Malibu Beach Guide
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by Juliette Hohnen
- January 25, 2023
- Blog, Lifestyle, Neighborhoods, Real Estate
- 0
Malibu has over 20 miles of coastline and beautiful world-famous beaches. You may have seen the iconic sign that reads “27 Miles of Scenic Beauty” that was installed when Malibu was unincorporated, but these signs have been replaced with more accurate signs that say “21 Miles of Scenic Beauty” that reflect the actual length of incorporated Malibu. Most people know Malibu as home to celebrity and VIP residents and some of the most exclusive and expensive real estate in the country, but not everyone knows that each beach in Malibu has its own flavor, with different features and drawbacks and varying home values.
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Read on to learn about all the different beaches in Malibu, starting from the east at Topanga Canyon and moving west along the coast, all the way to Ventura County. And since the Malibu coastline is so long, this blog will be in 3 parts, now complete!
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Real estate market data based on “on-market” sales via The MLS as of January 23, 2023.
Real estate market data based on “on-market” sales via The MLS as of January 23, 2023.
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Topanga Beach
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As you drive up the PCH from Los Angeles, Topanga Beach is the first “real” beach in Malibu (although it’s technically not within Malibu city limits). Located between Mastro’s Ocean Club and Boardriders Malibu, across the PCH from Topanga Canyon Blvd, Topanga Beach is a public beach with restrooms and a parking lot and is a popular surfing spot.
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There are a handful of homes located just beyond the public beach on Topanga Beach Dr that have the distinction of being the first oceanside homes in Malibu city limits as you approach from LA. These homes have the additional coveted luxury of being off the PCH, making them more secluded and quiet.
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Topanga Beach 2022 Real Estate Snapshot:
No single family sales in 2022
Most recent sale was in 2015 for $5,900,000
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Las Tunas Beach
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Located just west of Topanga Beach, Las Tunas Beach is the easternmost community of Malibu beachfront homes. These homes are built on caissons because Las Tunas is a wet-sand beach where the water comes up under the houses during high tides and swells.
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PROS
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Beach is almost private (there is a public beach but it’s not very popular because it’s rocky, only accessible during low tide, and parking is limited)
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Close to Los Angeles and Santa Monica
CONS
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Located on the PCH, which can be loud and busy
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Wet-sand beach is only usable during low tides
Las Tunas 2022 Beach Real Estate Snapshot:
4 Single Family Sales in 2022
Average Sale Price: $5,538,750
Highest Sale in 2022: $6,975,000
Average Days on Market: 36
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Big Rock Beach
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Continuing westward on the PCH, after Las Tunas Beach, you’ll find Big Rock Beach on the oceanside while the Big Rock neighborhood is in the hills on your right. Big Rock Beach is another wet-sand beach, meaning the tides come under the houses. Similar to Las Tunas Beach, there are public access points for the beach but because the beach is underwater at high tide, Big Rock Beach is not a very crowded beach.
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PROS
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Beach is mostly private
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Fairly close to Los Angeles and Santa Monica
CONS
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Located on the PCH, which can be loud and busy
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Wet-sand beach is only usable during low tides
Big Rock 2022 Real Estate Snapshot:
1 Single Family Sale in 2022
Sale Price: $5,725,000
Days on Market: 48
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Las Flores Beach aka Dog Beach
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Las Flores Beach is to the west of Big Rock Beach, located between 2 iconic Malibu institutions: Moonshadows and Duke’s. The eastern end of Las Flores is similar to Big Rock and Las Tunas in that it’s a wet-sand beach and the water comes up under the houses at high tide, but as you move west, the beach gets wider and sandier. The wider beach is considered more prestigious and the housing values increase towards the western end of Las Flores Beach. Las Flores is a pretty private beach as well because there is limited public access points (there is one access point near Moonshadows and another access point near Duke’s).
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PROS
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Beach is almost private
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Fairly close to Los Angeles and Santa Monica
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Easy access to shopping/dining in Old Town Malibu
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Western section has wide, sandy beach
CONS
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Located on the PCH, which can be loud and busy
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Wet-sand beach is only usable during low tides (especially on eastern end)
Las Flores 2022 Beach Real Estate Snapshot:
12 Single Family Sales in 2022
Average Sale Price: $4,969,840
Highest Sale in 2022: $7,000,000
Average Days on Market: 42
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La Costa Beach aka Millionaire’s Beach
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After Las Flores and Duke’s, there is La Costa Beach and this is where the housing prices for beachfront homes really start to increase, although the prices here are lower than in the neighboring Carbon Beach (Billionaire’s beach). Located between Las Flores Canyon and Carbon Canyon, La Costa Beach is wider than the beaches to the east, and there is usually at least some dry sand to be enjoyed. Up until 2021, the beach was almost completely private because there was a fence at the western end that blocked public access. But this fence, which was found across the PCH from Rambla Vista, was removed and now anyone can access the beach via the Carbon-La Costa access point.
