Must-see destinations on the West Coast: Santa Monica and Venice Beach.
You can stay in Los Angeles and from there go to these destinations for the day, or stay in one of them first and then go to L.A. It's the same, L.A is aprox 30min away from Downtown depending on traffic.
If you like going to the beach, perhaps you should first spend 2/3 days near the sea, in Sta. Monica and Venice and then go to L.A city. But if you prefer not to be moving that much, it is ok to stay in L.A and go down to explore each beach. In that case, the best is to schedule several days for this final part because near the sea there are different places to visit and then L.A. is big with a LOT to do as well.
Santa Monica is a surfer town with very good vibes. Across the main street you can find a pedestrian street called Promenade St. (or 3rd street; it's called both ways). That's where all the shops are. Musicians, very elegant stores, open-air shopping... We recommend walking here even if you don't want to go shopping.
The beach in Santa Monica is very nice too. You have the pier with shops, games and the famous giant ferry wheel over the sea that is all illuminated at night.
A good place to have a drink and opens until late: MISSFIT (this is important, because everything closes early in Santa Monica), it's located on the main street.
There are also several rooftops, our favorite: ELEPHANTE.
To go party: THE HUNTLEY.
Very close to Santa Monica is Venice Beach. It is the most "hippie/trash" neighborhood. Here you see a lot of graffiti, basketball courts and a large skate park on the beach, musicians, artists, little bars, etc. Although the street that goes along the beach is not what it used to be (now it's a little dirtier), Venice is still another must-see. The beach is very pretty, the skatepark is great, and you can't stop walking the emblematic Abbot Kinney street and go through its shops and restaurants.
On this street, there is one of the best restaurants: GJELINA. The address is: 1429 Abbot Kinney Blvd. Favorite dishes: smashed peas on toast with burrata and mint pesto, pizza, Wood roasted potato gratin, roasted fennel pollen, meatballs, grilled Saratoga Lamb steak... Whatever you order though believe us that it will be incredible.
Ice Cream Lovers: One of the most famous ice cream shops is Salt & Straw. You're going to have a long line ahead, but it's worth it, and it's on the other corner of Gjelina.
For lunch or a good brunch: The Butcher's Daughter is a must. It is possible to see some celebrities here.
A recommendation for those who want to buy custom fragrances, and other options such as shampoos and soaps: LE LABÓ.
For clothes you have lots of options, but a very cool one (although with higher prices): RAG+BONE.
There is a place called TEES+JEANS where you can custom your clothes however you want.
The good thing here is that you find different brands that you don't see elsewhere.
A cool rooftop in Venice: ERWIN HOTEL.
ANOTHE NICE BEACHES NEARBY
These 3 are very close to each other:
HERMOSA BEACH
Where you'll find the famous La La Land bar: The Lighthouse Café. In this beach usually there are several surf tournaments.
MANHATTAN BEACH
On this coast you'll see one of the best sunsets in the world. The sky is painted pink. The picture below doesn't have any filter:
MARINA DEL REY (Or Playa del Rey)
The neighborhood is very nice to walk around as well. Narrow streets that end at different water spots (the sea, the port with little boats...). The beach is super wide and is usually quiet. It is next to Manhattan Beach and you have different places to do some barbecues.
From here you can also see those pink and orange painted sunsets.
OTHER USEFUL GUIDES