Been coming here for the past decade cause wife loves, Im ok with it but like any other beach lots of issues. Its really at the end of the day up to your tolerance level. I prefer a quiet, easy direct point of access beach with no parking nightmares or stupid events low key typa beach like Hollywood in Oxnard, but hey thats me and literally no one else. Pros: Clean beach water wise Parking structure few blocks up usually can find daily rates 12-15 bucks and up until 11or 12ish plenty of room. (The metlox NOT any other one those are terrible and cramped.) A Vons, many eateries from sushi to pizza to tacos. Pleasant area up escalators from metlox parking with petros, nicks, lemonade, open seating nice area. Noahs bagels, but not a fan until they learn how to toast bagels. Starbucks, joy. Lots of scattered street parking for placards its great but time limit not good without. Great walking up and down (actually left and right) above the pier takes you into Hermosa...its about 1.7 miles each way, with depressing views of homes you will never be able to afford. Cons: Tar city....be sure and take tar-wipes or baby oil you will get tar. and its a bitch to get off from your beach slippers/sandals as well. Not ONE burger joint; cant figure this one out, or a nice sub sandwich place (dont tell me manhattan pizza I will shoot you.) Steep slope 3 blocks up/down from parking, unless you get here very early to grab the 5-hr limit parking spots near the beach (good luck with that after 9am MAX) Very trying climb back up with beach gear and coolers to parking structure. This summer more than ever, seems every FUCKING week there's a stupid-ass event; Volleyball tourney, whack-ass concert, car show, dick show, bug-spray pop-up village maze like shit promotion tent blocking parking. I mean whatever they can find to block the streets and parking...a bike race through the city...I mean FUCK just block the fucking exit from the freeway so we don't waste our time. But nothing like the Hermosa Beach nightmare to park in that awful single parking structure, thats on another level of torture. Very crowded beach and very wavy...tons of surfers, not a pleasant beach to swim as the waves are relentless and pound the dickens outta your...dickens. The crowd...lets just say cant get worse but does every year...sigh read more

It's a very cool place especially for a romantic walk by the beach. We went there right before the sunset. You can see how amazing pictures we got! Besides, it's very clean. A lot a space to walk as well! read more

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I love this place! It's very close to LAX, it's clean and the people who frequent this area are nice and mostly there to surf or work out. There is a long biking trail that is frequented by bikers, runners, walkers and leisure bikers as well. Ok the beach you will find surfers and those playing beach volleyball. Plenty of parking in the main parking area. I will be back here to run, feel the breeze, see the beautiful ocean and the sites. read more

Manhattan Beach - Beaches Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

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This is an update in hopes that someone who visits this Beach will read this. As I local I woke up on Wednesday (05-09-2012) morning and was totally stoked to go to El Porto and Surf. I woke up got my stuff ready and rolled to the Beach. I arrived at the Beach and started the walk from my car to the water's edge with my board. I was absolutely shocked by the amount of garbage in the form of candy wrappers, plastic bottles, car parts (yes car parts), plastic bags, balloons and other forms of garbage everywhere. What was so distressing is that this garbage was all the way up by the bike path meaning it could not have been washed ashore by the tide. I put my surfboard down and walked around picking up garbage instead of surfing. I finally paddled out into the water only to discover more garbage floating around. What did that garbage do? Well there were pockets of 10's of thousands of dead sand crabs everywhere as far as the eye could see floating on top of the water. I tried gathering up more garbage and got out of the water to only pick up more garbage on my way to the showers. To the other surfers walking past garbage on the Beach, who do you think is going to clean it up? If you surf here why do you not pick up garbage to and from the water? As for the visitors coming here PICK UP AFTER YOURSELF. They should charge everyone $20 to gain access to the Beach. When you pay that fee you are given a trash bag. If at the end of the day that trash bag is filled up you get your $20 dollars back, I think that would be one heck of an incentive to clean up after yourself. We call this place home, we surf here, we are here when the weather is cold and you are not. So as a visitor make sure you leave nothing behind. The Sea life calls the Ocean home and they depend on us to live and we are killing them. I guess it boils down to what we don't see we don't care about and this is sad. Please think about this everything you throw any item out of your car window. I am absolutely disgusted with the visitors who come to this Beach and treat it like their backyard which is probably totally filled with garbage. There is a reason YOU can't afford to live by the Beach so do us WHO CAN a favor and stay away if you are not going to clean up after yourself. It is not the fault of the Beach for being dirty it is your fault for it being dirty. read more

