The Best Outdoor Activities in Santa Monica & Los Angeles This Summer
By Lucas Coleman, Permitted Surf InstructorApril 15, 2026Calibunga Surf Lessons Podcast — Episode 9. This post is based on Episode 9 of the Calibunga Surf Lessons Podcast — listen wherever you get your podcasts.
The Best Outdoor Activities in Santa Monica & Los Angeles This Summer
A local guide to the real Santa Monica and Los Angeles — the outdoor spots, hidden trails, and ocean adventures the big travel sites will never tell you about.
This post is based on Episode 9 of the Calibunga Surf Lessons Podcast — listen wherever you get your podcasts.
Listen now →Every summer, thousands of families, travelers, and first-time visitors arrive in Santa Monica and Los Angeles looking for something real to do — something beyond the Hollywood ghost tours, the celebrity home bus rides, and the walk-of-fame selfies. They want outdoor adventure. They want ocean air. They want a story worth telling.
This post was inspired by a question we received on the Calibunga Surf Lessons Podcast from the Fernandez family — a family of four visiting Santa Monica from Madrid, Spain in July 2026. Their kids are 12 and 15, they love being active and adventurous, and they wanted insider knowledge about what to do in and around Santa Monica and Los Angeles beyond the tourist traps.
As a permitted surf instructor who works on Santa Monica Beach every day, I know this coastline and this city intimately. These are my personal recommendations — the places I actually go, the spots I've found through years of paddling out up and down the LA coast, and the experiences I genuinely believe are worth your time.
There is so much nature and so many real memories you can create in this city. You just have to know where to look.
— Lucas Coleman, Calibunga Surf Lessons, Santa MonicaThe Best Outdoor Activities in Santa Monica & Los Angeles for Summer 2026
Here is a breakdown of the best outdoor activities in the Santa Monica and Los Angeles area — all personally recommended, all genuinely worth your afternoon, and almost none of them on the first page of Google.
- Santa Monica Pier — free, fun, always worth it
- Pier-to-pier walk: Santa Monica to Venice Beach
- E-bike rentals along the oceanfront bike path
- Zuma Beach tide pools at Little and Big Dume, Malibu
- Sea kayaking with seals in Marina del Rey
- Stargazing at Griffith Park Observatory
- Family surf lessons in Santa Monica with Calibunga
The Santa Monica Pier
Walking onto the Santa Monica Pier costs nothing, and it is one of the most iconic and genuinely fun spots on the entire Los Angeles coastline. There is a full theme park at the end of the pier with roller coasters and rides, live street musicians (quality varies wildly — that's part of the charm), food, and views of the Pacific Ocean that are hard to beat. It is touristy, yes. But it is touristy for a reason. Do not skip it.
The Pier-to-Pier Walk: Santa Monica to Venice Beach
Stand at the Santa Monica Pier and look south. On a clear day you can see the Venice Beach Pier from where you're standing. The walk between them — about 30 minutes each way — is one of the best ways to experience what makes the Los Angeles beach scene genuinely unique. Along the way you pass the Venice Boardwalk, which is lined with street artists, performers, independent food spots and bars, and street art that ranges from brilliant to baffling. It is grungier than Santa Monica, louder, more eccentric — and completely worth it.
Go at sunset. That is when the energy is most electric, the performers are out in full, and the light on the Pacific turns the whole walk golden.
E-Bike Rentals on the Santa Monica Oceanfront Bike Path
If walking pier to pier sounds like a lot, rent e-bikes. There are several rental vendors located practically all the way from the Santa Monica Pier down to Venice Beach, and there is a dedicated bike-only path that runs flat along the sand for the entire stretch — no hills, no cars, nothing between you and the ocean. Most e-bike rentals run around $20–$30 per hour. You leave a passport as a deposit, ride as long as you like, and return the bike when you're done. For a family with kids, this is one of the best ways to see the whole Santa Monica and Venice Beach coastline without spending it in a car or an Uber.
Zuma Beach Tide Pools at Little and Big Dume, Malibu
This is the one most visitors to Los Angeles will never find on their own — and one of the most remarkable natural experiences the California coastline has to offer. Zuma Beach is about 30 minutes north of Santa Monica in Malibu, and at its southernmost end you'll find Little and Big Dume. These are two sea coves that run along 200–300 foot sea cliffs, connected by an easy, accessible trail that anyone can walk — no hiking experience required.
The trail takes you along the cliff edge, down through the coves, and eventually deposits you at a stunning bedrock tide pool that has been forming and reforming with the tides for thousands of years. At low tide, the ocean pulls back and leaves behind shallow pools filled with starfish, sea anemones, sea urchins, and an extraordinary variety of marine life. The bedrock never changes — the same nooks and crannies that have sheltered sea creatures for millennia are still there, still full of life. Walk slowly. Watch your step. Look closely. It is genuinely astonishing.
This is completely free. You park and you walk. I found this spot because we surf Big Dume — it is a very advanced wave for experienced surfers. I have never heard it promoted anywhere. That is exactly why I am telling you about it.
Sea Kayaking With Seals in Marina del Rey
Head south from Santa Monica to Marina del Rey — locals just call it "the marina" — for one of the most unexpectedly special outdoor experiences in all of Los Angeles. Sea kayak rentals are available for around $20, with no appointment typically needed. You just walk up and go. Single and double kayaks are available.
