15 Iconic Beach Experiences

Ignite your love for the shore with these classic beach icons. From boardwalks to bonfires, here are our favorite ways to dive in.



Not just child's play
Not just child's play


Mastering the sandcastle
The king of the castle--Todd Vander Pluym, winner of nearly 200 sand-sculpting competitions--shares his trade secrets.

Test the sand. Squeeze wet sand and roll it back and forth in your hand. If it stays together, it's good sand. If it falls apart, "you're in the wrong spot--or on the wrong beach," says Vander Pluym.

Build a base. Make a circular wall out of dry sand, 6 inches high and 3 feet wide. Add 2 inches of water to circle, then 2 inches of sand. Tamp until water drains. Add dry sand to wall and repeat layering, angling inward to form 18-inch mound.

Construct towers. Place a bucket, with the bottom cut out, handle side down on the mound. Alternate layers of sand and water in the bucket, 2 inches at a time, tamping as you go, finishing with water.

Perform lift-off. Have one person tap the bucket to release sand right before another one lifts it straight up. Repeat process for more towers, and remove loose sand from around the mound.

Add details. Use an offset spatula to square off towers and make stairs; a funnel for roofs; a melon baller for corbels; and a disposable knife for arrow slits--"a neat little detail that makes a castle look like a castle."

Vander Pluym's Redondo Beach-based company, Sand Sculptors International, offers lessons and a how-to DVD, Sandcastles for Everyone; sandsculptors.com.


The classic beach cocktail
The classic beach cocktail


The mai tai
6 best spots for the classic beach cocktail:

Old-school tiki. At Huntington Beach's Don the Beachcomber (pictured)--complete with palm trees, torches, and a high-pitched thatched roof--the mai tais come from a 1933 recipe. donthebeachcomber.com.

Quintessential Waikiki. The orchid-garnished mai tai at House Without a Key, Halekulani Resort, Oahu. halekulani.com/dining.

Nautical in the city. The all-natural Homemade Mai Tai at Smuggler's Cove, San Francisco. smugglerscovesf.com.

Ground-zero Mai Tai. The original, in guava, pineapple, or mango at Trader Vic's, Emeryville, California. tradervicsemeryville.com.

Surf style at the harbor. The Marina Mai Tai at the Endless Summer bar, Santa Barbara. chuckswaterfrontgrill.com.

Open-air in SoCal. Beachfront Mai Tai with a pineapple garnish at Duke's, Malibu. dukesmalibu.com.
Our favorite beach towns


Santa Monica pier
Santa Monica pier


The boardwalk
Choose your own adventure at our 4 favorite coastal playgrounds.

Most throwback charm. From the tip-top of the Ferris wheel at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, you can hear the rickety rumbles of the 1920s wooden Giant Dipper and see the sand below quilted with bright beach towels. The hand-carved carousel is over 100 years old. beachboardwalk.com.

The mother of them all. Hail the grande dame of piers: Santa Monica (pictured). This SoCal icon stretches 1,600 feet into the Pacific and has the world's only solar-powered Ferris wheel, trapeze lessons, bumper cars, funnel cakes, and a Twilight Dance Series (free; Sep). santamonicapier.org.

Best for nature-philes. Seaside's 1920s promenade--"the Prom"--extends 11/2 miles north-south, so you get to see a lot of northern Oregon coast. Bike it, skate it, stroll it, or just gaze at gorgeously green Tillamook Head and sea grass blowing in the white sand. seasideor.com.

A seafood-lover's pier. There's something nautically old-fashioned about Avila Beach, California's Harford Pier. And we love Pete's Pierside Cafe, the sea-directly-to-your-taco-shell operation. Best ever. avilabeachpier.com.


Jalama Beach
Jalama Beach


The beach cottage
Retro cabins. Near Newport, Oregon, Alpine Chalets' 9 old-school A-frames (each with 2 bedrooms) line a bluff near Beverly Beach--a 5-mile stretch just right for strolling, surfing, and romp­ing with the dog. From $135 (pets $10/night); 2-night min.;oregonalpinechalets.com.

