Main Beach Park

I absolutely loved this beach but I just could give it the five stars. It’s lacking a lot of clean up work when I walked down to the beach from where the brisas restaurant is located near the tide pools were a drainage is someone had pooped there and it was just sitting there. A lot of seaweed is also to over whelming and what to do with all those drainage one is near the beach by where the tide pools are and another near the boardwalk toward the playground that real smelled bad because there was some nasty water just sitting there. Please if you only fixed this problems and all the homeless there also makes the problem so much worst. Other than that this beach deserves a 5 star.

This is a great, beautiful spot in Laguna Beach, even though pretty much all the areas here are awesome with great views in Laguna Beach. The only reason this spot didn’t get 5 stars from me is because it gets too crowded with tourists since it is «Main» beach.
PARKING:
Good luck! haha. There is no designated parking lot for this beach. You have to park somewhere on the street in the downtown area. There are a couple parking lots a few blocks away, going away from the ocean.
LOCATION/​VIEW:
Located somewhat in the middle of Laguna along the coast obviously haha. I use it as my divider for north and south Laguna. The view. of course it is beautiful!
AMENITIES/​ACTIVITIES:
This beach has more to offer then beautiful views. There is a playground for kids, plenty of benches to sit and relax and to eat (I use to work a block away and would eat my lunch here all the time!), basketball courts, bathrooms, and a boardwalk.
It is also in a prime spot of downtown Laguna with a lot of shopping and restaurants very close by.

Laughter Yoga most mornings 8:00 AM. What a great way to start a full day on the beach! At the northern end of the park.
Great beach with a beautiful setting.

I went with my husband and two-​year old daughter for the first time and had a good time. Parking was probably the only reason I didn’t give it a fifth star. I liked that the beach wasn’t packed and not sure if canopies are banned because I didn’t see ONE anywhere. Easy to find right off of the 133 and PCH. Great playground right in front of the beach so even better if some ppl want to hang on the sand while the kids play.

Main beach Laguna. What could be better? A couple of television shows, a great lifeguard station for photos, and lots of history at this beach. Usually not too crowded. Parking can be difficult during the summer. Very nice new play area for the little ones. Showers are available at both ends of the beach. Some pretty good tidepools on the north end near Bird Rock.

I was drawn here for its relaxed atmosphere, and great views. There are a lot of stores nearby within walking distance. May be difficult to find parking.

Ahhh, the beach! I have visited Laguna Beach numerous times over the years and I always enjoy the Main Beach Park. It is an OK beach/​park and it will get the job done when you madly need some beach time! This beach also has some fun tide pools to explore. The tidal pools are small and usually don’t have too much in them, but fun none the less. This park also has a playground, which is great if you have kiddos with you.
I gave this beach a 3 star rating for several reasons. First off, it is really crowded and always seems to be packed. I have been here in the AM, mid afternoon, and late afternoon and it always seems to have people everywhere. I don’t mind sharing the beach, but a little space between me and the next group would be nice.
Secondly, the seaweed is overwhelming. I don’t know what it is about this beach, but there is always seaweed all over the place. It is like the whole seaweed colony off the coast floats in with the tide each morning. The problem with it is that it brings little annoying bugs with it. If you can find a spot without seaweed, it is quite nice.
Thirdly, the bathrooms and shower area are lacking. Public restrooms are hard to keep clean, but beach cities really need to have nice bathrooms in my opinion. The ladies was almost ok, but still smelly. My husband said the men’s room was über-​yucky and had been peed all over. Eeeewwww! Also the showers were hard to use. The buttons to push to turn the water on required a lot of force. Also some of the shower heads were broken, so while you were holding the water on, you also had to direct the shower head and balance while trying to rinse off. This is even harder when you are trying to rinse off a 19 month old toddler. Fun stuff… not!
Overall, it is an OK beach to hang out, just keep an open mind.

old fashioned wood boardwalk, chess and basketball, swings and slides for kiddies and dolphins on a good day. what more can you ask for? meter free parking maybe, but still worth a visit. great food nearby and great photo ops.

Damn you, the NorCal snob that gave this place 1 star… It’s time for an adjustment.
This is a great beach park and the wooden boardwalk and benches here are what I really appreciate. The benches especially give you great views of the whole beach area. The only issue here is the parking but that’s to be expected in this area.
To get a great view of the Main Beach area, walk over to Heisler Park which is just up the coast and look down south. It’s amazingly beautiful especially during the summer days (
).

