Playa Del Rey, CA 90293

The beach is not always a place....it's a feeling. Playa Del Rey Beach is a wide sandy beach in front of the Playa Del Rey neighborhood of Los Angeles. PDRB has a grayish black streaks all over the sand, straight up huge chunks of tar, and even tar all over the dry sand. This was my least favorite part of the beach. The beach is northwest of LAX Airport on state land at the north end of Dockweiler State Beach and south of the Marina Del Rey Harbor entrance. Moreover, PDR offers volleyball courts, sand dunes, a long paved bike path, public toilets, garbage bins and a grass park across the street that has a kids playground and basketball courts. Locals call the north end of Playa Del Rey Beach "Toes Beach" for hanging ten (toes) on a surfboard. This beach is least crowded, less charming and less popular unless you're a resident of the area. However, it still gives a good view of the pacific ocean. Who knows we might see a huge white balloon floating at 60k feet in the area. Lol. Plenty of street parking around the neighborhood. Overall, I like going to this beach and play beach volleyball.

We chose this beach as it was close to us and seemed like the best option for free parking close to the beach. However, we won't be going back. Not only did the beach smell kind of weird, there were a ton of bugs on the beach which looked kind of like cockroaches. Even worse, FIVE of them found their way into my son's swimming trunks which we did not discover until we got home and at least one of them had bitten him! It was a semi traumatic experience for my 7 year old so I don't recommend this beach for families.

I love Playa Del Rey. I used to come her a lot because a woman I used to date was a professor at Loyola. We'd always stop down after she was done and have some food and drinks and then walk over to the beach afterwards. It's a great beach! Very quaint and very quiet for the most part.

Lived there with my father off and on for many years..a wonderful community with great people and local businesses that care...loved the beach and the hills for jogging...do you remember seeing me running up & down ‍

Very peaceful and quiet underrated So Cal beach in Los Angeles. I love coming here in the summertime when I do not maybe want to be around huge crowds. Playa Del Rey Beach is almost like a family owned beach. Reason I say that is because most locals come to this beach rather than non local residents. But it is still a public beach with restaurants, volleyball, roller skating, surfing and any thing else people love to do. Right next to LAX airport this nice quiet beach.

Stunning. My friends and I finished having brunch at Playa Provisions, which was by design so we could walk to the beach afterwards. It was pretty empty and quiet for a Saturday morning. I love the expanse of soft sand. We swam around in the cool ocean water and suntanned (read: sunburned) on our towels. There were restrooms and trash cans available, so not bad in terms of amenities. Easy walking and biking paths to other parts of the neighborhood. Would prioritize visiting Playa Del Rey Beach next time I'm in town.

This is a good stop if you are in the area. I loved the free parking and the ocean is always wonderful. There were some parts of the beach that were really dirty (trash, dirty masks, food containers) which was sad. Being close to the airport, you will hear and see planes often. Overall, I don't mind coming here if I'm in the area but for a serene beach day, this is not perfect.

One of my favorite places. The ocean is beautiful, especially during sunset, and combined with the views and the breeze it's a great feeling. If you are up for a bike ride, run, or simple chill or jog, this is a great spot to try.

For the most part nice and clean, staff response time was quick to remove a dead seal from the beach. The weather was good nice morning for a Sand Walk.

Go to Hermosa 30th street or marine street in mb or elm Porto to surf in that area Hermosa pier north or south side boards on south side beatyful wide clean sand either Hermosa of mb for shopping eating Mb older more tourists HB the best plaza and pier long pier more music places comedy and majik club More funky alt but less than even 10:years ago mb more expensive rich people restaurants by far

On a beautiful Los Angeles day. You can't beat this beach. Actually on a beautiful day all the Los Angeles beaches are great. However if you want a low key - clean beach area to chill out - Playa Playa is the beach. Parking is great and your just south of Marine Del Rey. Grab your hat - water - sunscreen - food - blanket and relax. I'll see you out here. Peace /Love

I enjoyed walking on the path on this beach. Unfortunately, there was no pedestrian lane, so we had to walk on the bicycle lane. This beach seemed dirtier than many beaches. But I still enjoyed the views of the ocean.

It's always lovely to getaway to the beach, and Playa Del Rey Beach is a fantastic place to unwind and soak up the rays! The environment is stunning, and the water is crystal clear.

