Manhattan Beach beach vacation rentals

Manhattan Beach is a glamorous city surrounded by more low-key surf locales. While this place has hung on to a small-town feel and can claim plenty of surfer cred, it has leaned into a more glitzy interpretation of coastal living, with opulent seaside homes, upscale boutiques, and ritzy gastropubs. Manhattan wears its luxury character on its sleeve — think complicated cocktails served by a rooftop firepit — and is happy to have it both ways.

One of its most recognizable institutions is an unpretentious restaurant, advertised by a giant model of a cauldron hanging from a post on its roof, which slings burgers, fries, and giant stacks of pancakes. Spend the morning wandering the glossy home decor and clothing stores clustered near Manhattan Boulevard and then make your way to the beach, where volleyball courts and sun-warmed sand beckon. Watch surfers carve through the swells at the vaunted El Porto surf break, go for a dip in the cool water, and spend your evening dining on fresh seafood with a waterfront view.

During the summer, Manhattan Beach pulses with surfers in wetsuits, beachgoers in bikinis, and sidewalks buzzing with outdoor diners and shoppers. The rest of the year isn’t too different: Southern California’s pleasant climate means the beach is active year-round, although winter is cooler and mornings are marked by marine layer — low-lying clouds that scuttle in from the ocean. Every year, usually in August, bleachers are erected on the sand and tens of thousands pour in for the Manhattan Beach Open, the only professional volleyball tournament in which amateurs can qualify to play.

Manhattan Beach Pier

The city’s pier juts 900 feet into the water, offering panoramic views of the beach and surf. With bright blue railings and distinctive glass globe lights atop cement pedestals, it has a retro flair. You can fish off the pier year-round, as well as tread the Volleyball Walk of Fame, a series of bronze plaques commemorating the winners of the Manhattan Beach Open. Its tip offers superior sunset viewing, and benches lining the pier allow for leisurely wave-gazing any time of day.

The Strand

This popular pathway runs along the top of the beach and connects Manhattan to nearby Hermosa Beach in the south — the city’s shaggy surfer cousin — and Santa Monica to the north. It’s perfect for a leisurely stroll or pedal, so hop on this trail to ogle the palatial beach homes that guard the beach.

Light Gate

This glass and metal art installation at 14th Avenue and Highland Avenue is shaped like a giant keyhole — a big, flat orb with an opening in the center. Twice a year, on January 27 and November 14, the sunset aligns with the keyhole, and a gleaming ray of light courses through the center. The sculpture’s decorative glass panels create colorful prism-like refractions year-round.