Paradise Cove holds a special place in my heart; it’s where the hubby and I got married some 10+ years back. Unbelievably, this was the first time we managed to take the kids out to see our special spot.
Nestled in the heart of Malibu, Paradise Cove consists of a private beach and the thriving Paradise Beach Café. Our pre-kids MO was to enjoy lunch at the Café, then stroll the beach for a bit. Turns out, it’s lots more fun to go with kids (albeit less romantic).
The Paradise Cove beach is pristine, the tide pool discoveries plentiful and the views beyond magnificent – especially on a clear, sunny day. There’s also a pier here with views from Palos Verdes to Point Dume, which the website says you can walk down, even fish off of – though I’ve done neither.
The catch here is that parking is a whopping $25. To avoid the hefty fee, spend at least $20 at the Café and you pay only $3 for 4 hours on the beach. Let me let you in on a little secret: it’s totally worth it.
The wait for a table at the Café was 45 minutes when we arrived at lunch time, so we opted to order from the Paradise-to-Go menu, cutting our wait down significantly and allowing us to eat right on the beach.
We followed up with a long walk along the beach, some tide pool exploring and much discussion of that extra-special day when dad and mom got married.
Date of most recent visit: Mon., Dec. 26, 2011
Who: The entire family!
Weather: Sunny, warm & clear, low 70s (don’t hate me!)
Highlights:
- Enjoying lunch restaurant-side on the beach under the gorgeous sun (on the day after Christmas!)
- Watching seagulls & pelicans play chase
- Walking along the shore chasing waves
- Making cool discoveries in the tide pools
- Dragging seaweed to make tracks in the sand
Practical Matters:
- Paradise Cove beach is open daily, sunrise to sunset; Paradise Beach Café is open daily from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- Parking: $3 for 4 hours with restaurant validation (minimum $20 purchase); $25/day without validation
- The Cove has a few special rules: no dogs, surfboards, beach boat launching or BBQs
- Restrooms with showers are available beachside; Paradise Beach Café also has restrooms available for customers
- Crowds get plentiful on weekends & holidays; weekday or evening visits tend to be slower
- Beds, beach chairs & cabanas are available for rent; check here for pricing
Paradise Cove is located at:
28128 Pacific Coast Highway
Malibu, CA 90265
(310) 457-2503