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My first stop off the plane on a recent Southern California trip... loved Manhattan Beach! Full disclosure, a sunny warm beach gets EXTRA points from this Seattle girl especially when its cold and rainy back home. Ha! The beach is nice and big, lots of room to explore and spread out. Despite the beach area being absolutely sold out of parking - the beach did not feel overly crowded. There seems to be plenty of space for families, volleyball games, surfing, etc. Saw two different groups with professional photographers while we were there. This beach and the beautiful pier are popular! The pier is a do not miss. It's such an iconic pier - it just screams California vacation! We spent lots of time exploring the pier and taking pictures. Worth the walk out on - the pier has a small homegrown aquarium at the end of it. Lots of visiting and viewing spots along the way - this was an ideal place to see some real authentic California surfing! So fun to watch! Lots of places within walking distance of the beach and pier area for shopping and dining. Truly, my only complaint is there just isn't enough public parking. We had to circle around quite a bit up and down the hills until we finally had good timing and lucked out on a primo spot just across the street from the pier. The public parking is a paid lot - but still extremely busy. read more

What's not to love about all the HAWT surfers that hangout here? Been coming here for years to surf and hangout with friends who lives on the strand, well and to gawk at all the HAWT people that surfs, runs and skate here. Aside from the group of sharks who resides in this area, the water is relatively safe. The waves are consistently mediocre and walled up on bigger days but you can always stare at the hottie next to you in the lineup. I also love that there are fresh water outdoor showers here to rinse off. Parking is always a nightmare all times of the day and week. read more

Such a nice beach! Came here Saturday 10am for a beach clean up.. Not much to pick up. It was easy to find and easily accessible. Seems I came around a good time to find parking.. There was about a 10/15 minute wait to get to lot since people would wait for a spot to open up. But it worked in my favor bc I didn't have to drive around and found a spot first time I drove through lot. All of the spots are metered though (hard to find free parking near any beach). Someone who I met with came about 10:15 am and it took her more than 30 minutes to get parking though. So try to time before family crowd but after surf crowd? The lot is super close to the beach.. There's a nice bike trail for runners. Wouldn't mind coming back here for some fun! Surprisingly the beach wasn't crowded at all! read more

Manhattan Beach - Line to the parking lot - Beaches Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

Manhattan beach is the ideal place for the laid-back tourist looking to avoid the tourist trap hell hole human zoos of Venice and Santa Monica. Plenty of space, people are all kind and friendly. Shops are great. Plenty of dining options. read more

Entry on 45th street limited metered parking a zoo on weekends If you live inland and are looking for a nice beach to go to, go to Manhattan Beach, since during the Summer surfers and volleyball players get to Porto early and take up all the lot parking and street parking on the weekends. During the week you can easily find a parking spot but dawn patrollers take the first 2/3 of the lot, and are usually gone by 9AM. There are a few surf schools that operate at El Porto since there is a long sandbar that goes out and is idea for learning in the whitewater, but outside of beginner lessons, Porto is not a great novice spot due to currents, tides, and wave heights. On a big day if you can even paddle out as a beginner, the paddling back through the impact zone is dangerous or you might get stuck in a riptide. If you are a beginner go to Sapphires, RAT, or Burnout. If you are looking for volleyball courts, they are easier to come by during the winter when there are no volleyball camps or CVBA tournaments. Even during the week, people grab the courts early and hang out, and there are always one or two courts that have jacked up nets. The sand is also sooty at Porto so your feet will be black after a few games. If you want to chill on the beach, there is a lot of sand to lay out on. read more