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Some notable celebrity owners, past and present, on La Costa Beach include Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne, David Spade, Tom Petty and Stephen Dorf.
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Many of the homes in the hills on the other side of the PCH have deeded access to the beach through their membership to the La Costa Beach and Tennis Club. The Beach club has picnic tables, BBQs and bathrooms that members can use.
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PROS
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Wide, sandy beach most of the time
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More affordable than Carbon Beach
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Still pretty easy to get to LA and Santa Monica
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Close to shopping/dining
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CONS
CONS
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Located on the PCH, which can be loud and busy
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The beach is now open to the public but there are no facilities or lifeguards presently
La Costa 2022 Beach Real Estate Snapshot:
6 Single Family Sales in 2022
Average Sale Price: $11,265,417
Highest Sale in 2022: $17,500,000
Average Days on Market: 27
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Carbon Beach aka Billionaire’s Beach
Carbon Beach, also known as Billionaire’s Beach, stretches from Carbon Canyon to the Malibu Pier. This 1-mile stretch of beach is wide and sandy with no rocks and no seawall to block the gorgeous views of the Queen’s Necklace and Catalina. With only 70 or so lots, Carbon Beach represents some of the most exclusive and expensive properties in Los Angeles. With residents that include moguls and celebrities such as Larry Ellison, David Geffen, Dr. Dre, Peter Morton and Eli Broad.
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PROS
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Wide, sandy beach with clear water and great views
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Still pretty easy to get to LA and Santa Monica
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Close to shopping and dining, including Nobu and Soho Beach House
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Prestigious/exclusive location for those who can afford it
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CONS
CONS
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Located on the PCH, which can be loud and busy (but lots on Carbon Beach tend to be large and the houses are set back some from the road)
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The beach is not very private as there are several public access points
Carbon Beach 2022 Real Estate Snapshot:
6 Single Family Sales in 2022
Average Sale Price: $22,283,333
Highest Sale in 2022: $40,000,000
Average Days on Market: 242
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Malibu Colony
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Just after Malibu Lagoon and Surfrider Beach, you’ll find Malibu Colony aka “Malibu Beach”, which is one of the first of the Malibu beaches to be located off of the Pacific Coast Highway. Malibu Colony is known as the “original Malibu” with homes dating back to the Golden Age of Hollywood when movie stars would rent the quaint beach cottages, and because it is a guard-gated community, it remains popular amongst the elite who crave privacy. Because it’s gated with a guard it is perfect for the mostly celebrity and high net worth owners who live there. It has something of a club feeling with present and past owners and renters being the likes of Sting, John McEnroe, Jim Kerry, Diana Ross and Tom Hanks.
Malibu Colony contains a mix of architectural styles, from cottages to ultra-modern mansions. Although the beach is not as wide and sandy as Carbon Beach, Malibu Colony home values are among the highest in Malibu.
PROS
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Located off the PCH so it’s less busy and more quiet
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Privacy and security from guarded gates
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Still pretty easy to get to LA and Santa Monica
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Close to shopping and dining at Malibu Country Mart and Malibu Colony Plaza
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Very private beach due to limited access public accent points
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Eclectic mix of architectural styles
CONS
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Beach is not always sandy and is not as wide as Carbon Beach
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Water can come under houses
Malibu Colony 2022 Real Estate Snapshot:
3 Single Family Sales in 2022
Average Sale Price: $17,049,782
Highest Sale in 2022: $22,200,000
Average Days on Market: 193
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Malibu Road
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Malibu Road aka “The Road” intersects with Malibu Colony Road just behind Malibu Colony Plaza and curves along the beach, south of the PCH. With about 250 beachfront lots, Malibu Road is home to some notable celebrity residents and is one of the priciest Malibu neighborhoods. Not only is it away from the noise and traffic of the PCH, but Malibu Road is exit only on the west end where it connects to the PCH, which helps cut down through traffic. There are some areas on the street that have some geological instabilities.
Kanye West paid $57.3 Million for A Tadao Ando-designed house on Malibu Road in 2021.
PROS
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Located off the PCH so it’s less busy and more quiet
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Still pretty easy to get to LA and Santa Monica
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Close to shopping and dining at Malibu Country Mart and Malibu Colony Plaza
CONS
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Some parts of the beach are rocky and/or underwater at high tides
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Water can come under houses
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Beach is not very private as there are multiple public access points
Malibu Road 2022 Real Estate Snapshot:
6 Single Family Sales in 2022
Average Sale Price: $11,050,021
Highest Sale in 2022: $13,665,000
Average Days on Market: 93
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Corral Beach
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Between Malibu Road and Latigo Beach, you’ll find Corral Beach and Dan Blocker Beach. These are long narrow beaches, with only a handful of homes, located right in the middle where Solstice Canyon hits the coast. The beaches are popular because it’s easy to park on the PCH and climb down the bluff to the sand.
