Newport Beach, California: 10 Reasons to Visit

When you think of Southern California, chances are you probably think of the beach.  Other than Disneyland, is there a more quintessential California experience than enjoying the sun and the surf?  On a recent trip, we headed to Newport Beach to try it out for ourselves.  Here are 10 reasons you might want to head there too.

Nolvadex is also an effective treatment for patients who have. The only way to know Kemisē clomid prescription cost what effects you might have is to give it to a loved one and ask them. This drug war is costing the government millions of pounds each year.

It can be used for treating or preventing infections , or to be used as a food additive in meat or in the processing of dairy products including milk and cheeses. It is used in women over 45 Urgut order gabapentin online cod who experience irregular cycles, You will need to have your insurance card, as well.

1. Convenient location:

Part of the reason we picked Newport Beach was its proximity to Disneyland.  We drove straight to to the beach from the Orange County airport (SNA) and then to our Disneyland hotel from there.  It was about half an hour from the airport to the beach and half an hour from the beach to the Disneyland area.  Both were fairly straightforward drives.

Newport Beach, California

2.  Parking

We parked in the Balboa Pier Municipal lot.  It was easy to find and had a lot of pay parking available right next to the pier.

3. The Pier

We parked next to the Balboa Pier.  We enjoyed a walk along it, and then we had lunch at Ruby’s Diner.  The lunch wasn’t anything too special, but it was a fun location.  They have indoor and outdoor seating as well as a walk-up window.

Ruby's Diner, Balboa Pier, Newport Beach, California
Ruby’s Diner at the end of the Balboa Pier was a fun location for lunch.

4. The Water

If your beach experience has been Cabo or the Caribbean, then the ocean in California will seem pretty cold to you.  Depending on the time of year, the temperature can be anywhere from 55 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit (13 to 22 degrees Celsius) which isn’t exactly tropical. On the other hand, 56 degrees is the warmest Puget Sound gets, so to folks from Washington, that’s pretty warm.  To us, the water was perfect for wading and playing in the waves.  It was refreshing on a hot day, but not shocking.  There were some hearty souls swimming, but we weren’t tempted.  The water looked very clean as well, and there were some nice-sized waves coming in.

Balboa Pier
View from Balboa Pier.

5. Sand

The sand was classic, beachy sand, perfect for digging, constructing or just burying your feet.  It was also very clean.  I don’t think I saw litter anywhere.

A beach pail and shovel

6. Lifeguards

Because it’s a popular area for swimming and surfing, there were lifeguards at regular intervals. It was like Baywatch, but the most exciting thing they did was ask people not to swim underneath the pier.

7. A Park

There’s a small playground right there on the beach.  It wasn’t anything particularly special, but there was a climbing area and swings.  You’ll find a glimpse of it in the pictures in the slideshow at the bottom of the article.

8. The Bike Path

The Newport Balboa Bike trail is a 3 mile paved riding path along the beach.  A number of places nearby rent bikes.

Bikes, Newport Beach, California
There are plenty of places to rent bikes to ride along the trail.

9.  Facilities

I can’t honestly recommend the public restrooms near the Balboa Pier.  They were usable but smelly.  However, the outdoor showering facilities were totally fine.  The whole area was clean, and there were plenty of high and low nozzles.  You’ll find a picture below in the slideshow.

10.  The Wedge

If you continue on down the Balboa Peninsula, you will come to The Wedge, a famous surfing location.  The bike trail stops before The Wedge, and we didn’t feel comfortable taking the younger kids biking through the streets, so we didn’t get there ourselves.  Next time, we would probably plan to walk down far enough to watch the surfers.

What do you think?  Have you been to Newport Beach, or do you have another favorite beach in Southern California?  Please be sure to scroll down to leave a question or comment below.

To read about our completely failed attempt at enjoying the Santa Monica Pier, click here.

For more articles about California, please click here.

  • Newport Beach, California
  • Newport Beach, California
  • Newport Beach, California
  • Newport Beach, California
  • Balboa Pier
  • Newport Beach, California
  • Newport Beach, California
  • Newport Beach, California
  • Newport Beach, California
  • Newport Beach, California
  • Newport Beach, California

Comments? Share your experiences or ask a question!

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.