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MONEY

Travelex ( 714-751-1203; South Coast Plaza, Costa Mesa; 10am-9pm Mon-Fri, 10am-8pm Sat, 11:30am-6pm Sun) Change money at the giant mall in Costa Mesa (Click here), on the 1st floor near the carousel.

POST

Balboa Post Office ( 949-675-2469; 204 Main St, Balboa Peninsula; 9am-4pm Mon-Fri) Conveniently close to the beach.

TOURIST INFORMATION

Newport Beach Conference & Visitors Bureau ( 949-719-6100, 800-942-6278, 24hr recorded info 949-729-4400; www.newportbeach-cvb.com; 110 Newport Center Dr, Suite 120; 8am-5pm Mon-Fri) Located on the road that loops around Fashion Island, the bureau stocks good lodging and dining guides and a detailed town map.

Newport Pier Visitors Kiosk There’s an unmanned kiosk between the parking lot and the pier with a large map of the area, a change machine and an ATM.

Sights

BALBOA PENINSULA & ISLAND

Six miles long and 0.25 miles wide, the Balboa Peninsula has a white-sand beach on its ocean side and countless stylish homes, including the 1926 Lovell House (1242 W Ocean Front). Designed by Rudolph Schindler, one of SoCal’s most seminal modernist architects, it was built using site-cast concrete frames with wood. It’s on the beach beside the bike path and across from a small playground.

Hotels, restaurants and bars cluster around the peninsula’s two piers: Newport Pier near the western end and Balboa Pier at the eastern end. The oceanfront strip teems with beachgoers, and people-watching is great. Near Newport Pier, you’ll find rental shops that carry umbrellas, beach chairs, boogie boards and other necessities. Meters range from $0.50 cents to $1 per hour. Free parking can be found on residential side streets just a block or two from the sand.

Opposite the Balboa Pier on the harbor side of the peninsula, the Balboa Fun Zone ( 949-673-0408; www.thebalboafunzone.com; 11am-8pm Mon-Thu, 11am-9pm Fri, 11am-10pm Sat) has delighted locals and visitors since 1936. There’s a small Ferris wheel (where Ryan and Marissa shared their first kiss on The OC), arcade games, touristy shops and restaurants as well as the Newport Harbor Nautical Museum, which at the time of writing was in the process of moving here from its former location on East Coast Hwy. Nearby is the landmark 1905 Balboa Pavilion, which is beautifully illuminated at night. The closest parking lot to the Fun Zone is the municipal lot beside the Balboa Pier. It costs $0.50 per 20 minutes or $8 max for the day.

The Fun Zone is also the place to catch a harbor cruise, fishing or whale-watching excursion (Click here), or the ferry to Balboa Island just across the channel. The Balboa Island Ferry (www.balboaislandferry.com; with/without car $1.50/.60) is tiny, holding just three cars packed single file between open-air seats. The distance covered is just 1000ft, and the trip lasts less than five minutes. The ferry lands at Agate Ave, about 11 blocks west of Marine Ave, the main drag lined with cute shops, cafés and restaurants. Ferries run about every 10 minutes from 6:30am to midnight Sunday to Thursday, and until 2am Friday and Saturday. For close-ups of the island’s beautiful, well-maintained homes, take a stroll along its shoreline. It’s about 1.5 miles around.

At the very tip of the peninsula, by the West Jetty, the Wedge is a bodysurfing and knee-boarding spot famous for its perfectly hollow waves that can get up to 30ft high. The waves are shore-breakers. They crest on the sand, not out to sea, so you can easily slam your head. There’s usually a small crowd watching the action. This is not a good place for learning how to handle the currents; newcomers should head a few blocks west for calmer water. Park on Ocean Blvd or Channel Rd and walk through the tiny West Jetty Park.

MUSEUMS

Less than a mile from Fashion Island is the Orange County Museum of Art ( 949-759-1122; www.ocma.net; 850 San Clemente Dr; adult/under 12yr/student & senior $10/free/8, 3rd Thu free; 11am-5pm Tue-Sun, to 8pm Thu), an accessible starting point for cultural wanderings in the county. This engaging museum highlights