Laguna Beach, California
Laguna Beach is Orange County's art colony by the sea: a small coastal city of rocky coves, bluff-top parks and tide pools, wrapped by canyon wilderness and known for a summer arts season that has drawn visitors for nearly a century. This guide covers what makes Laguna Beach special and the best things to do when you visit.
Planning a visit? Compare Laguna with its neighbors in our guide to Orange County cities, and skip the parking hunt with Laguna's free trolleys.
About Laguna Beach
Laguna Beach sits on the South Orange County coast between Newport Beach and Dana Point, with Pacific Coast Highway running the length of town and Laguna Canyon Road winding inland through the hills. Painters began arriving in the early 1900s, drawn by the light and the scenery, and the city has kept that creative identity ever since. Today its galleries, juried and open art shows, and outdoor art festivals sit alongside some of the most scenic coastline in Southern California.
Much of the shoreline is a string of small coves tucked below the bluffs, and the waters offshore are part of California's network of marine protected areas, which makes Laguna one of the best places in the county for tide pooling, snorkeling and diving. Behind the town, thousands of acres of protected open space in the canyons offer hiking and mountain biking within minutes of the beach.
Downtown is a walkable village of shops, galleries, cafés and restaurants centered on Forest Avenue, Ocean Avenue and the Coast Highway around Main Beach, with more dining spread along PCH in North and South Laguna, from casual beach spots to oceanview dining rooms.
Laguna Beach is a separate city from Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel and Laguna Woods, which are inland neighbors with their own city pages.
Things to Do in Laguna Beach
Our top picks, with links to our in-depth guides. Seasonal events change from year to year, so check the official event sites for current dates, hours and tickets before you go.
1. Festival of Arts & Pageant of the Masters
The Festival of Arts dates to 1932 and is a summer showcase of work by more than 100 juried Orange County artists on its grounds at 650 Laguna Canyon Road. Its famous companion, the Pageant of the Masters, recreates classic artworks as "living pictures" with real people posed on stage in the Irvine Bowl, a tradition that began in 1933 and took its current name in 1935. See our Festival of Arts and Pageant of the Masters guide.
2. Sawdust Art Festival
Across the road at 935 Laguna Canyon Road, the Sawdust Art Festival is a non-juried show of Laguna Beach resident artists with booths in an outdoor village setting. It began in 1965 and has been on its current grounds since 1968. Beyond the summer festival, the Sawdust hosts a holiday Winter Fantasy and offers art classes. Read our Sawdust Art Festival guide.
3. Laguna Art-A-Fair
Rounding out Laguna's trio of summer art shows, Art-A-Fair is a juried festival that has been running since 1967 and has called 777 Laguna Canyon Road home since 1988. Details are in our Laguna Art-A-Fair guide.
4. First Thursdays Art Walk & Galleries
On the first Thursday evening of every month, dozens of Laguna galleries along the Coast Highway open their doors for a free art walk, with extended free trolley rides to help you hop between them. It is an easy way to see the city's gallery scene at its liveliest. Find more in our Orange County art walks guide and our roundup of Laguna Beach art, museums and culture.
5. Laguna Art Museum
Laguna Art Museum traces its roots to the Laguna Beach Art Association, founded by local artists in 1918, and focuses on the art of California. Its location on Cliff Drive next to Heisler Park makes it an easy pairing with a bluff-top walk. See our Laguna art and culture guide.
6. Main Beach Park
Main Beach, at Broadway and Coast Highway, is the heart of downtown Laguna, with sand volleyball, a half-court basketball court, a playground and restrooms. Shops and restaurants are steps away. Our Laguna Beach beaches guide covers Main Beach and the rest of the coastline.
7. Heisler Park
Stretching along the bluffs at 375 Cliff Drive, Heisler Park has a scenic walkway, picnic areas, barbecues and restrooms, plus stairways down to Picnic Beach, Rockpile and Diver's Cove. The waters below are a state marine reserve, so it's a favorite spot for tide pooling at low tide. See our beaches guide and family-friendly tide pools.
8. Tide Pooling
The City of Laguna Beach points visitors to Main Beach, Shaw's Cove and Treasure Island as good tide pooling areas. Laguna's tide pools are protected, so look without collecting anything, touching sea life or flipping rocks, and plan your visit around a low tide. Our guides to the best tide pools in Orange County and family-friendly tide pools have more tips.
9. The Coves
Some of Laguna's most memorable beaches are small coves below the cliffs: Crescent Bay in North Laguna, Victoria Beach, Thousand Steps, Table Rock and Aliso Beach farther south. Access, parking and surf conditions vary from cove to cove, so check our Laguna Beach beaches guide before you go.
10. Snorkeling & Scuba Diving
Laguna's protected rocky reefs make it one of Orange County's top destinations for snorkelers and divers, with popular entry points at coves like Shaw's Cove and Diver's Cove. Conditions change with swell and visibility, so check the forecast and know your limits. See the Laguna Beach section of our Orange County scuba and snorkeling spots guide.
11. Laguna Coast Wilderness Park & Nix Nature Center
Laguna Coast Wilderness Park protects about 7,000 acres of coastal canyons and ridges with roughly 40 miles of trails, part of the larger South Coast Wilderness surrounding Laguna. The Nix Nature Center at 18751 Laguna Canyon Road is a good starting point. Dogs are not permitted, and trails close for several days after rain. Read our Laguna Coast Wilderness Park guide and our list of the best hiking and mountain biking trails.
12. Sunset Serenades at Heisler Park
On select spring Fridays, free live music at the Heisler Park amphitheater makes for a classic Laguna sunset outing. Check our Sunset Serenades guide for this season's details.
13. Fourth of July Fireworks
Laguna Beach's Independence Day fireworks are one of the town's big summer celebrations. See our Laguna Beach 4th of July guide for planning tips.
14. Ride the Free Trolley
Laguna's free trolleys are the easiest way to get around town. A year-round Coastal Route runs along the coast, weekend and summer service expands the network, and the on-demand Laguna Local offers free rides around town. Routes and schedules change by season, so see the Laguna Beach section of our free shuttles and trolleys guide.
Nearby: Crystal Cove State Park
Just north of Laguna Beach, Crystal Cove State Park adds beaches, tide pools, backcountry trails and a historic cottage district. It isn't in Laguna Beach itself: the park lies within Newport Beach and unincorporated Orange County, but it pairs perfectly with a Laguna day trip. See our Crystal Cove guide.
A Short History of Laguna Beach
Plein air painters started settling in Laguna in the early 1900s, and in 1918 local artists founded the Laguna Beach Art Association, the beginning of what is now Laguna Art Museum. The Coast Highway reached town in 1926, and Laguna Beach incorporated as a city on June 29, 1927.
The arts became part of civic life in 1932 with the first Festival of Arts, which soon added the living-picture tableaux that became the Pageant of the Masters and settled permanently at the Irvine Bowl in 1941. The Sawdust Art Festival followed in 1965 and Art-A-Fair in 1967, giving Laguna the three summer art shows it is known for today.
In 2004, the MTV reality series Laguna Beach brought the town international attention. Read more in our guide to Orange County reality TV.
Laguna Beach Quick Facts
- Population: 22,440 (California Department of Finance estimate, January 1, 2026)
- Land area: about 8.89 square miles (2020 U.S. Census)
- Incorporated: June 29, 1927
- Official city website: lagunabeachcity.net