Nice beach what I really like about this beach is the parking is so close to the beach itself making really easy to carry all your beach nonsense there and back but it can be a pain it's only one lane and you have to wait for someone to get out and in my case i had this impatient jerk honking behind us as we waited for a spot usually I'm not the kind of person that likes to wait for peoples spot but this lady was out in less than a minute and the jack ass behind me was still going horn crazy so this place attracts a bit of ghetto people I guess or I was just unfortanate to encounter the one that did show up that day. Also the view is not the best ships in the back ground- a bit industrial, not my thing I like like to look out and see nothing but water clouds and sun. Lots of surfers, Extremely cold water (too cold if you ask me) almost unbarably cold the kind you just don't get used to. I'd give it 3.5 stars read more

Great beach! There's a pier nearby with lots of restaurants and a small aquarium. Bike path for those interested. The waves are usually pretty good here and it's not as dirty as you'd think since it's close to LAX. The water's actually quite nice. I love coming here to lay out and tan. The parking can be difficult so I'd recommend coming early. There's street parking and public lots nearby. read more

The high rating is simply for the natural part of this beach. If I could rate accessibility, cleanliness of bathrooms and available parking, this would be ONE star. The water is clear, the sky is beautiful and the sand is warm and soft in your toes. Parking is horrible and expensive. If you can't get into the lots, you will have to park in residential areas anywhere from 4 blocks away to a mile away. Bathrooms are so old-school (no doors on some stalls), no changing areas... you can't be bashful here if you need to drop a deuce or get into that wetsuit. Also, on crowded days, the beach is black balled, so be careful to note for surfers or you will have to walk a mile up the sand to get to a surf area. Try to come early (or late) on weekends, or else you will be sweating and stressing your way to get some "peace" at El Porto... read more

I love this beach! 1. It's quiet, even when it's crowded. 2. It's free 3. Parking is close to the beach 4. You can watch the surfers easily 5. Nice, large, clean bathroom is close-by 5. You get a nice view of the nice houses too! 6. It's clean 7. No picnicers. Please don't start coming and ruin this place. LOL! read more

Of the South Bay Beach cities, this is the toughest to find parking for - there's a parking lot pretty much right on the sand but access to it is closed during peak hours and when it's obvious it's hopelessly packed. You really have to plan to be here early for the ideal spots or prepare to walk a few blocks from any of their many parking lots and 2 hour spots like the one by the city hall or library. It is however super pristine, peaceful and relaxing but very popular with unsupervised pre-teen/teenage crowd during the weekends and about as many families as Venice Beach might have. It is one of the closest super tourist friendly (i.e. a pier and shops/bars) beaches south of LAX. read more

A beautiful beach to watch the waves, play a volleyball game, or see the planes taking off in LAX. The beach is clean, and the waves are endless from all ends. On a clear day you can see the west coastline from Malibu to Palos Verdes. There are a lot of volleyball courts to play or watch a game. The beach wasn't too crowded which was nice. There is limited parking and it can be pricey but it's worth it to spend a few hours here. You can walk the Strand to see some beautiful homes and watch the waves. read more

Manhattan Beach - There's tennis courts to play or watch the game. - Beaches Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

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Beautiful beach/pier. You can enjoy the view, go for a walk, swim, or play volleyball. The area is very clean and everyone was friendly

Beautiful beach, come for the beach early parking will get packed. Vibes are okay here but come here with friends or alone. There is no in between. People out here act entitled and don't care about you so prepare for that. I decided to go on nice beach walk, and this older 70-80 year old couple walk in front of me and decide to bump into me without saying excuse me or apologize. He decided to harass me and say some word yelling. I just get the feel that people here have no etiquette whatsoever or manners. Hopefully someone will come across the review and really fix up this little beach town's manners. read more

Come here if you want a clean beach away from the Manhattan Beach crowds. There's not much parking or clean bathrooms around here. Either way it's one of my favorite little beaches that many people don't even know about or incorrectly call it El Segundo. Pretend you didn't read this and don't visit, I don't want my beach crowded ;-) read more

Manhattan Beach - Beaches Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

Gorgeous beach. Everyone was keeping their social distance. The beach was clean and the sunset was amazing.