PROS
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The few homes here are just a little set back from the PCH off a private road
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Sandy beach
CONS
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Close to the PCH, which can be loud and busy
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Water can come under houses
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Beach is not very private with many public access points
Corral Beach 2022 Real Estate Snapshot:
No single family sales in 2022
Most recent sale was in 2021 for $6,700,000
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Latigo Beach
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Turning off the PCH onto Seagull Way, across from Latigo Canyon, there are a handful of beachfront homes along Latigo Shore Drive. The little-known beach is wide and sandy with some tide pools at low tide, and Latigo Point creates a nice cove that surfers and paddle boarders enjoy. Seagull Way is also home to the Tivoli Cove Condominiums.
PROS
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Located off the PCH so it’s less busy and more quiet
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Sandy, calm beach with tide pools
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Surfing
CONS
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Public access points but public mostly stays closer to Seagull Way
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Parts of beach can be underwater at high tide
Latigo Beach 2022 Real Estate Snapshot:
No single family sales in 2022
Most recent sale was in 2020 for $9,800,000
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Malibu Cove Colony
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Malibu Cove Colony starts at Latigo Point, just after Latigo Shore Drive ends, and continues along the beach until it intersects with the PCH at Escondido Beach. Not to be confused with Malibu Colony, which is a different neighborhood, although both Malibu Cove Colony and Malibu Colony are gated, private streets.
PROS
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Located off the PCH so it’s less busy and more quiet
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Privacy and security from guarded gates
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Pretty private beach as public access points are farther away
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Surfing
CONS
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Wet-sand beach where water can come under houses
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Parts of beach can be underwater at high tide
Malibu Cove Colony 2022 Real Estate Snapshot:
1 single family sales in 2022 (off-market)
Sale price: $7,477,500
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Escondido Beach
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Escondido Beach is located between Malibu Cove Colony and Paradise Cove. There are a dozen or so houses on Escondido Beach Road that winds down off the PCH and ends behind Geoffrey’s. The homes in the middle of the beach are not only furthest away from the public access points, but the beach here is the widest.
PROS
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Located off the PCH (however, still fairly close to the PCH)
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Wide, sandy beaches
CONS
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Sometimes beach is narrower due to tides and/or wet-sand conditions
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Multiple access points at either end of the beach
Escondido Beach 2022 Real Estate Snapshot:
3 Single Family Sales in 2022
Average Sale Price: $22,006,117
Highest Sale in 2022: $44,500,000
Average Days on Market: 57
Paradise Cove
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Paradise Cove starts after Escondido Beach and runs until the eastern part of Point Dume.
When people say “Paradise Cove,” they could mean 3 things:
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The multi-acre gated bluff-side estates on the PCH and Sea Lane Drive. These Paradise Cove homes are some of the most expensive properties in Malibu. In 2022, media Mogul Byron Allen paid $100 Million for a compound in Paradise Cove, the highest residential sale in Malibu last year.
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The Paradise Cove Mobile Home Park, known as “America’s Most Glamourous Trailer Park,” where trailers can sell for several million dollars, depending on the view. Many celebrities have had trailers here, as it’s a great option for a Malibu weekend house. Residents of the trailer park have a private access route to get to the beach.
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The Paradise Cove Beach Cafe, which is a restaurant where you can dine with your feet in the sand or rent beach chairs for the day. You can park at the restaurant’s parking lot, which can be pricey but there is a discount if you spend money at the restaurant.
Paradise Cove Beach is beautiful and iconic; it was the filming location for the Beach Boys’ “Surfin’ Safari” video, “Beach Blanket Bingo,” and “Baywatch.” Like all beaches, it is technically public, but because there is limited access other than the parking lot maintained by the Beach Cafe, it tends not to get too crowded.
