Santa Monica packs a huge amount of fun into just a few square miles along the Pacific Ocean.
You’ll find wide sandy beaches, oceanfront paths filled with cyclists and skaters, historic landmarks, outdoor workout spots, and some of the best sunset views in Southern California.
One minute you’re walking along towering coastal bluffs, and the next you’re exploring lively streets filled with shops and street performers.
If you want a weekend that mixes sunshine, ocean views, classic California landmarks, and a few unexpected surprises, you’re about to see exactly how to plan it.
1. Santa Monica State Beach
Santa Monica State Beach stretches about 3.5 miles along the Santa Monica Bay, with wide sandy shores that run alongside Highway 1.
The beach sits just a few minutes from downtown Santa Monica and is famous for the Santa Monica Pier.
Right behind the sand you’ll find the Marvin Braude Bike Trail, a 22-mile paved path that runs all the way to Torrance County Beach and is packed with cyclists, runners, and roller skaters.
You can check out the public volleyball courts scattered across the sand, and watch the iconic blue lifeguard towers that have appeared in countless movies and TV shows.
2. Santa Monica Pier
Just a short walk out from the sand, Santa Monica Pier stretches 1,600 feet into the Pacific Ocean and has been one of Southern California’s most famous landmarks since it first opened in 1909.
The pier is home to Pacific Park, which is the West Coast’s only amusement park located on a pier.
It features 12 rides including the solar powered Pacific Wheel that stands 85 feet tall and offers sweeping views of the coastline.
You can also wander through the Heal the Bay Aquarium or watch street performers and musicians set up along the wooden planks throughout the day.
On the pier you’ll spot the iconic Route 66 End of the Trail sign, marking the official western end of the historic 2,448 mile highway that runs all the way from Chicago to Santa Monica.
3. Original Muscle Beach
A few steps from the pier, Original Muscle Beach sits right on Ocean Front Walk and has been showing off serious strength and gymnastics skills since it first opened in 1934.
This outdoor workout spot is packed with equipment like parallel bars, rings, ropes, and swings where gymnasts still flip and spin just like the athletes who trained here nearly a century ago.
Back in the 1940s and 1950s, this sandy training ground helped launch the fitness craze in Southern California and attracted famous bodybuilders and acrobats who performed for crowds gathered along the beach.
Today you can watch skilled athletes pull off gravity defying routines, snap photos by the historic Muscle Beach sign, or simply hang out and enjoy one of the most legendary outdoor gyms in the United States.
4. Tongva Park
Just a 5-minute walk from the beach, Tongva Park covers 6.2 acres along Ocean Avenue and adds a splash of green space right in the middle of Santa Monica’s busy beachfront.
The park opened in 2013 and is named after the Tongva people, the Indigenous community who lived in the Los Angeles Basin for thousands of years before the city existed.
Walking paths wind past modern playgrounds, grassy hills, splash pads, and around 300 trees including sycamores and oaks that provide shady spots to relax.
Climb up the park’s elevated observation hill and you’ll get a clear view of the Santa Monica Pier, the Pacific Ocean, and the long stretch of coastline.
5. Santa Monica Place
Right across from Tongva Park, Santa Monica Place is a three level open air shopping center located at the southern end of the famous Third Street Promenade.
The mall first opened in 1980 and was completely redesigned in 2010, adding a bright rooftop dining deck where you can eat with clear views of the Pacific Ocean just a few blocks away.
Inside you’ll find more than 60 stores including Pandora, Nike, and Tesla, along with popular food spots like The Cheesecake Factory and Sbarro serving fresh pizza.
Head up to the rooftop and you’ll also find the Cayton Children’s Museum, a huge interactive space filled with hands-on exhibits designed for kids to explore, build, and play.
6. Third Street Promenade
Third Street Promenade runs for three pedestrian only blocks between Broadway and Wilshire Boulevard and is one of the busiest shopping streets in Southern California.
This lively stretch is lined with more than 80 stores, restaurants, and theaters including big names like Apple, Sephora, Adidas, and the AMC Santa Monica 7 theater.
Street performers set up along the brick walkway every day, so while you’re shopping you might see musicians and dancers drawing crowds along the route.
Palm trees and glowing string lights keep the area buzzing well into the evening, making it a great place to grab dinner, watch a performance, and soak up the energy of downtown Santa Monica.
7. Palisades Park
Palisades Park stretches over 26 acres along Ocean Avenue, sitting on top of the coastal bluffs that rise roughly 100 feet above the Pacific Ocean.
This long, narrow park runs for 1.5 miles from Colorado Avenue up to Adelaide Drive and is lined with rows of tall palm trees that frame sweeping ocean views the entire way.
Walking paths wind past historic landmarks like the Camera Obscura Art Lab, a cool 1899 viewing device that projects a live image of the outside world onto a viewing table inside a small white building.
You can also relax on one of the many ocean facing benches, or time your visit for sunset when the sky lights up over the Santa Monica Pier and the Pacific coastline.
8. Santa Monica Stairs
A short drive from Palisades Park brings you to the Santa Monica Stairs, a legendary outdoor workout spot tucked into the hillside on Adelaide Drive.
The main staircase climbs roughly 170 steps from the bottom near the Pacific Coast Highway up to the quiet residential streets above.
Right beside it you’ll also find the famous “training stairs,” a wooden set with about 189 steps that locals often run repeatedly for an intense cardio workout.
Early mornings here are packed with runners powering their way to the top while soaking in incredible views of the Pacific Ocean and the Santa Monica coastline.
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