This was the first ever beach I came to in LA. The entire time, I had thought I was at Redondo beach because that was the city I was staying in, but I had not known how close the two cities were to one another. I would come down to the beach to watch the sunrise and take long walks in the middle of the night to listen to the waves crashing into the sand. I love that this place is not as crowded as Santa Monica or Venice beach. I can truly enjoy my time here and feel truly relaxed. I love that there is a strip of restaurants and stores before heading down to the beach. There is plenty of parking at the beach, as well as the surrounding neighborhood. read more

I enjoy the close access between the parking and the sand/shoreline. So far, even though the parking lot is kind of small, I haven't had much difficulty finding an open slot even near the restrooms. The only downsides have been the sand isn't sifted at this beach as well as other local beaches. If you love going to the beach every day, the parking meters can be quite expensive. The small restaurant on the beach isn't worth eating at nor are they friendly to black people. My wife was going to purchase coffee from them and we were going to sit at the tables but when the worker saw me sitting there with my energy drink that I already had with me said we couldn't sit their because I didn't purchase my drink from them. Other from those negatives, this is my go to beach. read more

"El Porto-Potty", Where pride passes on poop, And poop missed the scoop. El Porto surfers are zealots. Not in the violent local territorial sense but in the "I'll live and die on this beach, mo-fo" sense. They proudly wear T-shirts, hoodies and hats with the two striped smoke stacks marking "my town" anywhere. Local art galleries and shops display smoke stack art, photos and kitsch, selling the town as unique. And it is that, no doubt. While the whole South Bay surf scene ebbs and flows on the same swell, sandbars change the best surfing spots on a regular basis. One day, Hermosa Pier might be firing, the next Redondo. But El Porto rates among the most consistent and everyone knows it. Localism has had little effect on the influx of OTs (out-of-towners, visitors, etc) and they've acquiesced to the inevitable. Ya just can't keep 'em all out. What will is the inconsistency of surf, the pounding you can get from hollower waves, chronically high bacteria counts and the stink. Stink, you say? Oh yeah. "El Porto-Potty". I don't make this shit up. I don't have to. Forgetting for the moment the nearby waste-treatment plant that spills untreated effluent directly into the surf with every hint of rain, I'll give you a little local history. El Segundo (number two), parent to El Porto, was named for the second refinery to be built right on the beach and it spews a regular noxious combination of gaseous fumes from sulfur, ammonia and God knows what else into the air where oftentimes, the winds won't blow it into LA (as they'd like). It will hang over the town like a fog and residents breath in many contaminants they'd just as soon ignore. After all, this is their town. This is El Porto! I used to work nearby, keeping my board in my car where I could get a lunchtime surf in any time it was breaking. More often than not it wasn't, so I'd find some place to eat off Main St and now and then, I'd ask a resident "Don't you ever tire of the stink?" More often than not, I'd hear "Stink? What stink?" Ignorance can be bliss. I know the worst time I can remember was a good swell, big glassy lefts working off the jetty but the smell was so bad, I was gagging. Air pressure was forcing the fumes to lay just above the water-line and I could not breath. Good surf or not, I couldn't handle it and paddled in. I believe when you're gagging on something, you should get out...wherever you may be. But the locals...well, they overlook this little problem. Pride has it's price. A good news story for these proud residents is that home values continue to rise...just as the obnoxious fumes on a hot day. Ignorance is indeed bliss. But would I surf here in the future? Oh hell yeah! When a strong offshore wind hollows the waves on a good day and all the toxic emissions are getting blown into LA...why not? I just won't wear the T-shirt or the hat. read more

Manhattan Beach - Jetty Left - Beaches Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

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The parking sucks but aside for it this place was just breathtaking. It's pretty clean for the most part. It was peaceful and close to our location. read more

Manhattan Beach - Beaches Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

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I love El Porto Beach! My BF and I usually come to El Porto as our starting point for our runs and bike rides along the Strand, or simply just to lay out and enjoy the sun or the sunset. I love that El Porto is less busy and commercialized than the other surrounding beaches. There is a snack stand here that has a variety of food, although it's not my favorite or first choice place to grab food, it's definitely convenient if you're on the beach and don't want to go far for food. There is a big parking lot along this beach that is usually crowded and it closes at 8pm, or you can try your luck at street parking, which is tough. read more