PROS
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Located off the PCH so it’s less busy and more quiet
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Beach is fairly private (except for the part in front of the Paradise Cove Beach Cafe)
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Wide, sandy beach with a pier
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Estate section homes have huge beachfront lots
CONS
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Some homes in the Mobile Home park are close to the PCH and/or do not have any views
Paradise Cove 2022 Real Estate Snapshot:
2 Single Family Sales in 2022
Average Sale Price: $95,500,000
Highest Sale in 2022: $100,000,000
Average Days on Market: 100
Point Dume
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Point Dume is the large promontory that juts out into the ocean around the middle of Malibu, dividing the denser and busier eastern end from the more remote western end. The homes in Point Dume are located on the bluffs below some of the most exclusive beaches in Malibu. While none of Malibu’s beaches are private, the topography of Point Dume can make certain sections of the beach harder to reach for the members of the general public. But most of the homes in Point Dume come with “beach keys” that unlock the gates to 3 “Riviera” beaches that are otherwise hard to access (read more about the Point Dume Beach Keys). Cliffside Dr and Birdview Ave are on the bluffs and have arguably the best views and some of the highest real estate prices; most of these homes do not have beach key access but do have access to the beach via private stairs down the bluffs. The beaches on the western side of Point Dume are much more accessible to the public (there’s even a large parking lot) but the wind can be much worse on this side of the promontory, in contrast to the more exclusive Riviera beaches, which are less crowded, less windy and have better surfing conditions.
PROS
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Located very far from the PCH so it’s less busy and more quiet
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Beaches on the eastern side are very private (need keys to access)
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Incredible views from blufftop
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Close to shopping/dining at Point Dume Village (on Heathercliff Rd at the PCH)
CONS
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Some streets do not have beach keys, but many homes have private stairs to beach
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Western side beach can be very crowded
Point Dume 2022 Real Estate Snapshot:
5 Single Family Sales in 2022
Average Sale Price: $21,327,900
Highest Sale in 2022: $49,089,500
Average Days on Market: 47
Broad Beach
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Continuing west past Point Dume and Zuma Beach, Broad Beach Rd runs along the beach, below the PCH, and ends at Lechuza Point. There are around 100 homes on Broad Beach, all with deep lots and great white water views. Many of the homes have rock walls to prevent further erosion after some of the beach was lost in a large storm.
PROS
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Located off the PCH so it’s less busy and more quiet
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Beach is fairly private
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Deep lots with wide sandy beach
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Close to Trancas Country Market
CONS
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Homes with rock walls may have harder access to beach, but many homes have private stairs to beach
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Eastern end can be crowded during summer with people walking from Zuma
Broad Beach 2022 Real Estate Snapshot:
8 Single Family Sales in 2022
Average Sale Price: $16,151,250
Highest Sale in 2022: $22,000,000
Average Days on Market: 58
Victoria Point
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Just off Broad Bead Rd at Lechuza Point, Victoria Point is an exclusive gated community with only about 16 homes. Steve McQueen and Ali McGraw owned 2 beachside homes here in the 1970s, one of which sold for $12M in 2021.
PROS
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Located off the PCH so it’s less busy and more quiet
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Gated street
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Sandy beach
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Close to Trancas Country Market
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Whitewater and coastline views
CONS
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Homes are perched on rocks and need stairs to access the beach
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Beach can be unusable at high tides
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Beach can be busy (close to public access at Sea Level Dr)
Victoria Point 2022 Real Estate Snapshot:
There were no sales in 2022
Most recent sale was in 2021 for $12,114,00 (the Steve McQueen house)
Lechuza Beach
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Running from Lechuza Point to Encinal Creek, Lechuza Beach is the sandy beach on which you’ll find homes on East and West Sea Level Dr, a stretch of Broad Beach Rd, and Seafield Dr. Sea Level Drive is a gated community (but the public has walking access during the day), the houses on the beach enjoy nice sandy beaches and stunning views.
PROS
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Located off the PCH so it’s less busy and more quiet
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Gated street
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Wide, sandy beach
CONS
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Beach can be busy with 3 public access points close
Lechuza Beach 2022 Real Estate Snapshot:
2 Single Family Sales in 2022
Average Sale Price: $25,097,500
Highest Sale in 2022: $42,250,000
Average Days on Market: 122
Encinal Bluffs
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After Encinal Canyon, along the PCH there are a series of public beaches (El Matador, La Piedra, El Pescador, El Sol) interspersed with exclusive gated communities and large trophy estates on massive lots. Some of the estates are right on the beach, but others are on the bluffs above; both have spectacular views. This area is quite exclusive with many off-market deals and celebrity residents (past residents include Brad Pitt and Ellen DeGeneres).
PROS
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Secluded, prestigious (some gated communities, some large trophy parces)
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Mostly private beach due to limited access points between El Pescador and Nicholas Canyon)
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Spectacular views
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Beach good for paddle-boarding, diving and snorkeling
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Local wildlife includes sea lions
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Great rental market, especially in the summer
CONS
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Beach is not always sandy, depending on time of year
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Far from LA
Encinal Beach 2022 Real Estate Snapshot:
5 Single Family Sales in 2022 (all off-market)
Average Sale Price: $28,970,000
Highest Sale in 2022: $70,400,000
Average Days on Market: 0
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