This calm beach, known as Mothers Beach for its kid-friendly currents, has a lifeguard, restrooms and a shower.
Mothers Beach
Newport Beach
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
Knott’s Berry Farm
16.79 MILES
What started as a simple berry farm is now a sprawling 160-acre operation with rides, live shows and lovable Peanuts characters roaming the grounds. Knott…
Mission San Juan Capistrano
16.79 MILES
Famous for its swallows that fly back to town every year on March 19 (though sometimes they’re just a bit early), San Juan Capistrano is home to the …
Bowers Museum
11.14 MILES
From its stately, Spanish Colonial–style shell, the Bowers Museum explodes onto the scene every year or so with remarkable exhibits that remind LA-centric…
Watts Towers
29.16 MILES
The three 'Gothic' spires of the fabulous Watts Towers rank among the world’s greatest monuments of folk art. In 1921 Italian immigrant Simon Rodia set…
Discovery Cube
11.82 MILES
Follow the giant 10-story cube – balanced on one of its points – to the county's best educational kiddie attraction. About 100 hands-on displays await,…
Abalone Cove Shoreline Park
27.63 MILES
The best place to hunt for starfish, anemones and other tide-pool critters is in and around this rock-strewn eco-preserve. The walk down to the beach gets…
Orange County Museum of Art
2.83 MILES
This engaging museum highlights California art and cutting-edge contemporary artists, with exhibitions rotating through two large spaces. Recent…
Queen Mary
18.25 MILES
Long Beach’s ‘flagship’ attraction is this grand – and supposedly haunted! – British luxury liner. Larger and more luxurious than even the Titanic…
Nearby Newport Beach attractions
1. Lovell Beach House
0.43 MILES
For a striking architectural specimen, stroll past the 1926 Lovell House, designed by seminal modernist architect Rudolf Schindler, a student of Frank…
2. Balboa Peninsula
1.03 MILES
Four miles long but less than a half-mile wide, the Balboa Peninsula has a white-sand beach on its ocean side and countless stylish homes, including the…
3. Discovery Cube's Ocean Quest
1.43 MILES
In the Balboa Fun Zone, this newly refurbished museum was recently taken over by Santa Ana's Discovery Cube and runs educational programs for local…
4. Balboa Fun Zone
1.45 MILES
On the harbor side of Balboa Peninsula, the Fun Zone has delighted locals and visitors since 1936. There’s a small Ferris wheel (where Ryan and Marissa…
5. Balboa Pavilion
1.52 MILES
Nearby the Balboa Fun Zone, the landmark 1906 Balboa Pavilion is beautifully illuminated at night. You can get boat rentals and catch ferries to Catalina…
6. Balboa Island
2 MILES
In the middle of the harbor sits the island that time forgot. Its streets are still largely lined with tightly clustered cottages built in the 1920s and …
7. The Wedge
2.65 MILES
At the end of the Balboa Peninsula, the Wedge is famous for its perfectly hollow waves that can swell up to 30ft high. The waves are shore-breakers that…
8. Orange County Museum of Art
2.83 MILES
This engaging museum highlights California art and cutting-edge contemporary artists, with exhibitions rotating through two large spaces. Recent…