Venice Beach Boardwalk

The Venice Beach Boardwalk, officially Ocean Front Walk, runs for about two miles along the sand in Venice, joining the Santa Monica beachfront to the north and ending near Marina del Rey to the south. It draws enormous numbers of visitors, with estimates of tens of thousands of people a day, and is one of the most visited free attractions in Southern California.

What makes it worth the trip is the street life. Musicians, artists, skaters and performers set up along the promenade, and small shops and food stands line the inland side. Along the way you pass the Venice Beach Skatepark, where local skaters ride the bowls in front of a watching crowd, and Muscle Beach Venice, the outdoor gym that helped popularise bodybuilding culture.

Other landmarks include the Venice Art Walls, where graffiti artists paint legally and the surfaces change constantly, and the volleyball and basketball courts near the sand. A segment of the beach bike path runs alongside, shared with skaters and runners, and renting a bike or skates is a popular way to cover the whole stretch and continue to Santa Monica.

The boardwalk suits people-watchers, photographers, families with older children and anyone on a budget, as walking it costs nothing. Weekend afternoons are the busiest and most theatrical; weekday mornings are quieter and better for a run or a coffee by the beach. Allow two hours or so, more if you add a swim or a bike ride.

It is a crowded public space, so keep valuables secure, and be aware that some vendors are persistent. Evenings after dark are less appealing than daytime for a casual stroll. The beach itself is wide and sandy, and lifeguard towers operate along it. If you want a quieter side of Venice after the noise of the promenade, walk a few blocks inland, where the streets are residential and the pace drops quickly. Sunset over the water is a good time to finish a visit, with the skatepark and the beach still busy as the light fades, and many visitors end the day with dinner on Abbot Kinney Boulevard.

Inland, Abbot Kinney Boulevard is a few blocks away and has independent shops, cafés and restaurants, including Gjelina, while the Venice Canals, a quiet residential area of footbridges and small waterways, are a short walk south of Venice Boulevard. Parking near the beach is limited at weekends, so cycling or a ride-share is often easier than driving.