Gay beach in laguna beach

A wholesome getaway for gay travelers, Laguna Beach is famous for its picturesque coastlines, upscale California vibes, and for being the filming location of nostalgia-inducing TV shows from the s like The OC and MTV’s Laguna Beach. It was famously known as Laguna’s preeminent gay beach for decades and is still extremely popular within the LGBTQ community.

From where West Street meets Pacific Coast Highway, a long, shady footpath will lead you to paradise. West Street Beach is in a wide sandy cove south of Aliso Beach Park in Laguna Beach, California. West Street Beach is well known as Orange County’s most popular gay beach. The beach is about yards/meters long and has volleyball courts at both ends of the beach. A historic arts colony with a long-established gay community, Laguna Beach is Orange County’s leading LGBTQ+ city.

Stay in such gay-friendly spots as the Surf and Sand Resort, a spectacular oceanfront luxury hotel that’s also home to the intimate (and LGBTQ+-friendly) Aquaterra Spa. West St. Beach is our world-renowned gay beach in South Laguna, actually north of West St. under Camels Point Dr. LGBTQ people have always been welcome in Laguna Beach. The presence of gays was very discreet during most of the 20th century, and there has long been occasional tension between some of the town's mainstream and gay business owners and even residents over the years.

Laguna is, after all, a coastal arm of conservative Orange County. Nevertheless, by there were enough progressive residents to elect Robert Gentry the first openly gay mayor in the United States. Laguna later became the only town in Orange County to adopt an antidiscrimination policy that protected the rights of gays and lesbians. Laguna today is a desirable getaway for same-sex couples and singles alike.

The ocean views and landscape are often spectacular, there's good shopping and dining, and party types will find just enough nightlife to keep themselves occupied until another gorgeous day begins. A good spot to begin your explorations in the center of Laguna, at the oceanside equivalent of a traditional American town green: Main Beach. This breezy park has tile benches, a large expanse of golden sand, heavily used volleyball nets and basketball courts, and a small wooden boardwalk.

Locals and tourists laze in the sun, their peace interrupted only by the occasional ring of a mobile phone. Along Ocean and Forest avenues, and along Broadway, are excellent cafes and some art galleries and boutiques. North of Main Beach is Laguna's Gallery Row , the most concentrated stretch of art dealing in town, as well as the Laguna Art Museum , which houses a small permanent collection of works by local artists and mounts outstanding temporary exhibits.

A short drive south of downtown Coast Highway leads to one of the area's most gay-popular businesses, the Coast Inn , which has a large bar and disco and a popular gay beach behind it. The Inn which first opened in has recently been redeveloped and updated by adding a stunning new sun deck for residents.

west street beach laguna

The water here is so blue that it takes your breath away. Although this is a place for everyone and not a nude beach, it's a great place to visit with friends and many gay guys seem to gather. For an enchanting side trip, head south of Laguna Beach several miles to reach San Juan Capistrano , the one town in the area that retains a sense of California's Mission-era history. Many of the adobe structures here date from the late 18th century.

Mission San Juan Capistrano is famous as the spring host to thousands of migrating swallows from Argentina, and its Serra Chapel is thought to be the oldest continuously used building in the state of California. A small downtown area has largely escaped 20th-century commercialism. Laguna's glamorous and artsy aura continues in the decor, presentation, and quality of its restaurants.

There's a budding cafe culture downtown, around Ocean and Forest avenues, and eating establishments up and down the coast. The emphasis is on seafood: Salmon-and-mussel stew with white beans and smoked bacon is a top starter. Zinc Cafe and Market is the ultimate lunch and breakfast spot downtown, with outstanding healthful prepared foods, sandwiches, and gourmet goods and a sunny outdoor dining area aglow with greenery and zinc tables.

The self-serve fast-food restaurant Taco Loco is more than just a favorite surfer hangout - it serves fish fajitas and tacos to die for. Get your java fix at Koffee Klatch , a cheerful storefront coffee house in the gay neighbourhood, with great desserts and sandwiches. Laguna's Coast Highway has many generally mainstream but gay-friendly lodgings, from posh hotels that gaze out over the ocean to quite a few basic motels - the town is also home to an excellent, gay-owned reservation service, California Riviera , which represents the best of the hotels and inns along Southern California's rich and varied coast.

Rooms are done in cool pastels; they're big, comfortable, and have ocean views - and all have two-person whirlpool tubs. The setting is a dramatic hill; rooms tumble down the side of it. An enchanting Spanish Mission-style compound, the Casa Laguna Inn has lush gardens and courtyards strewn with bougainvillea and queen palm trees, and a pool and sundeck shaded by banana and avocado trees.

The wide-ranging accommodations include a small romantic cottage with phenomenal views, and about 20 additional units ranging from sprawling ocean-view suites to moderately priced courtyard rooms. It's not quite as laid-back as your typical beachfront hotel, but the formality of the magnificent Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel is worth braving if only to behold the breathtaking views from its foot clifftop setting.

Rooms are spacious and outfitted with top-notch amenities, including glamorous marble baths, goosedown pillows, terry robes.