the water. It was however VERY busy.
We ended up parking several blocks back from the beach in the residential area. At the time we visited, everyone was amping up for the 4th of July celebrations, so it may have been extra busy because of the holiday. Parking was $3.75/hr.
There were plenty of restaurants, snack shops, and rentals right next to the white expansive sand.
The seaside houses had a ton of old world charm, with many boasting plaques stating they were built in the early 1900’s.
Pro Food Tip: We stopped by a famous donut shop on the street directly opposite the beach. There was lots of a variety, and we thoroughly enjoyed our yummy treat! Check out Seaside Donuts Bakery if you’re in the area.
There are also places to rent e-bikes, family bicycles, beach equipment (umbrellas and chairs), and boogie boards etc. Enjoy a walk along the expansive pier and check out what the fishermen are catching!
The toilets were plentiful and clean in this area. The streets are narrow, and the traffic congestion is on the higher side – just as a heads up.
FAQ
Lets dive right into the most asked questions about the beaches near Anaheim including their locations along the coast!
Map of the Beaches Near Anaheim
Need a Break from the Disney Magic
I know how fun Disneyland can be, but it can also be tiring and hot. Taking a quick trip out to the coast for some cool ocean breezes, and relaxation is just the ticket to getting the most out of your holiday to the Los Angeles and Anaheim areas.
The temperature on average was around 5C cooler out on the coast than it was inland. This can be a little deceiving, because although you feel comfortable in the hot California sun – it’s power is just as strong in terms of UV rays. Make sure you pack lots of water and sunscreen for your day at the beach.
There’s also plenty of other great activities to do in and around Anaheim!
What Should I know About the Pacific Coast Highway?
My family and I loved driving along the Pacific Coast Highway! It felt like a world apart from the hustle and bustle of the Disneyland Parks. The blue skies, warm sun, sandy beaches and crashing waves were a balm to the soul.
I do recommend you wear shoes on any of the beaches near Anaheim. Although we found the sand to be quite clean, it was smoking hot! You don’t want to burn your tootsies!
Also, please be aware of any riptides or strong ocean currents. The waves can be quite large along the coastline, and swimmers who are not experienced could find themselves in trouble fairly quickly. Keep an eye on small children and pets.
How long it takes to drive to the beaches near Anaheim?
We left our hotel in Anaheim for the coast in the morning after breakfast around 9:30/10 o’clock. We started our tour at Long Beach and ended up at Newport Beach. Both directions there and back were right around 30 minutes.
You do have to watch for traffic and congestions on the highways however; California traffic can be horrendous. The couple of days that we made our way down to the coast, we encountered no problems, even though it was the 4th of July weekend.
What is it like to Drive in California?
Driving in California was an eye opening experience for us Canadians. In Canada we have wide open highways and expanses of road with SOME congestion during rush-hour. When we left LAX in our rental car, it took us almost 1.5 hours to get to our hotel in Anaheim.
We quickly learned what time of day to avoid by regularly checking google maps.
On our way back to LAX, we left at 6am, and so missed the big rush of traffic going into Los Angeles. It took us only 48 minutes on the return.
Should You Rent a Car?
I have stayed in Anaheim both with a car rental, and without. It was easy enough to get around Anaheim via Uber/Lyft without a car, and you do save on parking costs.
I did like the freedom of having our own car to get around and explore the area more though. We utilized my car rental affiliate program through The T Word on Travel.
We ended up saving $300CAD by canceling from the cheapest other option (Costco) beforehand to my affiliate, which I’ll link below. The rental was perfect. We received a clean, new Dodge Charger and it was all the space and power we needed for the freeways.
— > Check out the super competitive rates on my partner car rental site: The T Word on Travel Car Rentals < —-
Are the Beaches near Anaheim Worth Visiting
Are the beaches worth visiting? They absolutely are. I would 100% take the opportunity to go again explore these areas again if I got the chance.
Steal my packing guide below for an effortless trip to any of the beaches near Anaheim!
My favorite beaches were Seal Beach and Newport Beach. Both had small town vibes, with great water and sand.
I hope you enjoy your time in Anaheim California, and found this tips to the nearby beaches valuable.
Surfs up, dude
Tanya