Go to any beach in LA and you’ll see it’s a hub of physical activity – from volleyball, surfing and yoga, to all manner and style of cruising the paved coastal trail that connects the city’s best oceanside towns.
An exhilarating way to take in this big, gorgeous swath of Pacific coast is by bike. Don’t have one? No problem. Many of LA’s beach communities have bike rental shops or, better yet, bike sharing stations that are maintained through a partnership between LA Metro and the City of Los Angeles.
Compared to the rental shops, Metro Bike Share is quite a deal. For one-time use, you can take a bike for $1.75 per half-hour or $5 for a 24-hour period. If you’ll be using the bikes more frequently, they have 30-day and 365-day passes too.
The Marvin Braude Bike Trail
The paved trail used by bicyclists – along with joggers, roller bladers, skateboarders, you name it – is technically called the Marvin Braude Bike Trail, aka “the Strand.” It’s 22 miles of mostly flat pavement that hugs the coast along the Santa Monica Bay from Will Rogers State Beach near Pacific Palisades to Torrance Beach at the start of the Palos Verdes Peninsula.
My favorite segment of the trail is along the South Bay, from Playa Del Rey to Torrance. This section is 11 miles one way, so assuming you’re coming back to Playa Del Rey, the round trip is 22 miles.
Playa Del Rey is a convenient starting point because it’s one of the only beaches along this segment that has a Metro Bike Share station. Also, if you need to drive, it’s a little easier to park your car here than at the other beach towns.
Ready to ride? Here’s a quick preview of some of the towns and beaches you’ll encounter along the southern half of the Marvin Braude Bike Trail:
Playa Del Rey
It’s not always easy to get off the beaten path in a city as big and chaotic as Los Angeles but Playa del Rey comes pretty darn close, and it makes a great starting and ending point for your bike ride.
Besides home prices that are now off the charts, this community of 16,000 feels like it hasn’t changed all that much over the years, retaining its charming, small-town feel and rich surf culture. It’s much quieter and laid back than the other beach towns and has a nice mix of families and young professionals.
For out-of-towners looking for a more low-key stay in LA, Playa Del Rey is perfect, especially with its proximity to the airport.
Dockweiler State Beach
Making your way from Playa Del Rey, the next beach you encounter is Dockweiler State Park, which is massive. With both a power station and sewage treatment plant adjacent to the east side of the path – not to mention the airport – it’s not the most scenic, or peaceful, part of the trail.
Still, this is the spot for serious beach goers. It seems everyone here is part of a large group, with elaborate tents, barbecues, and even full-on patio furniture. Families come here for birthday and graduation parties, and friends gather for volleyball, music, and bonfires.
The parking lot at Dockweiler is a scene unto its own – there’s a whole section just for RVs that you might mistake for an NFL football tailgate.
Manhattan Beach
If you happen to live in Manhattan Beach, congratulations, you hit the jackpot. But even if you’re just riding through, you’re still a winner because this crown jewel of LA beach towns is pretty awesome, even if you are just visiting.
I’ve heard it called “Beverly Hills on the water,” and that about sums it up. Known for million dollar houses with million dollar views, high-end restaurants, tony boutiques, and of course its iconic pier that makes the perfect backdrop for sunset pics, Manhattan Beach is a favorite among locals and visitors alike.
Hermosa Beach
About eight miles into your ride you’ll come to Hermosa Beach. This is my favorite “rest spot” for lunch or a drink, though I usually stop on the return trip. Livelier than Playa Del Rey and less pretentious than Manhattan, Hermosa has the Goldilocks vibe – vibrant, fun, and casual.
As you approach the beach town, you’ll notice bikes, skateboards, and scooters everywhere; that’s because so many of the restaurants, bars, and shops are right on the Strand, so you can just pull up and sit outside. As its name suggests Hermosa (which means “beautiful” in Spanish) is arguably the prettiest stretch of sand along this area of coast.
Redondo Beach
In the last section of your ride, you’ll go through the city of Redondo Beach, and specifically the Redondo Beach pier and marina. With a population around 70,000, Redondo Beach is big – the biggest of all the South Bay beach towns and second only to Santa Monica if you consider all the communities along the Marvin Braude Trail.
Reminiscent of Fishermans’ Wharf in San Francisco, riding through the pier and marina feels a bit nostalgic with its circa 1970s waterfront seafood restaurants and tacky but fun souvenir shops.
Between all the activities around the pier and beach, ample inventory of bigger hotels, and easy airport access, Redondo Beach is a good choice for families with young children.
The End
Many people think the trail ends in Redondo Beach, but technically it ends in the city of Torrance at the aptly named Torrance Beach. Most of Torrance is inland, so it’s not really counted as one of the beach towns, but it does include 1-½ miles of coastline just before the Palos Verdes Peninsula.
At this point, you can enjoy some time at the beach or grab a bite to eat at Perry’s Cafe, located at the end of the trail, before making your 11-mile ride back to Playa Del Rey!