El Matador

Far from the wheeling and dealing of the Hollywood hills and the hustle and bustle of its boulevards, beachgoers in the know seek solidarity by heading up the winding Pacific Coast Highway to the most spectacular shoreline along the coast - El Matador Beach, just north of Malibu. This rugged strip of sand is one of many small beaches that comprise the Robert H. Meyer Memorial Beach, though its long stretches of white sands, towering cliffs, and craggy rock formations and sea stacks make it an obvious favorite. In fact, El Matador is considered prime real estate by photographers, who tend to hold photo shoots amid the jutting rocks and crashing waves. Don't be surprised to rub elbows with them and their models, and be even less taken aback to come across the clusters of surfers and body boarders who ride this south-facing beach's swells.

It's easy to miss the small, brown sign pointing toward the tiny parking lot at the trailhead leading to El Matador, so keep your eyes wide open between Broad Beach and Decker Canyon roads. Perhaps this semi-hidden locale has kept away hordes of tourists, though most locals are aware of El Matador's splendid existence and the beach tends to get crowded on summer weekends. Once you do come across the tiny parking lot, be prepared to hike down a 150-foot bluff; although a staircase guides the way down, this isn't the most child- or handicapped-friendly shore, made even less so by a lack of weekday lifeguards.