South Venice Beach

Venice, Marina Del Rey & Playa del Rey


South of Washington Blvd, the throng dissipates and the golden sands unfurl in a more pristine manner. Waves roll in consistently and are ideal for bodysurfing. Volleyball games erupt at a moment’s notice. Parking is an issue, which makes it a mostly local scene. Bike and crash it.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Venice, Marina Del Rey & Playa del Rey attractions

1. Venice Canals

0.55 MILES

Even many Angelenos have no idea that just a couple of blocks from the Boardwalk madness is an idyllic neighborhood that preserves 3 miles of Abbot Kinney…

2. LA Louver

0.64 MILES

The best art gallery in Venice, and arguably the best in LA, LA Louver was established by Peter Gouls in 1975, and since 1994 has been housed in a…

3. C.A.V.E.

0.64 MILES

One of our favorite Venice galleries, it specializes in single-artist exhibitions. When we passed it hosted the works of Ralph Ziman, a South African–born…

5. Jim Morrison Mural

0.74 MILES

Epic 30ft-high portrait of one-time Venice resident Jim Morrison of the rock band The Doors, by Rip Cronk.

6. Venice Reconstituted

0.87 MILES

Perhaps Venice's signature mural, it depicts an updated version of Botticelli's Birth of Venus, painted by Rip Cronk in 1989.

7. Venice Beach Art Walls

0.87 MILES

These walls, right on the beach, have been covered by generations of graffiti artists from 1961 to the present.

8. Venice Boardwalk

0.95 MILES

Prepare for a sensory overload on Venice's Boardwalk, a one-of-a-kind experience. Buff bodybuilders brush elbows with street performers and sellers of…