Laguna Beach

In Laguna the tide decides how much beach you get. Thousand Steps, Rockpile and Victoria Beach nearly disappear at high tide, so arrive at low tide, and save the tide pools at Crystal Cove and Thousand Steps for a negative low. The nearest NOAA tide station is Newport Beach, just up the coast; it publishes predictions only.

Laguna Beach has been an artist colony since the 1920s, and the town has over 100 galleries. The beaches are rockier than the long sandy ones to the north, with tide pools, sea caves and rock formations. Look for sea stars, hermit crabs, anemones and, with luck, an octopus.

Low-tide beaches and coves:

• Thousand Steps Beach — at the bottom of about 200 steps, with tide pools at the south end.
• Rockpile Beach — at the north end of town; snorkel it when the water is calm and the waves are small. Park at the top and hike down.
• Victoria Beach — a small beach with the "La Tour" tower rising from the sand, left from a 1920s estate.
• Crystal Cove State Park — just north of Laguna: 3.2 miles of beach with tide pools and sea caves (best seen by kayak), plus backcountry trails. The Shake Shack, an old cottage turned snack bar, serves cold drinks.

Above the water, Heisler Park has lawns and BBQ pits on the cliffs, with stairways down to two small beaches, and Top of the World is a viewpoint you can drive or hike up to for 360-degree views. Inland, Laguna Coast Wilderness Park has miles of trails through canyons and coastal sage; start at the Nix Nature Center. The Laguna Art Museum focuses on California artists, and the First Thursday art walks draw big crowds. In July and August the Festival of Arts & Pageant of the Masters restages famous paintings as live tableaux, with people in costume.