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Posh in Progress

Here are the Best Orange County Beaches

By Stacey Freeman Leave a Comment

best orange county beaches
I’ve lived in Southern California for nearly 5 years, on and off. I’ve traveled up and down the coast from San Diego to Santa Barbara. Honestly, I thought I had been to all of the beaches in LA, San Diego, and Orange County. But last week, I found my new favorite beach. One of the major reasons I couldn’t wait to move back to California is because of the beaches. Given that I have experienced a lot of what Orange County has to offer, I thought I’d share the best Orange County beaches.

The Best Orange County Beaches

best orange county beaches 2

My Favorite – Victoria Beach 

It’s amazing to me I’d never heard of Victoria Beach before this month. As I was searching for something unique to do with my kids, I happened upon an article that talked about the pirate tower. Say what? A PIRATE TOWER?!?! I’m there. What was more shocking to me is that this hidden gem is not at all far from the hustle and bustle of downtown Laguna Beach, which I’ve frequented many times. 
best orange county beaches 3
From the South Bay of Los Angeles, where I live, Victoria Beach is roughly an hour’s drive, depending on traffic. After driving past the main thoroughfare of downtown Laguna Beach, you go a bit further south and then you’ll start to notice cars parked all along PCH. My directions had me turn onto a residential street. If you’ve been to Laguna, you know a lot of the houses are built on pretty substantial hills, so this residential neighborhood doesn’t have street parking, per say. However, I did see on the map that there is a public entrance to the beach, so I drove back up to PCH  and found a spot on the street. We had to walk, no more than, 5 minutes to get back to the beach entrance. 

As we walked down the stairs toward the beach, the view was obscured. You couldn’t see much between the houses stacked along the coast. But then I caught a glimpse of the gorgeous teal water crashing on the rocks and it literally took my breath away. The views on Victoria Beach are some of my (new) favorite in southern California. There is no doubt it is one of the best Orange County beaches.

Once we ascended all of the stairs, someone directed us to the right to see the pirate tower. As we rounded the rocking corner, I saw it. To me, it appeared like the remnants of a 16th-century castle. It was stunning standing there solemnly among the rocks as the massive waves crashed all around it. I even managed to set up my phone on a timer to get some nice shots.

Honestly, my kids quickly lost interest and ran right for the giant waves. Soon after, we found a spot to set up our beach towels and sand toys. The kids continued to play in the water for quite awhile and then built an epic sandcastle. Our trip to Victoria Beach was definitely one of the favorite beach trips of the summer. It is definitely my new favorite beach and we will be back again soon, I’m sure.

For Walking – Crystal Cove

Crystal Cove State Park has it all. It has a gorgeous beach, tide pools for your kids to explore, and really gorgeous hiking trails. When I lived in Irvine, I would often drive down to Crystal Cove just to take in the views and also get in my steps. It’s a very serene place to spend an hour or a whole day. 

For People Watching – Laguna Beach/Newport Beach

It was hard for me to decide which beach to pick for people watching because both are equally fun and also gorgeous. I do tend to love the tiny little downtown beach, called Main Beach Park, at the epicenter of Laguna because it is easy to access to all of the fun shops and restaurants. Plus, it has the cutest lifeguard tower that makes for great photo ops. 

Newport Beach is also a lot of fun because there is so much to do in the area. I love the beach for walks and hanging with friends. I also like how close it is to Balboa Island if I want to hang out on the kitschy little Island. Make sure to get a chocolate-dipped frozen banana while you’re there. 

For Dogs – Huntington Dog Beach

One of my other favorite beaches to visit is the Huntington Dog Beach. One of my dear friends lives very close, so I often park at her house and we walk there together. It is a long stretch of beach with great views of the lovely Huntington Beach pier. Plus, it’s a lot of fun to watch all of the dogs frolic in the water. If you have a dog, this is my personal favorite dog beach in Orange County. I also like Rosie’s dog beach in Long Beach, if you’re in that area. 

For Surfing – Huntington Beach

There’s a reason it’s called Surf City. Huntington Beach is known for surfing. It’s actually where I learned to surf for the first time. It’s not my favorite beach, if I’m honest. I actually don’t think it’s that pretty because it’s just such an expansive beach. But I do like it’s proximity to the downtown area, and I do think it has one of the best piers in Orange County. It also has a really nice walking/biking path too. 

Overall, there are so many great beaches in Orange County, it’s hard to even narrow it down this far. I hope my list of the best Orange County beaches is helpful as you consider exploring southern California. If I missed your favorite beach, drop me a comment! I’m always up for exploring more new places. 

 

Tagged With: Beaches, California, Orange County, Southern California

About Stacey Freeman

I am a Style Maven, Mommy, Educator, and Traveler.

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My new children’s book ➡️https://amzn.to/3rjsXKE

Stacey Freeman, Ph.D.
Today’s the day! You can now get my new children Today’s the day! You can now get my new children’s book, A Thankful Book for Kids, in print. It’s available on @amazon here: https://amzn.to/3rjsXKE

You can also find it at @target and @barnesandnoble - among other retailers. 

Thank you to all my friends who have shown support, who preordered the book and already left me reviews on Amazon. It means so much to me to read those comments and to know you love the book as much as I do. I am thankful. Link in stories to order your copy!

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Memorial Day fashion, but make it chic 💙🤍. Memorial Day fashion, but make it chic 💙🤍. 

New on poshinprogress.com, I’m sharing my favorite cold-shoulder summer dresses. Mine is only $10, and it makes the perfect beach cover up too! 

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Happy Saturday friends! What are you up to this we Happy Saturday friends! What are you up to this weekend? 

I’m feeling extra grateful to live in LA today. We woke up bright and early, drove 10 minutes, and shot a campaign at the beach all before 8am. 

Sometimes I can’t even believe this is my life. We have built a thriving business that allows me to go to the beach and take photos with my kids. But for the non-influencers out there, it is not easy. It is 24/7 and it’s taken me 9 years of consistent effort to get here. Nevertheless, I am thankful. What are you thankful for today?

By the way, make sure to check out the link in my profile so you can take a peek at my new children’s book, A Thankful Book for Kids, which launches next Tuesday! You can preorder on Amazon today!

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When’s the last time you accomplished something When’s the last time you accomplished something you never thought you would? 

I still can hardly believe I’m a published children’s book author. This isn’t my first time being published; I’ve written many academic papers and even a book chapter with a colleague about museum activism. But a children’s book? I never imagined or dreamed I could.

Now it’s only 5 more days until my first children’s book hits stores! You can preorder now on Amazon. I appreciate your love and support. Link in stories! 

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I can't believe summer break is almost here! Are y I can't believe summer break is almost here! Are you still looking for summer options for your kids? 

My kids will be attending @galileocamps this summer, and they are so excited! Camp Galileo is an award-winning summer day camp that uses project-based learning and STEM principles to help develop innovators. They have over 65 summer camp locations across Northern and Southern California, Chicagoland, Denver, and Seattle. They offer innovative camp experiences for kids as young as pre-K up to 10th grade. Plus, they also offer flexible scheduling to help working families. If you're interested in learning more, visit poshinprogress.com to read about my kids' experience last summer and why they are so excited to go back this year. Also, you can save 15% with code POSH15 when you register at galileo-camps.com #ad @galileocamps #summercamp #lamoms #lamom #lasummercamp
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