O.C. Secret Spot: Victoria Beach

Ever feel like a Laguna Beach day trip, but crowds and parking meters keep you away? Here's a solution.

Nestled between the Montage Resort and Aliso Beach, Victoria Beach offers some relief from the coastal summer chaos as well as—and this is unheard of in Laguna Beach—free parking.

Because the access stairs to this gorgeous little beach are not visible from the highway, Victoria Beach remains far less trafficked than the surrounding areas.

Victoria is clean and private-feeling, framed to the north by tide pool-rich rocks and to the south by Treasure Island Beach below the Montage. That resort buffers against the crowds of Aliso Beach, which is further south.

A careful walk (with shoes!) over the rocks will lead to some interesting architecture. You'll feel like you're in Middle Earth when you hit the turreted beach access stairway covered in plants. It's just another special touch that makes Victoria unique.

Getting There

From the 133,

• Head south on PCH past downtown till you reach Nyes Place
• Turn left on Nyes
• Head up the hill past the stop sign, and park anywhere along Nyes
• To find the beach, walk down under the tunnel below PCH. Stay to the right and look for the beach access stairs on the left

From the 5 South to Crown Valley Parkway,

• Turn right on Crown Valley, taking it south till you reach PCH.
• Right on PCH
• Turn right on Nyes Place
• Head up the hill past the stop sign, and park anywhere along Nyes
• To find the beach, walk down under the tunnel below PCH. Stay to the right and look for the beach access stairs on the left