This beach was stunning and I loved how quiet it was here. I went here for a fun little mini shoot and the timing couldn't be more perfect. The overcast of the clouds and beautiful sunset made picture taking so much easier for the photographer since it was pretty empty. If you're looking for a hidden gem away from the crowd, this is that beach! Both sand and water was absolutely clean!

Water is dirty- the smell of pollution is nauseating. The waste water treatment plant here is so gross. Can't swim here- FOR SURE. I guess if you like urban beaches, the bike path is nice for jogging, biking-- if you. An stand there smell.

*** what can i add that Janelle Q hasn't already said? *** well, it is true that this beach is never crowded but there are two good reasons for that: water and noise pollution. i deduct 3-stars for these reasons. save the environment! between motorboats entering/exiting an adjacent marina, debris running out of Ballona Creek (from LA), and water from the sewage treatment plant (that spoils Dockweiler Beach too), i'd have to say "beware" to water sport lovers. there's probably enough pollution to sicken you over time. and for those who do not wanna enter the water, the air traffic of LAX is distracting as well as the constant noise of helicopter tours and the LA County sheriff's helicopter. i've lived here for years and aircraft noise still annoys me. *** i like PDR Beach but just to lay out, tan, bike or run. ***

I've only biked to here from Dockweiler beach. My kiddo likes to observe the volleyball players, play in the sand (clean beach, placid freezing ocean water), chase the tiny white birds peeplo-ing on the wet sands, & swing at the park across the street. If you get here early enough, there's a personal trainer with a wagon of interesting everyday objects like a rope as thick as your calve. I've stopped cycling one day to observe the workout. The trainer swings this rope so that it waves & looks like rubber. The poor person who's probably paying this trainer to torture them physically, then has to mimic the motion of the ocean with that rope. Next are military inspired boot camp moves like the good old squats, lunges, sit ups (full), & push ups. All the trainer needed was a whistle, pull up bar, & drabs... Instead he always wore a red sweatshirt & a tan. Another inspiring person I see often is a jogger with one leg. He has the prosthetic device for running. Awesome! He should be on team possibilities. On the weekend, I noticed a bunch of families & youth picking up trash left on the beach-- volunteers! Keep our beaches clean. There were no flies here. I liked this beach & the bridge at the end seems to a resting spot for cyclists too.

Playa Del Ray is one of those places that you don't really think of as a tourist destination, but it's definitely worth a visit in my opinion, if only to see all the planes taking off from LAX. Honestly, this place is mainly for joggers and bikers to exercise along the water. Certainly. But the attraction for me was being directly next to LAX airport and seeing all the huge and small planes coming to land and also take off. Because they just take off right across the road from the beach, the planes are extremely close and it was very cool. The beach itself is clean and you can walk for miles, so it's good for exercise as well. But the best aspect for me was definitely the plane spotting. It's like those people camping out at airports, but you're right on the ocean with sand instead of concrete and fences!

Wow, I'm surprised that no one has reviewed this beach yet! This nice stretch of sand was my favorite over this past summer with its small, secluded feel. It's located a few miles north of Dockweiler and just south of Ballona Creek, off of Pacific Ave. More specifically, it's a bit southwest of there Vista del Mar meets Culver Blvd. As this beach is not a tourist attraction, you don't have to worry about crowds, trash, excessive seagulls, or any of those sorts of annoyances that you would find as larger and more popular beaches. It's a nice place to just lay out and relax with plenty of space to choose your perfect spot. Street parking is free, there's a few volleyball courts set up, and a good amount of trashcans nearby. Life guards drive by in a truck periodically and have a little building to the south. During the times I've been there, it seems to be a nice place to for families, small class field trips, time alone to yourself, or on a date. =) On the other hand, because it's not very popular, you won't find amenities like bonfire pits, close-by bathrooms, boat rentals, etc. I have no clue what the quality of the water is like since it is pretty close to LAX, but my boyfriend and I haven't ever had any problems during or after playing in the water on our trips... and we are always able to find fresh kelp and some little sand crabs by the shore if that's any indication of the wildlife.

Great beach and it's never over crowded. It's as if the Playa Del Rey beach is still unknown in LA and no one from other cities comes to visit. I live in Playa and love how secluded the beach is. Even over the holiday weekend it wasn't too crazy. I think most people visit Venice and Santa Monica because those beaches are much more touristy. If you want a nice relaxing beach experience then you should visit Playa Del Rey. Just down the street on Culver blvd there are a lot of cute restaurants and beach bars to check out. Great area!

