Los Angeles: Activities

• surfing

  In Malibu, Surfrider Beach is a surfing favourite. To the North, Zuma is the largest and sandiest of LA's county-owned beaches, with rough surf and plenty of oily hardbodies. Manhattan Beach in the south is jam-packed on summer days with swimmers, volleyball players and the American-as-apple-pie local residents - it's arguably the nearest thing you'll find to the 'California Dream'.

• hiking

  Urban hiking is your best bet but to experience the great outdoors LA's surrounding mountains are good day-hike destinations. Try the rugged Santa Monica Mountains, especially Topanga State Park or Malibu State Park, both inland from Malibu, or Griffith Park, north of Hollywood.

• downhill

  The main area for downhill skiing is Big Bear Lake in the San Bernardino National Forest, 180km (110mi) northeast of LA. The season lasts roughly from mid-December until March or April and, contrary to the cliché, the skiing is generally only good in the morning. Groomed runs and moguls are excellent, but don't expect much powder. The best part about Big Bear is the weather - sunshine 90% of the time and T-shirt temperatures in spring.

• swimming (outdoor)

  The most popular and populated swimming beaches are Santa Monica, Venice and Manhattan but, with miles and miles of wide sandy shores to enjoy, even they rarely get packed with people. Zuma Beach is one of LA's most beautiful, and the swimming, body-surfing and people-watching here is excellent. Immediately south of Zuma, Westward Beach is good for families.

• cycling

  One of the best bike trails in LA is the South Bay Bicycle Trail, a flat 35km (22mi) paved path that follows the beach south from Santa Monica to Torrance Beach. The newly expanded LA River Bikeway runs alongside a surprisingly wild and pleasant stretch of the river from Atwater Village to Burbank.

• team sports

  Prefer sitting on your butt and watching other people exert themselves? The LA Dodgers baseball team are the focus of sporting fanaticism in summer; they play from April to October at Dodger Stadium, just north of Downtown.

• basketball

  To check out the legendary LA Lakers, head to the Staples Center, next to the Convention Center in Downtown, during the winter months. For something a little more homespun, UCLA's college basketball team, the Bruins, is one of the best in the country and well worth a look.

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