Malibu Colony

Malibu & Pacific Palisades


Malibu has been celebrity central since the 1930s, when money troubles forced landowner May Rindge to lease out property to her famous Hollywood buds. Clara Bow and Barbara Stanwyck were the first to stake out their turf in what would become the Malibu Colony. Ever since, privacy-seeking A-listers, including Leo, Cher, Jen Aniston, Judd Apatow and many others, are or have been residents, owning or renting houses for as much as $100,000 per month.

While it’s impossible to get past the gate without a personal invitation from a resident, you could always join the paparazzi on the beach – just stay below the high-tide mark. For photogenic bird's-eye views of the colony, head up the coast to Malibu Bluffs Park.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Malibu & Pacific Palisades attractions

1. Malibu Lagoon State Beach

0.25 MILES

This salty marsh is where Malibu Creek meets the ocean, attracting migratory birds and their human admirers. It underwent a major native-species…

2. Legacy Park

0.34 MILES

On gently rolling hills across from Malibu City Hall and next to the Malibu Country Mart, this 15-acre park is a microcosm of six SoCal landscapes all in…

3. Adamson House

0.36 MILES

Up on a bluff overlooking Surfrider Beach is this gorgeous Spanish-style villa, which used to belong to the Rindge family and is awash in locally made,…

4. Malibu Pier

0.65 MILES

The pier marks the beginning of Malibu’s commercial heart. It’s open for strolling and license-free fishing (note the brackets for your rod and reel) and…

5. Pepperdine University

1.5 MILES

Self-assuredly holding court on 830 acres atop a grassy slope down to the ocean where deer graze at sundown, this private, Christian institution has views…

6. Frederick R Weisman Museum of Art

1.52 MILES

This art museum on the Pepperdine University campus hosts temporary exhibits of mostly 20th-century art (Claes Oldenburg, Dale Chihuly, Roy Liechtenstein…

7. Malibu Hindu Temple

4.28 MILES

This house (or, more precisely, these houses) of Hindu gods sneaks up on you as you drive up Malibu Canyon, but you won’t miss the ivory towers located 6…

8. Getty Villa

7 MILES

Stunningly perched on an ocean-view hillside, this museum in a replica 1st-century Roman villa is an exquisite, 64-acre showcase for Greek, Roman and…