The great thing about this beach is that is not as crowded as others. So there's plenty of room that no one is eavesdropping on your conversations. Since it is a smaller beach, parking spots may fill up quickly since it's free. The sand is not as smooth especially near the waves. There are small shell bits and a few rocks. However, it's a good beach if you want to lay out or just relax. I will definitely be back.

4 Stars is more for what this place does to my soul. I come here early in the mornings or later when the crowds have dissipated. What you need to know: 1. parking is tuff unless you come here at unconventional times. 2. Water is ok not as clean as Manhattan or Malibu. 3. Cleanliness needs to improve. Why I like it so much: it's my Bible, my chair, my coffee, and God. Nature right in front of me. The power of the ocean at my feet, the strong but comforting breeze reassures me that My creator is all Mighty. If you are taking meds for depression or a behavioral condition, I recommend adding this place to your treatment. Blessings :-)

Ahhh, the beach. Fewer places bring me the type of relaxation laying in the sand and listening to the ocean break against the shore does. There are some beaches that aren't very clean or are over crowded with tourists or weirdos, but Playa Del Rey is not one of them. I will guess mostly because it's off the beaten path and can be a bit tough to get to. I hit up this beach all summer (ditched my usual Will Rogers as I have friends in this area and timed it out to be a faster commute than W.R.) Parking isn't too bad. There's a park near the main Lifeguard tower/bathroom area and there's parking in the lots and all around the park. It's an easy and non-hilly walk which is wonderful when the kiddos are in tow. There's some restaurants within walking distance of the main area of the beach and not a lot of traffic as there aren't any many roads, blvds, or highways. Bathrooms are sorta meh, but at least they have them and the outdoor shower area is roomy. They have bike paths that go through the whole beach area and I haven't encountered any jerks so far. There's also a lot of volleyball nets set up behind the bathroom and they have a pedestrian/biker walkway all the way from the street to the bathrooms which is really helpful. My only complaint, this beach has a lot of tar in the sand (I think that's what it is) and I'm not sure what that's from. I also feel like there's a lot of garbage that seems to be in the sand like it comes and goes with the tide or something? I see that trucks have come through there that apparently sweep it, but I haven't noticed it being super clean. I feel like I'm often telling my kids not to touch stuff. It's weird cause the water is so clear and beautiful looking so I'm not sure what that's from. Anyhow, still a great place to unwind after a hard week and enjoy a little down time with the family. Looking forward to Memorial Day when beach season starts once more!

This beach was nice, kind of difficult to figure out where it started and ended though. Parking can be found across the street in the residential areas and it's not that far of a walk. 3 minutes at most. There's a light and then a little bridge to get to the beach if you park in the residential area right across. The only thing bad about this beach is the tar or whatever the black stuff is all throughout the sand. We found a spot that was not too bad and just tried to ignore it but we would step on it by accident. It comes off if you just head to the shore and wash it off. I'm not so sure about removing it from your clothes though as that never happened to us. We came here because we thought we could bring our dog. There was a lot of small dogs here, which was nice.

I have been coming to this beach for about 8 years now. I must say maybe one of the less crowded than most. If you are not big on crowds and annoy just relaxing his beach is for you. Very rarely you will find loud music or any other type of loud noises at this beach. There is plenty of room and best of all, the restroom is located close and they are usually pretty clean. They've maintained this beach somewhat of a small hangout for locals with very few visitors from far. I would recommend to all.

On a Warm Friday afternoon this place is surprisingly barren. You go down south a couple of miles and it's hopping. In the summer the waves are as flat as the sand and if you're looking for quiet and a small expanse of ocean, this isn't so bad.

This post used to be the beach. Now it says psychic. Not sure why. Who changed it? My review is for the beach. I love this beach. I can almost always find parking and there are plenty of good food and bar choices within a block. It is rarely crowded. Waves can be a decent size and you'll see many surfers when the waves are really good. Plenty to do, having volleyball nets for games, the marina to explore, and a park with a playground right across the street. The coolest part is that there is an abandoned boat on the shore.

This is by far my favorite beach - free of fuss, available parking, calm and serene. My favorite beach to go to if I want to have a relaxing time. There's a bike/foot path that seems to stretch for miles if you want to take a walk but don't want to end up with sand in your toes. There's even a park nearby for kiddies and dogs to enjoy. Definitely come here if you want to beach it up without all the foot traffic and distractions that Venice or Santa Monica seem to have.

