Santa Monica, Venice & the South Bay

Drop your bags at your beach-area hotel, pull on your swimwear and point yourself west. The Pacific is already waiting.

Claim a stretch of wide, pale sand and settle in for the morning. Santa Monica's beach is broad enough that you can always find your own quiet patch — spread a towel, wade into the surf or simply watch the paragliders drift over the bluffs. The gentle break makes it an easy swim for most, and a long walk south along the shoreline sets the tone for the day.

After a morning in the sun, Pitchoun's airy French-bakery spirit is exactly right — pastries and proper sandwiches made with care, a coffee that actually wakes you up, and the kind of unhurried pace that keeps you from rushing back into the day too soon.

A short ride south from Santa Monica, Ocean Park Beach has a quieter, more laid-back feel. The late-afternoon light here is extraordinary — shadows lengthen across the sand, the water turns a deeper blue-green, and the crowds thin just enough that you can find a spot close to the water's edge. A good time to swim a little, then dry off while watching the surfers work the evening swell.

Rinse off, change, and head inland as the sky goes orange behind you. The drive or ride into Downtown takes around 30 minutes from the beach — time to decompress before the evening begins.

Seven Grand is a long, dark room lined with whisky bottles — hundreds of them — and the kind of low lighting that makes a post-beach evening feel like a reward. Order a dram of something smoky, settle into a booth and let the day unwind.

Set inside a beautifully restored former rectory, Redbird LA is one of those Downtown restaurants that earns its reputation without trying too hard. The cooking is confident and seasonal, the space dramatic without being precious — a proper send-off for a day that started with your feet in the Pacific.

An early start pays dividends on the second day — beat the crowds to the water with a coffee to go and a clear road south along the coast.

Venice rewards an early arrival before the boardwalk gets busy. Walk the sand, watch the skateboarders warm up at the park, or just plant yourself near the water and let the morning come to you. The beach itself is wide and the ocean here has a livelier character than Santa Monica — good for a proper swim before the day heats up.

Alfred Coffee on Traction Avenue pulls a strong espresso and keeps a light, well-edited menu that's ideal after a salty morning. Grab a table, order something fresh, and take your time — the afternoon beach is only a short drive away.

A few blocks inland from Venice Beach, the original canal network is one of LA's most quietly atmospheric corners. Walk the footbridges, peer at the eclectic houses and let the city's stranger, more creative side show itself before you head back to the shore.

El Porto sits at the north end of Manhattan Beach and is a favourite among surfers for good reason — the break here is consistent and the beach has an unpolished, local character that sets it apart. Even if you're not on a board, the afternoon light bouncing off the water here is reason enough to come. Stretch out, watch the surf and let the day slow right down.

Finish the trip where the sun falls fastest: Dockweiler is one of the few LA beaches where fire rings are lit as the evening comes in, and the wide, open expanse of sand means you get an uninterrupted view of the sky turning pink and then deep red over the water. No agenda — just sit, watch and let the Pacific do what it does best.

End the trip on the 71st floor of the US Bank Tower, where the dining room looks out over a city that stretches from the mountains to the sea — and on a clear evening you can trace the entire coastline you've spent two days exploring. It's a fitting close: the Pacific below, a last good meal, and LA laid out all around you.