5-star camping. The 7 new pine cabins (pictured) at popular Jalama Beach near Santa Barbara have ocean views that would cost 3 times more at a resort. They sleep 4 to 6, with kitchens and baths. Walk 15 minutes either way and the beach is all yours. From $100, plus $20 reservation fee; 2-night min.;countyofsb.org/parks.

New England style. Cozy 2-unit Fitzgerald's Cottages in Gearhart, Oregon, have kitchens, cruiser bikes, clamming tools, a firepit, and an uncrowded beach 5 minutes away. Unit #14 sleeps 6, and #15 is a studio with a kitchenette. From $140; 2-night min.; fitzgeraldscottages.com.

Cliff-hangers. Nine weathered cabins cling to the edge of the world at Steep Ravine Campground in the Bay Area's Mt. Tamalpais State Park. Each sleeps 5, with platforms for sleeping bags, picnic tables, woodstoves, and Bolinas Bay views. $100, plus $8 reservation fee; reserveamerica.com.


Lifeguard Alex Messina
Lifeguard Alex Messina


The lifeguard
You might call it a day at the beach, but Alex Messina calls it a day at the office: Lathered up in SPF 35, he patrols SoCal's Bolsa Chica and Huntington State Beaches, where a busy year can have 9,000 rescues. Biggest mistake he sees? People swim out too far, or end up in rip currents--river-like channels rushing back out to sea. Brown choppy water with whitecaps is a telltale sign, so if you think you're in one, he says, "swim parallel to the shore until you're out of it before attempting to swim back." As for Jaws: "I've been a lifeguard for 10 years and never seen a shark, but I've been stung by stingrays twice." How to avoid them? Shuffle your feet while wading. When he's not in the water, Alex uses the beach as his gym to stay in shape: "Running in the sand is a great leg strengthener."
Top 20 beach hotels


Tognazzini's Dockside Restaurant
Tognazzini's Dockside Restaurant


Seafood with a view

The freshest catch is even better on the water.

Olympic Peninsula seascape. Washington's knockout Sequim Bay scenery is secondary at Dockside Grill on Sequim Bay once your cedar-planked salmon topped with Dungeness crab (often straight from the bay next door) and citrus beurre blanc arrives. 2577 W. Sequim Bay Rd.; 360/683-7510.

Fireside ceviche. Gaze at the ocean, sip sangria, and sail through the greatest hits of Peruvian cooking at La Costanera in Montara, California. Try the tender, tangy ceviche and quinoa-crusted prawns on the patio by the flickering fire pits. 150 Cabrillo Hwy.; 650/728-1600.

Fresh from the boat. At Tognazzini's Dockside Restaurant (pictured) in Morro Bay, California, most of the seafood comes from the owner's own boat and makes its way into super-fresh fish tacos, fried fish, and chowder. Bonus: barbecued oysters, a Morro Rock view, and live music. 1235 & 1245 Embarcadero; 805/772-8100.

Seafood in the city. Chef Robert Clark does thrilling things with sustainable seafood at C Restaurant in Vancouver, like B.C. albacore with short-rib ragout and sablefish with lobster gnocchi. Huge windows overlook False Creek. U.S.; 2-1600 Howe St.; 604/681-1164.

Former shack turned glam. The patio at Gladstones in Pacific Palisades, California, is the spot for a seafood tower overflowing with oysters, scallops, and jumbo shrimp. Throw in tempura-fried macadamia rock shrimp for the ultimate seaside spread. 17300 Pacific Coast Hwy.; 310/454-3474.


Green Sand beach
Green Sand beach


A rainbow of sand
Here in the West, sand comes in every color …


Green
. Green Sand Beach, aka Papakolea Beach, Big Island, HI. One of just two this shade in the U.S. gohawaii.com/big-island.