This beach is the worst. There is no parking. No public lots. The sand here gets really hot and the volleyball nets are all droopy. There are always unhealthy peopl hogging the courts. You can smell the sewage and fesh waste from the laggoon. Stay away from this one, go to Santa Monica or Redondo, please :D

Not crowded, plenty of sand. Paid parking is like .25 for 10 minutes. Volleyball on beach. Parking free on street, but hard to find on a nice day. Grass park with play ground and basketball across from beach. If you head farther south, you get right under the ass of LAX. But instead of crapping out poo, it craps out loud airplanes.

A beautiful place I get to call home. So blessed to be living in this mini paradise. Morning jogs r beautiful and the beach is always calm. Lots of joggers and bikers due to the bike path which motivates a healthy lifestyle. Definitely plan on exploring our surroundings more and seeing what else playa Del Rey has to offer. :)

We discovered this beach on accident on Yelp and I must say that I love this beach! We had the best time here on Saturday. The weather was perfect and the ocean was as blue as the sky. My friend and I laid out for about an hour and just hung out listening to music and watching the soothing waves. The beach is pretty clean but it did get crowded pretty quickly. After laying out, my friend and I went to go rent some beach cruisers and rode along the beach on the bike/walking path. It was beautiful and definitely stress-relieving.

I absolutely would love to live here permanently. This beach is definitely one of my favorite beaches along the strand. So many great places to drink and eat a few steps inland and totally biker friendly. Best way to enjoy this area is via bicycle so get out your cruiser (or I prefer a bike with gears) and make the short treck out to this gorgeous and less crowded beach. Love this area!

I rode my bike here yesterday from Manhattan Beach. I believe it was my first time here. It was a perfect day, but I need shade. I guess next time I can bring my beach umbrella right? It was practically abandoned, but lots of airplanes flying by. Otherwise I had a great bike ride :)

This is probably the closest beach to me and it's nice during the week or in evenings to take a walk, but I don't recommend it on weekends because there's really not much parking. The beach itself is smaller and there's not a ton around in terms of food and stuff. There isn't a boardwalk so if you're looking for a real SoCal beach scene I'd recommend the South Bay or heading close by to Venice or the south part of Santa Monica Beach. But this is still a great place for sunsets and beach walks, just without all the hoopla that the bigger beaches offer.

I love this beach. Due to the inclement weather, for LA at least, the beach was not crowded today at all. Sure, it still took me awhile to find parking, however, it was worth driving around to find a spot. This beach is wide I must say. Coming from the East Coast, I am not used to the mammoth beaches of Southern California. While I've been to places like Santa Monica, Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, and Santa Barbara, I find Playa Del Rey an escape from the hustle and bustle of city life in Los Angeles. It's as if people don't realize that Playa Del Rey exists. It's fairly close to Venice Beach and Santa Monica, but if you want to venture off the beaten path and find serenity unlike the aforementioned beaches, you should definitely check out Playa Del Rey.

Kind of a hidden gem. Less known than it's counterparts north and south, this place is for the locals. My friend has an apartment here, so we just walked out onto the beach, which is a great bike path. The beach itself is shallow but there are a decent number of sunbathers. You can see the Marina on the right, plenty of boats on the water, and some factories further south near Manhattan. But overall, it's still a nice place to spend a hot afternoon. You won't find too many tourists here. One interesting thing here is that you will see (and hear) many planes taking off over Dockweiler Beach, which is just to the south of this establishment. Right off the beach are many small restaurants where you can grab brunch and coffee.

I always had this idea in my head that after LAX the world sort of just ended, as if there was nothing beyond the airport. Now I know how those idiots felt once they discovered the world wasn't flat after all. This beach area is nice and super fun. For the most part, clean. As in the bike and walk paths didn't have debris and the public restrooms were not scary at all. There are tons of volleyball courts with city provided volleyballs too and that was a feakin' blast playing beach volleyball. I didn't go too much in the water because it was freezing but it was a beautiful day and we all had a ton of fun guessing which airline the planes that flew overhead belonged to. I would definitely make the trek out there to go back for a beach day. Everyone pretty much just left you alone and It's a nice place to just lay out and relax with plenty of space. Tons of street parking and it is free with some decent dive bars to go to and good food to grub on. -1 star because somehow we all ended up stepping on some tar and had tar feet. Cool trick: sunscreen, baby oil and/or cocoa butter oil will get that off fast.

