Santa Monica To Malibu: A Visual Guide

From Venice Beach’s painted lifeguard towers to Malibu Farm’s never-ending pier, the Los Angeles coast offers a dreamlike cultural tour of West LA

Along the winding coast of Southern California lies an iconic route through every oceanfront haven in West Los Angeles. The Pacific Coast Highway is one that drivers don’t mind getting stuck on, thanks to views panning from San Diego to the Golden State’s northern border. But the trappings of a true LA experience lie in the portion of the PCH from Santa Monica to Malibu.

Travelers driving the coast of Los Angeles can wander into everything from Patrick’s Roadhouse — the bright green Irish shoreside shack that locals love — to El Matador State Beach, which is a rocky hideaway bay perfectly suited to sandy picnics. For the traffic-bound, there are a variety of must-visit hubs along the Los Angeles coast in which to lie out and dine out.

Santa Monica: Patrick’s Roadhouse

Malibu: Malibu Pier

Malibu: Surfrider Beach

Malibu: El Matador State Beach

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.