Rainbow. Glass Beach, Fort Bragg, CA. Waves have polished the glass at this former dump into a sea of colored pebbles. visitmendocino.com.

Black. Black Sands Beach, Shelter Cove, CA. Dark as night, on the longest undeveloped stretch in the lower 48. redwoods.info.

Pink. Ruby Beach, Olympic National Park, WA. Pink tiger streaks at low tide--like the northern lights of sand. nps.gov/olym.


Mavericks
Mavericks


The wave
The baddest waves in the world? Get to know Mavericks.

What Mavericks is: The most perfect (and feared) surf break on Earth, and the namesake of the famous surf competition.

Where it hits: Half Moon Bay, south of San Francisco in Northern California.

Where its waves originate: Near Alaska's Aleutian Islands, 3,000+ miles away.

Why it's so terrifying: Shallow reefs and jagged rocks, sharks, absurdly strong currents, and cold, cold water.

How cold? 48°-55.°

Height of the vertical wave face: More than 40 feet on average--that's 4 stories.

Competition season: November-March, but not every year--if nature cooperates and a big-wave system is approaching, top surfers get 24 hours of notice to show up and hit the water.

Worth the risk? Surf like a champ and you'll be $150,000 richer. maverickssurf.com.



Palmwood Inn
Palmwood Inn


The island inn
3 seaside escapes that put us in the mood for romance:

The 1920s mansion. For grand panoramas of Catalina Island's Avalon harbor, stay where William Wrigley, the chewing-gum magnate, chose to live--the Inn on Mt. Ada. The 6 rooms in this 1920s-era mansion all have jaw-dropping views. Prices, no surprise, are steep, but they include breakfast, lunch, beer and wine, pick-up and drop-off at the dock, and the use of a golf cart to zip into town. September has the advantage of summer sun without its crowds. From $415; 2-night min.; innonmtada.com.

A front-row seat to whales. It's all about the water at Rosario Resort, a 1905 estate turned restful retreat on the San Juans' Orcas Island. The 22 rooms--including 6 suites--have private balconies, and almost all overlook placid Cascade Bay. It's easy enough to stare at the water from your room, or you can head down to the beach for a picnic, read on the new beachside deck, or nap in an Adirondack chair to the sound of gently rocking boats. From $129; 2-night min.; rosarioresort.com.

Paradise in the tropics. Surrounded by swaying palms, lush mountains, and verdant valley views, it's not hard to fall into the Zen of the islands at the Palmwood Inn (pictured). At this 3-room gem on Kauai's North Shore, the West Room is our fave. While it's small, you can't beat the private deck and garden with hillside vistas and an outdoor lava-rock shower and pond with fish and blooming orchids. The crescent-shaped Moloa'a Bay is a short walk away, where a crowd-free white-sand beach awaits. From $295; 3-night min.; thepalmwood.com.
More island escapes


Outdoor Odysseys tour
Outdoor Odysseys tour


Sea kayaking
No phones. No Wi-Fi. Consider these epic trips your QT with the ocean.


Island hop
. Explore the San Juans, a 500-island archipelago north of Seattle, by island hopping the little guys on an Outdoor Odysseys tour (pictured) with pit stops for beaching and lunch. Trip routes vary, but uninhabited Jones Island is state park as private kingdom. From $95; trips depart from San Juan Island; outdoorodysseys.com.

Scope out a sea cave. Two-hour trips with San Diego's OEX Dive & Kayak will take you inside the Clam--a La Jolla cave you can enter (at high tide, you can go all the way through). See if you can spot any leopard shark silhouettes below. From $50; oeexpress.com.

Paddle through wine country. Glide along the famed Russian River where it meets the ocean at Jenner, California. On this lesser-visited sliver of the Sonoma Coast, the biggest crowd might very well be a gaggle of harbor seals right near the mouth. Rent kayaks from Lotus. $20/day; 707/865-9604.