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4/18/22 at around noon: Went for a walk to Manhattan Beach and was disgusted by how dirty the ocean water is. Just before the waves crash we can see the brown color in the water. It is horrible. read more

I know it's a bit of a no-no to let out your secret surf spots, but given that most people who spend any amount of time in the water know about El Porto... I'll share a review.... Consistently bigger of a surf spot, often times way to big for me, but a pretty fun spot to head to. If you're a bit weary of the crowds that are brought about by relatively plentiful and easy meter parking, head off to the sides, where you're sure to find your own spot. Most of the other people out in the water tend to be pretty mellow. Showers to rinse off after your session, and you're good to go. Just don't forget to feed the meter for plenty of time. I've been stuck with a parking ticket for going over by 2 minutes... about $50... Have fun! read more

Beautiful beach with reasonable parking, when available. Thankfully a regular told me about the rule to NOT back into parking spots. (Thanks again for saving me $53, man) We picked up breakfast from Blue Butterfly in El Segundo and ate out of the back of my car overlooking to the water and many surfers. It was a great morning. read more

To me this is the best place to surf in the South Bay area. I learned to surf here and the waves have been more consistent here then in Torrance or Manhattan beach. The pros: - consistent waves - local surfers aren't crazy or territorial - nice beach - restrooms and showers - great place to learn to surf The cons: - metered parking I don't know if they updated all the meters to cards. - parking lot is small - this is not really a problem but seems like a lot of juvenile great white sightings Great beach and you can't go wrong if you want to surf. read more

I like El Porto, but this is mostly for surfing. From a purely going to the beach standpoint it is pretty boring. It is somewhere in between Manhattan and Hermosa beach. It is definitely less crowded. Also you get to hang out next to this awesome oil refinery so the scenery is second to none. The waves here are OK, they are mostly like anywhere in the SM bay, sectiony and close outs. But in the winter it is not too bad. It can be a blast. It gets really big ehre sometimes as well, which can be a bit frightening. Anyway, maybe ride by it, or walk to it from Manhattan on the bike trail. it is just an OK beach. read more

There's nothing special about El Porto, yet it's my go to beach. Why? - Most consistent surf in the South Bay. This doesn't mean it's great, but it's something to ride. You can pretty much surf some sort of wave here most days of the year. - Accessibility. If you *really* know how to time it, the 101S-to-110S-to-105W route from Silver Lake takes 20 minutes. - Parking is easy ... expensive, but I never have trouble. If you know how to surf, you'll get waves. If you don't, you'll still get waves. If you complain about not getting waves out there, then you need a lot more practice, because it's possible -- even when it's crowded. Beginners: mind your manners and learn proper etiquette so you can let the guys like me avoid getting hit in the head with your boards :) read more

What's not to love about the north end of iconic Manhattan Beach? Beautiful homes, people, surf and sand make for the ideal beach spot. The strand begins (or ends) here depending on how you look at it. There's great parking either in the lot, or if your lucky enough to get a street spot nearby. Even if not, parking on Highland and walking down is not a chore by any means. Surfers paradise from what I can tell. My favorite part aside from the sunsets - on a clear day the mirage put past the Palos Verdes Penensula is actually Catalina. Gorgeous. read more