Never crowded, easy parking, beautiful view. Easy to bike/walk/drive to. Seriously. Really easy. Perhaps the easiest parking of any LA beach. Park on Redlands Ave. or one of the surrounding neighborhood streets and walk down the path to the beach. 3 stars because no surf. Ever. Go have a picnic, soak up some rays, or read your geisha memoirs, but don't hope for any waves.

I work down the street on Jefferson and it took me a while to actually embrace the fact that I was 5 minutes away from the ocean. People long to be in the vicinity of the beach on a regular basis and I am here 40+ hours a week. What a waste of so many years without taking advantage of my luck. Well no more... 2 - 3 times a week now, I drive to the end of Culver and park near the condos. I get out, walk to the life guard stand and run for 3-4 miles during my lunch break. Depending on my mood, I either run on the marked trail or along the water. Nothing better in life than to enjoy your break in the sun, listening to the waves break, and getting that nice off shore breeze. It's never crowded which makes for an enjoyable run. There are a few bikes and runners out there but not enough to crowd up the path. During the rainy season, the path gets washed up a bit but that's no problem for the runners, only the bikers. I usually end up around Dockweiler before turning back but it's a pretty good way to get in shape. What can be more inspirational besides working directly on the beach. Tip: Street sweeping is on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Wednesdays by the condos, Thursdays by the park. Plan accordingly because it starts at around noon.

I don't really know how to rate a beach. It's an open patch of sand in Southern California with a bike path and volleyball nets. Further south is Dockweiler where you can have bonfires. Being right next to LAX, you can spot all your big commercial airplanes flying overhead. I wouldn't get in the water, but you can. If you are tired of sunbathing or whatever you do, you can wander into the community where there are some restaurants, cafe, etc. There is also a actual park with a playground and baseball field. Also it's right next to a pretty clean lake, but again, I wouldn't get into the water. Further north, you can walk/bike to Marina Del Rey Honestly, the major selling point is the ample free parking and the fact that many people don't come here which I love. It's close to where I live and not much traffic. In the end, I don't recommend that you come here :)

This place is my go-to on Saturday mornings for my runs. I can run to Santa Monica or Redondo Beach, depending on my mood. It's always full of people running and bikes, and easy to maneuver around people who are too slow or stay out of the way of bikes that are too fast. Never really been in the water though, so not sure how good of a "beach" it is. I once saw a rowdy group leaving with their trash on the ground, and the lifeguard made a point to yell at them to take their trash with them. That's a good beach in my book.

The only boat I could ever afford is washed up on the Playa shore. Quite the volleyballer's delight, it's serene and calm at twilight. That salty sea air and the sand in my toes are the greatest comforts that my heart knows. As the waves gently wash over the shore I'm glad it's my new beach, right next door.

This is one of the best beaches I've been to near LA county, not overly crowded. Lots of parking. There's no pier or rides like Santa Monica but you get to have quietness and lots of space for you and your family.

A really nice beach to just chill! Not too much exciting here, but it was nice to spend the day tanning :) We ended up walking into town to have dinner, and waited over 30 mins for a cab, but it never showed....Definitely not a "touristy" area.

Cute little beach thats not too crowded and with convenient parking. Located really close to the peninsula where you can go fishing for some fish and random objects.

Love coming here during non-peak season, I get the whole beach to myself, read a good book and get to watch the waves crash down onto the sand, so relaxing. Parking is usually easy to find. Bike riding is highly encouraged because it's just so beautiful riding through. Great place to people watch or just have some "me" time.

I have a friend who owns a house right off the beach, so its been a minute since I've gone to visit or been on this particular beach. Holidays it gets crowded, and stopping by give me time to enjoy the boats, and all the people having fun. On this day, the weather was a bit overcast, the beach was clean, and calm. Usually this time of year the beach during the day is quiet but on the weekends, it gets crazy. My only pet peeve with this beach is the parking, although during the week you can park on the residence street (except Wednesdays) but if you can find it great, stay put and walk to Solermo, or Mo's to eat. All the food spots are in walking distance, I suggest eat first, then relax on the beach. Boats frequent the lanes, and plenty of sail boats around too. Nice beach to relax during the week.

Chill beach. Not crowded but gets worse as you head south and clogged up around imperial due to migration of the inland herds. Great running and bike path :)