The Frog House
The Frog House


The "everyone's welcome" surf shop
The veteran surfers behind the counter at The Frog House--a fixture in Newport Beach for more than 50 years--help beginners and experienced shredders with gear and tips on local surf breaks. Rentals from $3/hour;froghouse.com.


Peter Fish bodyboards
Peter Fish bodyboards


Bodyboarding
Sunset editor-at-large Peter Fish praises the sport that "gave me back my dignity."

Growing up in a surf town, my inability to stand upright on a surfboard for more than 5 seconds was a mark of shame: a D for Dork tattooed on my forehead. No more. With a bodyboard, I rule the waves.

Just as often termed the Boogie board, the bodyboard could be likened to a sawed-off surfboard. But that description doesn't do justice to its essence, which is: It is not scary. The surfboard says, "I represent the ancient sport of Hawaiian kings and I will probably not let you stand up on me." The bodyboard laughs, "Let's have some fun."

If you go to a bodyboard shop, like the one I went to one summer day to learn, you'll hear other reasons it rules over surfing. "Bodyboards can catch waves that are too fast for surfboards," notes Justin Faulconer, who runs Falcon's Bodyboard Shop in Encinitas, California. At his shop, you can salivate over rows of neon-bright boards and dream of doing stunts experts do: 360° turns, ARS (that's a combined "air," "roll," and "spin").

But that's for later. Right now, you carry your board to the beach. You ease it past the breakers and slide your torso onto its smooth, shiny deck. You point toward shore. A wave rises beneath you, you kick, and wave and board lift you up then shoot you back down in an avalanche of foaming surf, faster than you've ever gone in your life, happier than you've ever been, while on the beach crowds applaud your graduation from dorkdom. Or so you imagine.



Beach volleyball
Beach volleyball


Volleying with the pros
"Manhattan Beach is hands-down my favorite beach to play on," says Kerri Walsh Jennings, beach volleyball Olympic gold medalist. "The sand is nice and deep, and the setting is beautiful." Find her and other professional players in action at the courts near Fourth Street early in the morning. (Many people set up chairs to watch.) There's space up for grabs for beginners too, says local volleyball coach Cindy Grebliunas; public courts have nets emblazoned with "Department of Beaches and Harbor." Grebliunas offers 1 1⁄2-hour private classes ($50/2 people; http://www.meetup.com/Beach-Cities-Sport-and-Social-Club/events/56967682/).


Green gear picks
Green gear picks


Zero-plastic beach day
Anna Cummins, environmentalist and cofounder of L.A.'s The 5 Gyres Institute, gives her green gear picks.

Sunscreen. "I just found a plastic-free sunscreen! It's packaged in a cardboard tube--and is organic too." Surfer's Barrier Stick (SPF 30): $15; avasol.com.

Sandwich bags. "I encourage people to ditch the Ziploc and go with reusable cotton bags." LunchSkins: 3 sizes; from $7.85 each; lunchskins.com.

Toys. "I love these marine-degradable bioplastic ones--if they accidentally get washed out to sea, they'll break down in two to three years." Beach toys: 2 color combos; $22/5-piece set; zoeborganic.com.

Bottle. "Bring drinks in reusable stainless steel bottles." Reflect Kanteen (with bamboo lid), $33/27 oz.; kleankanteen.com.


Maui Snorkel Tours
Maui Snorkel Tours


Underwater beauty
Instead of aimless snorkeling, get smart as you swim. Reef expert and dive master Suzzy Robinson works with small groups (of six or fewer) for Maui Snorkel Tours; she picks that day's best shoreline site and then provides plenty of unhurried instruction. Robinson is great with insecure or rookie snorkelers. And she knows absolutely everything about every fish you'll see--such as the cleaner wrasse, which serves as a personal groomer to other fish, sort of like a piscine day spa. $95 for half-day;www.mauisnorkeltours.com.

More: Insider's guide to Maui