City of Laguna Beach

Laguna Beach spans seven miles of coastline south of Newport Beach and north of Dana Point. The city has 30 coves and beaches, a crowded downtown packed with restaurants, shops and art galleries, and places to stay ranging from fancy to frugal. Main Beach includes a landscaped plaza by the sand across the street from downtown. Aliso Beach is a popular spot for surfers, divers and families spending a day on the sand.

This town’s culture runs far deeper than the tanned teens who made Laguna Beach famous on the MTV show “The Real OC .” The coastline is dotted with cliff-side homes, deluxe resorts, bed and breakfasts, delicious eateries, art galleries and boutiques. Nearly 100 galleries display work by local and internationally known artists, which the town celebrates annually with art festivals and shows.

Laguna Beach was thrust into the national spotlight in 2004, when MTV first turned its cameras on the small community of multimillion-dollar homes, art galleries and a chic seaside downtown. Cameras documented drama among wealthy teens in town as they made out on the beach, fought at proms and gossiped over fancy lunches and dinners. Residents here have protested that the show misses some of the best parts of town.

Everything about Laguna is beautiful, including the only roads into town: a snaking canyon route and Pacific Coast Highway. Restaurants, shops and multimillion-dollar homes dot the Laguna hillsides overlooking beaches that attract surfers, divers and nature lovers interested in marine life. While Newport Beach feels flashy rich, Laguna’s got a more laid-back feeling, making it a challenge at times to distinguish between millionaires and starving artists.

Nearly 100 art galleries are sprinkled throughout town and fuel creative events held throughout the year. Most famous is Pageant of the Masters, the highlight of the city’s Festival of the Arts celebration, which features real people posing to re-create classical and contemporary art. Other art events include Sawdust Festival and Art-A-Fair.

Basketball courts on Main Beach have been ranked among the best pickup games in the nation. Players from across the county show up for weekend tournaments on the courts between Pacific Coast Highway and the sand. Locals say NBA stars such as Byron Scott and Kurt Rambis have played there.