Because the marina is protected by breakwaters and jetties — giant stone seawalls that keep ocean swells out — the water inside is completely calm and flat. No waves, no current, just smooth open water. You can paddle around and explore houseboats, drift past super yachts, and navigate through the small dock networks that extend out into the marina.
Those docks have been claimed by resident seal colonies. On any given day, 20 to 30 seals will be piled on top of each other napping in the sun. You can paddle right alongside them. Do not touch the seals — they are wild animals who would rather not be bothered. But paddling up next to a pile of sleeping seal cubs in the middle of Los Angeles is, genuinely, one of the most joyful things this city has to offer.
Griffith Park Observatory: Sunset & Stargazing in Los Angeles
Right in the middle of Hollywood — adjacent to the mountaintop where the Hollywood sign stands — is the Griffith Park Observatory, a massive public stargazing facility sitting on top of one of the best viewpoints in all of Los Angeles. In summer, going at sunset is ideal. You can hike up via trails, walk the paved road, or take an Uber or Lyft directly to the top — all are permitted.
Once you are there, the observatory staff sets up powerful telescopes pointed at the night sky. Astronomers and educators walk visitors through the constellations and deliver a lecture on space, the stars, and what you are about to look at. Then, just after the sun sets, you use those telescopes to do real stargazing over Los Angeles.
And the view. Because Los Angeles sits in a valley, the view from Griffith Observatory in every direction is extraordinary — the entire city spread out as far as you can see, the ocean glinting to the west, the mountains to the north and east. I have lived in Los Angeles for a very long time and I still go back to the Griffith Observatory once every summer. It earns it every time.
Family Surf Lessons in Santa Monica With Calibunga
And of course — take a surf lesson. At Calibunga Surf Lessons, we offer lesson plans specifically designed for families learning together on Santa Monica Beach. Yes, we do serious surf training for people looking to ride bigger waves and develop high-performance skills. But we also run family lessons built around creating a genuinely fun, memorable experience — and making it just competitive enough that everyone learns faster than they expected.
There is a particular kind of fun humility in wiping out in front of your kids, or watching your dad fall off his board trying to get up before you do. Those photos after the lesson — the group shot on the beach, everyone soaking wet and grinning — they end up on living room walls. I say this from experience, having photographed hundreds of families after their first wave.
If your kids are getting close to college age and summers together are starting to feel numbered, a surf lesson in Santa Monica is a photo and a memory worth having.
Frequently Asked Questions: Things to Do in Santa Monica & Los Angeles
The best free outdoor activities in Santa Monica include walking the Santa Monica Pier, doing the pier-to-pier walk along the boardwalk to Venice Beach, and visiting the Griffith Park Observatory at sunset. The tide pools at Little and Big Dume in Malibu are also completely free and about 30 minutes up the coast.
For families visiting Los Angeles in summer 2026, the top activities are: the Zuma Beach tide pools at Little and Big Dume in Malibu, sea kayaking with seal colonies in Marina del Rey, e-biking the Santa Monica to Venice Beach oceanfront path, stargazing at the Griffith Park Observatory, and family surf lessons on Santa Monica Beach with Calibunga Surf Lessons.
The best tide pools near Santa Monica are at Little and Big Dume, located at the southern end of Zuma Beach in Malibu — about 30 minutes north up the coast. The tide pools sit along bedrock sea cliffs and are home to starfish, sea anemones, and sea urchins. Entry is free; you park and walk an easy trail that anyone can handle.
Yes. Marina del Rey offers sea kayak rentals for around $20 with no appointment needed. The marina's breakwaters keep the water flat and calm. Seal colonies have taken over several of the inner docks, and you can paddle right alongside groups of 20–30 seals resting in the sun.
You can reach the Griffith Park Observatory by hiking up via the park trails, walking the paved road, or taking an Uber or Lyft directly to the top — ride-shares are permitted all the way up. In summer, arriving around sunset is ideal for both the view and the evening stargazing program.
Yes. Calibunga Surf Lessons offers family surf lessons designed for families learning together on Santa Monica Beach in Los Angeles. Lessons are led by Lucas Coleman, a permitted professional surf instructor located at Lifeguard Tower 26 in the Ocean Park area of Santa Monica. Contact: info@calibungasurflessons.com or visit calibungasurflessons.com.
The Real Los Angeles Is Outside
The best thing about Los Angeles is not the celebrity tours or the Instagram landmarks. It is the coastline. The cliffs. The seals asleep on sun-warmed docks. The tide going out and leaving starfish in the rocks. The sun setting over the Pacific while someone plays music on the boardwalk. These things are free, or close to it, and they are available to anyone who knows where to look.
If you are visiting Santa Monica or Los Angeles this summer — whether you are coming from Madrid or from across town — I hope this gives you a real starting point. And if you have a question about something you heard about but cannot find online, reach out. This is exactly what the Calibunga Surf Lessons Podcast is here for.
Book a Surf Lesson in Santa Monica
Join Lucas Coleman and Calibunga Surf Lessons on Santa Monica Beach. Private lessons, group lessons, and family lesson plans available for all ages and experience levels.
Book Your Lesson
Questions? Email info@calibungasurflessons.com
Find us at Lifeguard Tower 26, Ocean Park, Santa Monica Beach, CA