For our next Beachmate Beach Feature, we’re thrilled to introduce Zuma and the surrounding area! It doesn’t get much better than Malibu’s Zuma Beach! Boasting a 5-star review on both Yelp and Trip Advisor, Zuma is a regular weekend locale for the Malibu local and a perfect add-on to your trip if you’re touristing to SoCal, as it has often been used as a backdrop for beach films! With its wide expanse of clean, cool Pacific water, the area is prime for surfers and boogie boarders and, while popular, the beach is large enough to accommodate the crowds. The sands of Zuma are soft and wide, leaving ample space for building sandcastles with your Beachmate, and we have heard rumors that this the perfect location to gather sea glass as well!
Pro tip: Arrive early (before it starts to warm up) to snag some free street parking and some sand real estate with your Turkish towels - this will allow you to get the best spots before the crowd starts to wander in, and will save you the $15 parking fee!
Zuma Beach
The Deets:
- Open Hours - 7am til 10pm
- Public Showers - Yes
- Public Restrooms - Yes
- Lifeguards - Yes
- Surfing - Yes
- Volleyball - Yes
- Alcohol - No
- Glass Bottles - No
- Dogs - No
Pros:
- This is one of the most popular beaches in LA County, and with good reason! The beach is 4 miles long and boasts plenty of room, paired with clean sands and waters, lifeguards, and even swings for kids.
- Zuma Beach is an all-day adventure! Because of the local food stands, cool showers, and on-site bathrooms, this is the ideal place to go if you want to park in the sand and sunbathe or let the kids play the hours away in the ocean.
Cons:
- Street parking is available on PCH, but limited. The pay lot costs $15 and has 2000 spots available.
- The waves at Zuma Beach can break close to shore, so parents should be vigilant about their children’s time in the water and watch for the possibility of rip currents. See a lifeguard if you have questions.
Local Community: Malibu
Tea & Coffee:
- Le Cafe de la Plage is Instagrammable with its homemade ice cream and clean decor. Add in a cup of Intelligentsia Coffee, and you’ve got the perfect afternoon interlude! Live music + freshly baked goods? We’re totally in.
- If you’re more of the in and out type, hop over to Starbucks right by the beach. It’s everything you would expect, plus it’s close by in Trancas Country Market. Iced tea in the sand? Perfection. One thing: lines can be very long.... consider mobile ordering at this location.
Eats:
- Kristy’s Village Cafe boasts fresh and seasonal American food! Open breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and with plenty of parking, this cafe also specializes in events, including baby showers, rehearsal dinners, and birthdays. Plus, there’s cafe seating and the whole place overlooks the beach!
- Heated patio balcony overlooking Zuma, delicious cocktails, and woodfired pizzas? SIGN US UP! Spruzzo Malibu is well known for a reason - since 1994, it’s been serving up Italian food that both locals and visitors adore! And fire pits. Need we say more? Don't forget to bring your Beachmate hat in the summer to shade your face!
- We’d be missing the mark if we didn’t mention a couple of other local eateries that might meet your fancy - check out Zooma Sushi, Neptune’s Net, Coral Beach Cantina, and of course, upscale The Sunset Restaurant. There are options for every palate, and all of them get rave reviews!
Entertainment:
- Malibu Creek State Park - Campers will adore the park, where outdoor adventures abound! Whether you’re a bird watcher, a camper, a rock climber, or a geo cacher, a day in the park will have you dreaming of a life in Malibu for sure! The park website talks about “spectacular vistas, including volcanic rock gorges, scenic pools, and breathtaking views” of the valley. Oh, and M*A*S*H and Planet of the Apes were filmed there. Pro tip: have your kids wear their swim shirts and you'll have both the UPF protection AND the bright colors to pick your kiddos out of the trees!
- Malibu Wine Safaris - Go look up @malibusafaris on Instagram and come on back. Go ahead… we’ll wait. I mean, really… exotic animals including zebras, camels, and a giraffe, all while tasting six local wines? I’m pretty sure nobody needs to talk you into giving this one a try. The only real question here is: how many gift certificates will you be buying?
- Malibu Playhouse - While the outdoors are always the primary attraction in Malibu, followed by relatively local theme parks, there’s something to be said about escaping inside for a bit of culture (a show, perhaps, or a class?) at Malibu’s own 99-seat playhouse, run by the Malibu Stage Company, a non-profit 501(c)3.