Nice central beach in the Laguna area. The bodies (men and women) are incredibly tan and toned, the location is walking distance to all the cute shops/​eateries, and the atmosphere is pleasant. I rather like the little wooden boardwalk along the sand.
In terms of parking, I usually park far up in the residential roads and trek down. While this beach is nice, you should really walk further along south coast highway to one of Laguna’s many alcove beaches if you want to enjoy more privacy

Main Beach I love you. You brought me so much joy when we lived in Laguna and I greatly enjoyed our morning walks, evening strolls and frolicking through the waves. The beaches in San Diego just don’t quite fill the hole in my heart now that I can’t enjoy you everyday.
If it weren’t for all the insane tourists you would be perfection.

Park on a side street, avoid Chantilly’s — and after that — you’re all set to enjoy an afternoon at Main Beach.
There’s a few volleyball nets and two basketball courts that line the park, so it’s great for a bit of people watching. It’s a nice place to stop and get a bit of sunshine.
Seaweed lines the sand, so bring a towel.
Note: today there were a lot of anti-​war protesters out who kept trying to shove flyers at me. A bit annoying. Also, it honestly smelled like sewage today. :-/​Hopefully just a rarity…

One of the biggest differences between coastal communities in NorCal and those in SoCal is the amount of development. In NorCal you go to the coast to get away from people and zone out in nature; in SoCal going to the coast usually means the opposite.
So if you’re looking for a beach where you can get lost in the coastal wilderness or revel quietly in the beauty of the ocean, this isn’t it. I’m a NorCal boy who grew up on NorCal beaches so this oceanside park is alien to me in so many ways:
The sound of the waves are drowned out the by sound of dozens of people yelling/​chattering, kids shrieking, and cars vroom-​vrooming by on the PCH.
The traffic and crowds and parking situation are awful, even on an «off-​peak» weekday afternoon, which is when I was there.
The beach itself is pretty clean by SoCal standards; by NorCal standards it’s dirty.
The smell of the ocean air is absolutely smothered by the smell of the exhaust from the cars, people smoking or smoking out, and the awful perfumes wafting off the warm bodies of the Lauren Conrad wannabes.
That thick smudge you see extending out from the coast into the ocean isn’t a marine layer; it’s smog/​pollution.
OC? More like Oh Hell No!
The photos some kind Unilocalers posted of this park unfortunately do not capture the busy, frenetic, and dirty nature of this recreation area. This isn’t a beach, it’s a busy, upscale, «see and be seen» downtown shopping and dining area with a strip of sand and a small manicured park attached. If that’s your idea of a coastal hangout, then great, but if it’s not, then move on quickly.
If you want to get away from the crowds, some of your options, from nearest to furthest away, are to:
walk north along the beach into the Heisler Park area, where it’s less crowded;
drive a short distance up the PCH to Crystal Cove and spend time hiking the fairly empty north end of the beach away from the busy historic district (the north entrance is where Newport Coast Drive meets the PCH); or
drive about an hour down to Torrey Pines for cleaner waters, much better hiking, a more laidback vibe, and fewer crowds.

Lovely Laguna Beach. I’ve had the good fortune of staying in Laguna Beach twice and both times I have started my stroll from the main beach and headed south past the Sleepy Hollow, Oak Street, and Brooks Street Beaches and ended up at Arch Cove.
This is nice smooth beach that is perfect to share with someone you love, whether they have two feet or four paws. If you stay on the main beach there are lots of benches to enjoy the view (and I’d recommend a steaming cup of coffee or delicious gelato) and the magnificent sunsets. Also a really nice play structure for the kids and basketball and sand volleyball courts for the bigger kids.
If you head south there are lots of murals and other artistic displays on the bluffs to enjoy. And there is nothing like hearing those crashing waves and watching the kids frolic in the ocean.
This is an expensive area to visit, but walking along the beach, feet in the sand and sun on my face is the ultimate (and free) S. Cal experience. Actually not completely free. I consider beach clean-​up my admission price. This beach area is pretty clean, but I still managed to pick up bag loads of mylar ballons, bottle caps and misc. junk (not fit for public discussion).
When we were walking a woman jogged by with her dog and asked, «Wonder what the weather is like in Cleveland?» I hope everyone gets to experience the power and majesty of this area at least once in their life. Especially in March for those of us who live in not so nice climates. :-)
I’ve posted some photos for those who need a little mental sunbreak.

Main Beach is the first large and densely populated beach you come to upon entering North Laguna Beach. It’s famous for it’s little lifeguard tower and it’s border along front of the historic Hotel Laguna.
Parking can be a pain, especially in summer or on hot, weekend days… look around off Forest ave. for a pay lot… there are plenty of them along with metered spots here in there. Get there early to ensure a spot.
It’s a great family beach as it has a HUGE play area, the waves are meek and break lightly… you can have a dog on leash. There’s a nice little boardwalk made of wooden planks on which to walk and you are only steps from shops and a few ice cream places to wet your palette! Volleyball is the sport of choice here so bring a ball… or a Frisbee.
If you want to just relax… skip this beach and head south to one of the many coves along PCH.