California Coastal Commission

From the Santa Monica Convention & Visitors Bureau, here are the top 10 activities travelers and local visitors can enjoy along the Santa Monica coastline:

1. Get Moving - Santa Monica thrives on a healthy, active lifestyle. Hop on a bike and ride the South Bay Bicycle Trail that runs for miles along the beach, the longest beach path of its kind. Bikes, rollerblades and other gear are available for rent at several spots along the beach.

2. Family Fun - Kids rule the Annenberg Beach House! The recently restored landmark created a interactive and fun environment for kids by offering a public pool that features a splash pad and water playground and a cafe where kids and parents can relax with their feet in the sand.

3. Ride the Waves - With the Pacific Ocean as a backyard, it's no surprise that Santa Monica knows surfing! And, with the number of great surfing instructors and surf camps, who call the city their home, by the end of your visit, so will you.

4. Volleyball - Santa Monica is the birthplace of beach volleyball and the city continues to be a go-to destination for those seeking the sand and the net. Hundreds of courts pepper the beaches and are always available to the public first come, first served and free of charge.

5. Pampering with a Personal Beach Butler - For a luxurious beach experience without the fuss of carrying your gear and food, Perry's Café's Beach Butler service will set up beach chairs, table and umbrella at a designated time and location, deliver sunning products, chilled beverages and food. The best part: they handle the clean up, so you don't have to!

Under the Boardwalk, Santa Monica Pier, © Pamela A. Rogers

6. Listen to Live Music Under the Stars - The famous Santa Monica Pier hosts the Twilight Dance Series every summer, a free open-air concert series featuring top performers every Thursday night, starting late June to the Labor Day weekend. The concerts draw families, couples and friends, who gather both on the pier and on the beach below to enjoy the live music.

7. Yoga - Following the belief that everything is better at the beach, take your mat to the sand and flow through your asanas there. In addition to a number of private Santa Monica studios that trade four walls for an ocean breeze, Shutters On The Beach, a popular beachfront hotel, offers beach yoga classes every Thursday morning at no cost to its guests.

8. Explore the Ocean Culture - The Heal The Bay Santa Monica Pier Aquarium offers an enlightening peek into the Santa Monica's ocean world. The family-friendly facility is home to more than 100 species of marine animals and plants - all found in the Santa Monica Bay.

9. Learn to Fly - Also located on the Santa Monica Pier, the Trapeze School New York provides acrobatic classes for those who are fearless or are facing fears, including flying trapeze, swinging trapeze and trampoline for various levels. Imagine the ocean view from up there!

10. Coastal Coasters - The West Coast's only amusement park located on a pier, Pacific Park provides top-notch year-round entertainment for kids of any age. From arcade games to fast flying roller coasters, with a side of sweet treats, everyone will find something to love. The park is also home to the worlds only solar powered Ferris wheel that offers panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean from more than 130 feet above the pier.

More information:

• www.santamonica.com
• www.santamonicapier.org
• www.parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=624

A comprehensive, easy-to-use guidebook listing all publicly accessible beaches and shoreline accessways along the southern California coast:

• Experience the California Coast, A Guide to Beaches and Parks in Southern California, by the California Coastal Commission, available from UC Press at www.ucpress.edu/series.php?ser=ecc.