Malibu Part 2: What To Do
Malibu Pier, ©luxurylink.com
Malibu is a relatively small town. For all its Hollywood allure, you’ll quickly figure out why it’s the place that the stars retreat away from the city.
The most popular beaches to check out are Surfrider and Zuma. In the summer you’ll find hoards of people from all over LA congregating in these two spots. If you find yourself at one of these beaches and want a little peace and quiet, keep in mind that the “private” beaches are open for you to stroll along.
At both Zuma and Surfrider, walk north along the beach and you’ll come to the area lined with big beautiful (or gaudy, depending on your taste) houses. The trick is that you’re not supposed to sit around and set up camp in front of the houses but you are allowed to walk along and take a break in Hollywood’s back door (though, try not to be too obnoxious about it).
For a quieter more secluded beach, go up to El Matador and Staircase beaches. They’re at the top end of Malibu near the western side of Highway 23. You can park across Highway One and walk over. Be careful not to get in the way of the heavy traffic. Also, be ready to walk down a steep little path. There aren’t as many lifeguards here, so this is another good place to have that breakfast picnic we suggested in the last Malibu post.
There are at least two really great hikes in Malibu. The first is at the middle of Malibu’s stretch of Pacific Coast Highway. Across from the over-priced (and over-rated) Geoffrey’s restaurant is Winding Way (not to be confused with W. Winding Way to the north). Take this road to the top and you will find a nice two-waterfall hike. You may have to park your car at the bottom of the road (the walk up is practically another hike all on its own).
The second hike is in Decker Canyon (aka Highway 23). Make a left from Pacific Coast Highway and go up Decker, make a left onto Decker School Road (if you hit Lechusa you went to far), and then follow that to the end, staying to the right, you’ll find the trail head. As you hit the dead end, the trail is to the left, not the right. There you’ll find a nice variety of trails. If you take the path and make the first right and then the first left, you’ll find yourself at a nice little lake with a beautiful view out to the sea.
Here’s another tip: Drive up to PCH to Trancas. Stop at the market to buy a BBQ steak sandwich. Then take Trancas across PCH and take the right fork. Drive along to the public access to the Broad Beach. It’s lined with beautiful houses and there are not many people.