Sandwiched by mountains on one side and the sprawling white-sands beach on the other, the urban jungle of Los Angeles seems to melt away on arrival in Santa Monica. This beloved beachside city bursts with personality, offering quintessential encounters with the Southern California coastal lifestyle.

To get your bearings and for soul-rinsing perspectives, head to Palisades Park on Ocean Ave. This bluff-top park is a dreamy spot for sunsets, flavourful snacks from the nightly food vendors and its elevation affords long-range views down to Santa Monica Pier. Another swell perch is Tongva Park, just south of the Pier. What was previously a non-descript parking lot has been reborn as an oceanside oasis of green, named in honour of the area’s indigenous people. This well-designed verdant space features waterfalls, walking paths, meadows and a pair of conch-like, wireframe lookouts to the Pacific.

Tongva Park lookout. Photo / Mike Yardley 

Home to a slew of different contemporary and fine art galleries, Bergamot Station was formerly a public trolley bus station. Now a depot for intriguing art, the century-old industrial facades house more than 20 art galleries, spanning all genres, from sombre to lurid. If the art doesn’t do it you, the edgy architecture will, plus the stylish café, housed in an old heater factory, that serves meatloaf and mint lemonade.

A four-block pedestrianised stretch, Third Street Promenade is a pleasant open-air plaza, lined with jacaranda trees and ivy-topiary dinosaur sculptures. The promenade still hasn’t regained its pre-Covid buzz, but it’s still a great spot for window shopping and noshing at the adjacent farmers’ market on Arizona Ave. The promenade is backed by the swanky, revamped shopping centre Santa Monica Place, packed with upscale boutiques from brands like Coach and Louis Vuitton.

But Santa Monica State Beach is the biggest tractor-beam, for locals and visitors alike. The weekend crowds can be insatiable, as Angelenos descend en masse to decompress and soak up the sands. Not to be confused with its showier Venice sibling, it’s also home to the original Muscle Beach. This workout playground for grown-ups has given Santa Monica’s biggest and burliest somewhere to sweat and strut their stuff for a century. On weekends, you’ll see some amazing gymnasts tackle the parallel bars, uneven bars and rings. It’s a stunning spectacle.

Muscle Beach at Santa Monica. Photo / Mike Yardley

Known to locals as “The Strand,” the Marvin Braude bike trail is the legendary Santa Monica bike path that stretches along the Pacific Coast from Pacific Palisades all the way south to Marina del ray and on to Torrance, packing in 35kms of sun-splashed, palm-tree cooling coastal scenery. There are numerous bike rental outlets, so hit the pedals and revel in the passing parade of SoCal beach life. I biked down to Venice Beach, 5km away from Santa Monica, which seemed to be an even kookier, crazier cornucopia of life’s rich tapestry than I recalled from past visits. That being said, as a sucker for binge-buying cheap souvenir T-shirts, Venice Beach is where the best bargains are to be found. There are also some great guided cycling tours in Santa Monica, which include stops outside some famous residences, previously home to the likes of Charlie Chaplin and Jim Morrison. You’ll also see Frank Gehry’s home on 22nd Street, a wild mash-up of styles from one of America’s most famous architects, including Walt Disney Concert Hall. As a history hound, I was fascinated to learn that Santa Monica is considered the birthplace of skateboarding and 2-a-side beach volleyball, which helps explain why the broad beach is studded with so many free-to-use beach volleyball nets. As an aside, Santa Monica will host the beach volleyball during the 2028 Olympics.

Colour of Venice Beach. Photo / Mike Yardley

Beyond the natural elements and fitness opportunities, I have always adored Santa Monica Pier, crowned with its own amusement park, including the world’s only solar-powered Ferris Wheel, adorned with 160,000 dazzling LED lights. Now that really serves up epic coastal views! At the entrance to the pier, check out a vintage gem, the Looff Hippodrome, home to the pier's trademark 46-horse carousel. It was built in 1922, has featured in countless movies and is still going strong.

After posing for your selfie below the End of the Trail Route 66 sign, soak up the atmosphere inside MariaSol, a fun-loving Baha cantina at the far end of Santa Monica Pier. The crowds flock to fawn over the fajitas, while sipping oversize margaritas. Just south of the pier, don’t miss the “Singing Beach Chairs,” a charismatic piece of public art. These whimsically large chairs are equipped with stainless steel tubes that produce musical tones as the ocean breeze blows. Take a seat and enjoy the melodic sounds nature creates through art. 

MariaSol at Santa Monica Pier. Photo / Supplied

Chez Jay on Ocean Avenue, just a block south of the pier, has been a celebrated celebrity hang out for decades. Beginning as a dive bar in 1959, and now a steak and seafood eatery, this landmark venue was founded by adventurer and bon-vivant, Jay Fiondella. His life was packed with unlikely adventure. For example, he convinced astronaut Alan Shepard to transport one of the bar's peanuts into space on the Apollo 14 mission. Several years later, Steve McQueen nearly inadvertently ate it. The venue’s eclectic history is lustily charted on its walls, including photographs of circus elephants trumpeting at the bar.  

Another quirky haunt is The Galley. 90 years old, Santa Monica's oldest restaurant is decorated with vast props from the 1935 Mutiny on the Bounty film. This nautical themed local hang out was once a very popular watering hole for Hollywood's A List. Pop in for a clam chowder. 

Also check out Dogtown Coffee, the birthplace of modern skateboarding. The café pays homage to the business that previously operated from its premises, Zephyr Productions, who are credited with popularising modern skateboarding, with its surf-oriented style. The surf-mad Zephyr team developed more aggressive skateboards, appealing to surfers who wanted to ride on dry land when the waves were small. 

Dogtown Coffee. Photo / Supplied

Where to stay? For laidback luxury in the heart of the action, the Sandbourne is just steps from Santa Monica Pier, elegantly melding urban living with chic beachside bliss. This artful coastal oasis brims with treats, from a welcome drink upon check-in, morning coffee in the lobby and generous usage of beach chairs, sun umbrellas and rental bikes. The heated outdoor pool, Sunset Lounge, patio with fire pits, cabanas and daybeds all create a pampered, tranquil setting for basking in the salt-sprayed elements. The on-site Marelle restaurant and bar offers Californian cuisine and all-day dining by chef Raphel Lunetta. Savour their signature cocktail, La Vie En Rosé, which features tequila, guava, lime, and Aperol, and is presented with a pair of pink sunglasses. As you do.   

Every Saturday, the Artist-In-Residency programme offers a poolside ceramics class for guests to create a one-of-a-kind keepsake to take home. That’s cute and novel. The supreme sense of space is what defines the Sandbourne’s accommodations. Inviting, oversized rooms feature dedicated sitting areas, plush bedding and thoughtful amenities to unwind in comfort. Bag a guestroom with a private balcony to lap up those picturesque ocean views. The Sandbourne has stamped its mark on Santa Monica since opening last year. It’s quite the escape. sandbournesantamonica.com  

Coastal vibes at the Sandbourne Santa Monica. Photo / Supplied

Santa Monica is an irresistible LA playground, celebrating the best of the Southern California beach lifestyle. For more trip planning and in-the-know insights, check out santamonica.com  

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Mike Yardley is our resident traveller on Jack Tame Saturday Mornings.