Aliso Beach Park's gentle shore break and family-friendly facilities, makes it a family favorite and an Orange County beach favorite of Frommer's. About 12 minutes from Laguna Niguel, skim boarding, swimming and tide-pooling await children and grownups at this County of Orange operated beach. A paved parking area, restrooms and a playground add to the family-friendliness, as do the picnic tables and fire pits -- perfect for s'more fests. Aliso played an important role in the naming of Laguna Niguel. The “Niguel” refers to the Nigueli, a Juaneno band of Native Americans who once had a village along Aliso Creek, which joins the sea at Aliso Beach. Aliso Beach Park regulations require children under 18 be accompanied by an adult.
Aliso Beach’s northerly neighbor, Treasure Island Beach, is owned by the Montage Hotel (montagelagunabeach.com), which provides free access to the public. The city provides lifeguards. After parking in one of the public lots at or near the hotel, take the beach path through Treasure Island Park. The small, aesthetically pleasing park with its gardens and benches perches on the cliff above the white sandy beach where deep blue water fades to turquoise in the shallows. You will likely share the flower-framed beach view with artists who bring easels to paint and take classes at this favorite location of Laguna's influential arts community. A wheelchair-accessible path takes you to the beach where, depending on the tide, locals and tourists swim, dive, snorkel, explore the many tide pools -- hotel docents provide free guided tours at low tide on busy weekends -- and enjoy the warm sands at this exquisite location.
Thousands of dolphins, with pod sizes ranging in the hundreds, inhabit the waters off Dana Point. According to the Ocean Institute, gray whales use its high cliffs as compass points as they cruise by, November through April, along their Alaska-Mexico migrations. Resident whales hang out in deep waters off Dana Point, the prime whale-watching location in Orange County, where you can catch whale- and dolphin-watching tours year-round out of Dana Point Harbor (danapointharbor.com). You may even get lucky and see a resident blue whale. The largest animal on the planet, the blue whale grows up to 110 feet and 150 tons. The harbor is about 14 minutes from Laguna Niguel.
About five miles and 10 minutes from Laguna Niguel, Salt Creek Beach offers swimming when the surf's not big, and when it is, some of the best left swells in the area. One mile of this beach is designated for public use and managed by Orange County Parks. Rocky promontories frame sandy beaches of this Dana Point beach. Tide pools reveal crustaceans, mollusks and tiny fish, including hermit crabs, urchins and sea stars. Family-friendly facilities include restroom buildings, a paved parking lot, a day-use picnic area with barbecues and outside showers. In spring and summer, a concession stand sells beach gear and fast food. Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
Laguna and Dana Point's daytime temperatures average 67 degrees Fahrenheit in December to 80 in August, with spring and fall temperatures averaging in the 70s. Take pictures -- but not marine life, rocks or shells from the beaches of Laguna and Dana Point. The California Marine Life Protection Act makes it illegal to do so. Pay attention to the tides and waves when exploring tide pools or climbing around rocky points. Strong ocean currents may arise, so when in doubt, check with the lifeguard.
