Recently we took a drive up the Pacific Coast Highway to Malibu Beach State Park, probably about twenty miles from here. The PCH, as locals call the highway, is a lovely road, with ocean on one side and the Santa Monica mountains on the other. It’s been featured in numerous films, including some of the final chase scenes from It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.
The park itself was a bit mixed. The lagoon, which divides the parking area from the beach, is rather polluted. Though we saw some lovely water fowl prowling in the murky shallows, the overall scene was tainted by the bottles and cans bobbing by. Once we passed that, the beach itself was very lovely. We found a whole bunch of purple sea urchins and aqua plants.
On a nearby sandbar, a great flock of pelicans huddled. Surfers rode the waves, and sunbathers soaked up the cancer. Malibu Surfrider Beach is world famous for the smooth-breaking waves and are recognized among surfers worldwide as the gold standard for surfing.
While certainly a lovely spot, it is a small area, and we found no substantial hiking trails. If you are just looking for a lively beach to plant yourself on for awhile, then the park is worth visiting. But there are plenty of free beaches nearby that are just about as scenic.
Nevertheless, for a couple of eskimos from the wild north country, it was a pleasant way to spend a winter’s day, and one more park checked off the list.
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I’ve never been to Malibu so this post was fun! I feel like I’ve just slipped away for a moment to a wonderful beach where I’m watching the surfers. Thanks!
Thanks Martha! It was a beautiful spot.
See a video of Dagmola Sakya, world-renowned Dharma (Buddhist) teacher and Tibetan Princess, giving a blessing at the Malibu Lagoon.
http://milesfrommalibu.wordpress.com/2012/02/10/malibu-lagoon-dagmola-sakya/