Travel Guide to Hermosa Beach, CA
A quick travel guide to Hermosa Beach, CA with the best things to do while in the beautiful town of Hermosa Beach. This has been my home since 2018 and is one of the best little beach cities out there!
About Hermosa Beach
Hermosa Beach is tucked away in the busy city of Los Angeles, right along the coast. Hermosa Beach transports you to an active, quaint, and wonderful beach town. Upon arriving, you’ll see many people out along the strand skating, biking, walking with their dogs; volleyball and beachgoers on the sand; surfers, swimmers, and maybe even dolphins in the water. Around town, you’ll find Hermosa Pier and many local-owned small shops and restaurants. And most of all, you’ll find a relaxing, friendly, and refreshing vibe.
How to get there:
If you’re located in Los Angeles, Hermosa Beach is a quick (depending on LA traffic) drive away. It is about 20 minutes south of LAX if you are flying into the city.
When to visit:
The weather here is relatively warm year round. Hermosa Beach does have a delayed summer, typically from July-September. This is the best time to visit in my opinion. May and June get a bad rep for being May gray and June gloom. This has generally lived to be true for the past 3 summers here. Although, there are still great beach days that happen during these months. The winters are nice too, with temperatures in the 60s.
Where to stay:
Most of Hermosa is made up of homes, with not many rentals. From time to time, I’ve seen some Airbnbs available. Mostly, these will appear in Redondo Beach, just south of Hermosa. However, there are a few great hotel options:
- Beach Front:
- Almost Beach Front:
- 5 min drive:
How to Get Around:
While LA is typically a driving city, Hermosa Beach allows for more laid-back transportation. Biking, skating, and walking are all very common since everything is within a mile or so. If you do drive here on the weekend, I recommend arriving early to secure a parking spot. Check out the Hermosa Parking Garage or look for a metered parallel space (most metered spaces have 2-hour time limits unless you have the Hermosa Resident Pass).
Things to do
Beach Activities:
- Enjoy the beach! Bring your beach chairs to take in the ocean views and salty air, and get some sun
- Surf: grab a surfboard and a wetsuit at Jeffers Beach Rentals right off the beach! Most of the year (besides prime-time summer), I’d recommend a 3/2mm wetsuit.
- Volleyball: volleyball is huge in Hermosa Beach with many nets throughout the entire South Bay
- Spike-ball: a fun, packable game with a small ball and a ground net for 4 people at the beach. You can get this on Amazon here.
Non-Beach Activities:
- Go biking: Rent bikes for the day and at Hermosa Cyclery and explore the strand
- Go skateboarding/rollerblading
- Take a yoga class at SoHo Yoga
- Explore the shops: there are lots of great local-owned shops in Hermosa Beach. Some of my favorites are:
- Curious which has many cute and funny gifts and souvenirs
- Becker Surfboards which has -you guessed it-, surfboards and great clothing and swimsuits
- Spyder Surfboards is another great surf and clothing shop
- Practical Magic Apothecary which has the cutest plants, artwork, and essential oils
Where to eat:
Breakfast:
- Martha’s: a great local brunch spot right off the beach
- Good Stuff: another classic brunch spot right on the strand. Their banana bread is amazing
- Gum Tree: a cafe up pier ave a bit from the pier. Worth stopping by for a great healthy breakfast or lunch
Lunch/Dinner:
- Green’s Grocery: a great grab & go store that makes custom sandwiches and has a good selection of grab-and-go snacks and drinks
- La Playita: the place in town for a good deal on tasty Mexican food and margaritas
- Dia De Campo: great Mexican food and spicy margaritas
- Palmilla Cocina y Tequila: Mexican food with great cocktails. The best appetizer in town with homemade, warm tortillas that come with sweet butter, red salsa, and verde salsa
- Agave Azul: a newer Mexican restaurant with a lively party vibe
- Hook & Plow: farm-to-table style. Our favorite place for date night
- The Bottle Inn: delicious Italian food. Also an awesome date night spot
- Hermosa Brew Co: has the best beers and live music
- Tower 12: great place to grab food and drinks with a front and center view of what’s going on in the pier area
- American Junkie: also right in the heart of Hermosa. A great place to catch a game and grab food and drinks
- Silvio’s Brazilian BBQ: great BBQ with a surf vibe on the inside
Dessert:
- Baked Bear: the most delicious ice cream sandwiches. This place is a must for the “bear batter” ice cream flavor
I hope this Travel Guide to Hermosa Beach, CA helps you plan your trip! Feel free to reach out on my Contact page if you have any questions!