We used to visit California all the time but now dread it and try to avoid anything California because the once nice must see attractions (including the beaches) are deteriorating and turning into toilet holes (sorry but it's true!) But Manhattan Beach area is still indeed a nice place to visit. The beach and small downtown area is clean, safe and pleasant. We enjoyed the shops/restaurants/bars along Manhattan Beach Blvd about 10 minute walk from beach. Please know walking up from the beach is all uphill and may not be feasible for some. The area is nicely diverse with people of all ages. Please Note: Parking is extremely difficult to find, not sure if this is a daily problem or only on certain days and times but reading other reviews it sounds like it's an issue. Parking is all metered and strictly enforced. As we sat having lunch we watched parking enforcement stop and check EVERY car writing tickets (gotta pay for all the bs somehow so why not target the tourists so they never return...real brilliant Cali!) Also be aware some meters are for only 24 minutes (not a typo "24 minutes" lol!) You think you were sooo lucky to find a spot and then realize its only for 24 minutes hopefully you didn't put your money in yet! What a great money making trap for the unaware tourist. And the other meters have time limits too most we saw were 2 hour parking limit so please be aware and check the meter before inserting your hard earned money. You could probably find free parking on the outskirts of town. read more

It's a more opened and private section of Manhattan Beach. Best known for surfing Many parking slots... the pay machines accept card/coins. A stand with food and rentals are nearby. Parking lot is right in front of sand. Waves are consistent for surfing. read more

I live here so I guess I'm a little bias but this is really the one of the best beaches in SoCal. Clean, large and friendly. Watching the Volleyball games early in the morning are my favorite. Also a great place for dog lovers, almost everyone has a dog here and its greats! There are a ton of bars and restaurants just a stones throw away. If you're ever in the area, definitely stop by Manhattan Beach. read more

Easy going, easy-to-get-to beach. Stopped by with a few guys to get back into surfing. Relaxed crowd (not many people at all really) on a Saturday in summer. No real attitude on in the water, but then again the break wasn't all that good. Only major complaint -- Out in the water there was a pretty disgusting yellow/green foam all day. Not typical backwash or anything like that. And it hasn't been raining anytime recently so there's no ("good") reason for this. No evidence of an algae bloom either. Left us half-joking about what we were actually surfing in. If I grow a third arm, I'll update my post... read more

Free parking during Christmas holiday! Love It! Thanks MB....other cities take notice!

You have got to love El Porto. With a large parking lot, easy access to the beach, newbie-friendly surfing, and crabs to find all over, it's so much fun for all ages. Sometimes you have to stake out a parking spot, but it's all good, everyone does it. There's showers and restrooms too. If you come at the right time - basically when surfing is not good - then there will be plenty of parking! It's one of my favs. read more

Call me a "zealot", call me what you will, but I do love this beach. The people here are friendly and nice. Yes, you'll have to get accustomed to the smoke stacks and the barges out on the ocean, but there are cool things - like the dolphins. The beach is clean for the most part, though it seems to have a lot of litter during the summer months, outside of that time, I have not observed a lot of litter on the beach. My only complaints are that parts of the beach are "blackballed" to surfers during the summer months. (At least they do have places where surfers CAN surf, though.) Also, for a while you would get ten minutes for a quarter on the parking meters, although now it has gone up to 25 minutes for a quarter (I am wondering if season has to do with it). Pollution is a sad fact we all must deal with when it comes to the ocean. It is not something that is specific to El Porto (which is now a part of Manhattan Beach). It is common sense that you shouldn't surf or swim after it rains (or do so with the realization of what you're getting yourself into) anywhere. read more

Mediocre beach-break that can light up from time to time offering up some world class lefts and rights (but it's rare), one or two empty peaks to chose from most days but heavy crowds and not much parking during a swell. All too often though the water is dirty, it even has a nasty smell sometimes, and forget about it completely after any rain. Smoke stacks and LAX don't provide much of a backdrop either. Combine that with shoulder-high closeouts and there's your three stars. read more

This is a very nice beach for laying out on a nice Socal day. I've noticed that it's very popular with surfers. Every time I've been here the sand has been fine, clean, and the crowd hasn't been annoying. Parking is metered and can be tough when it gets busy. It's a one-way lot and it can get very congested. There are parking patrols that are quite strict, so be sure to keep track of your time. Some of the meters are coin-fed, and some can take cards. Best to avoid all that and park up on Rosecrans at the other lot or to find metered street parking a little farther up on Rosecrans. The walk to the beach is relaxing and you won't miss the stress of the beach lot. Most meters in the area are 2-hours and have signs that specify if you need to vacate the space at that point or not (vs. just feeding the meter again and again). read more