Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
( 949-494-3050;
www.pacificmmc.org
; 20612 Laguna Canyon Rd; admission by donation;
10am-4pm)
A nonprofit organization dedicated to rescuing and rehabilitating injured or ill marine
mammals, this center northeast of town has a small staff and many volunteers who help
nurse rescued pinnipeds - mostly sea lions and seals - before releasing them back into the
wild. There are several outside pools and holding pens - but remember, this is a rescue
center, not SeaWorld.
DON'T MISS
FIRST THURSDAYS
On the first Thursday of the month, downtown Laguna Beach gets festive during the
First
Thursdays Gallery Art Walk
( 949-683-6871;
www.firstthursdaysartwalk.com
;
6pm-9pm 1st
Thu of month). You can make the rounds of 40 local galleries and the Laguna Art Museum
via free shuttles circling Laguna's art-gallery districts.
Activities
Central Beaches
BEACHES
Near downtown's village,
Main Beach
has volleyball and basketball courts, a playground
and restrooms. It's Laguna's best beach for swimming. Just north at
Picnic Beach
, it's too
rocky to surf; tide pooling is best. Pick up a tide table at the visitors bureau. (Tide pool
etiquette: tread lightly on dry rocks only and don't pick anything up that you find living in
the water or on the rocks.)
vistas of craggy coves and deep-blue sea. Bring your camera - with its palm trees and
bougainvillea-dotted bluffs, the scene is definitely one for posterity. A scenic walkway
also connects Heisler Park to Main Beach.
North of downtown, Crescent Bay has big hollow waves good for bodysurfing, but
parking is difficult; try the bluffs atop the beach; the views here are reminiscent of the
Amalfi Coast.
