• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

MALIBU PIER & AROUND

The vintage pier marks the beginning of Malibu’s commercial heart. It’s open for strolling and fishing (no license required) and delivers fine views of the surf punks hooking gnarly waves off Surfrider Beach, one of the world’s most famous surf spots. Malibu Creek meets the ocean here in what is officially known as Malibu Lagoon State Beach (Map; 818-880-0350; www.parks.ca.gov; wi-fi). The resulting saltwater marsh is a favorite with migratory birds and their human admirers. Bring a picnic and binoculars and grab a spot in the sand or at a picnic table near Malibu Creek Bridge. Unfortunately, the water quality is usually terrible, so swimmers should push on further north (never mind the surfers).

* * *

LINK TO NATURE

An eco-conscious way to explore the rugged Santa Monica Mountains rising behind Malibu is by hopping aboard the free ParkLINK Shuttle ( 888-734-2323; www.parklinkshuttle.com; 8am-8pm Jun-Aug, 8am-5pm Sep-May). Air-conditioned buses make stops near the Adamson House, Zuma and Point Dume beaches and major trailheads, including Malibu Creek State Park and the Paramount Ranch. Or just stay aboard and complete the scenic loop in 1¾ hours. The website has a map, bus schedule and ideas for one-way hikes made easy by using the shuttle.

* * *

Up on a bluff overlooking Surfrider is the gorgeous Spanish-style Adamson House (Map; 310-456-8432; www.adamsonhouse.org; 23200 PCH; adult/child $5/2; tours 11am-2pm Wed-Sat), which used to belong to the Rindge family and is awash in locally made, hand-painted tiles. Check out the ‘Persian rug’ in the entryway and the tiled dog bath outside. To learn more about Malibu’s arc of history – Chumash to glamourtown – pop into the adjacent Malibu Lagoon Museum (Map; 310-456-8432; admission free; 11am-3pm Wed-Sat).

Tile aficionados and hideaway fans should cross PCH and head up to the Serra Retreat (Map; 310-456-6631; www.serraretreat.com; 3401 Serra Rd; admission free; 9am-4:30pm), another former Rindge home that is now a religious sanctuary. We recently spotted Martin Sheen, Malibu honorary mayor and a devout Catholic, chatting with one of the Franciscan friars in the lovely ocean-view gardens. You’re free to walk around and enjoy the flowers and the views, but respect the tranquil, hushed ambience. The Serra Rd turn-off is about a quarter mile west of the Malibu Pier (look for the sign and tell the guard you’re going to the retreat). The road winds through another celebrity enclave where Britney unloaded her home for a cool $12 million in 2007.

NORTHERN MALIBU

Self-assuredly holding court atop a grassy slope where deer graze at sundown, Pepperdine University (Map; 310-456-4000; 24255 Pacific Coast Hwy) has views of the Pacific and the mountains and is easily one of the world’s most beautiful campuses. Ken Starr, the independent investigator who revealed to the world where Bill Clinton put his cigars, teaches constitutional law at this private institution affiliated with the Church of Christ. Art fans should check out the latest show at the university’s Frederick R Weisman Museum of Art (Map; 310-506-4851; www.pepperdine.edu/arts/museum; admission free; 11am-5pm Tue-Sun; ), which has some pretty edgy works created by American artists in the last 30 years.

* * *

MALIBU BEACHES FOR ALL

Malibu’s locals, famous for their love of privacy, don’t want you to know this, but you’re actually free to be on any beach as long as you stay below the high-tide line. That means you can walk, swim, beachcomb or whatever right on Carbon Beach, Broad Beach and wherever the famous like to frolic. You may get nasty looks from security guards, but there’s nothing they can legally do to stop you from being there. Driving along PCH, keep an eye out for the brown Coastal Access signs. Locals have been known to take them down and put up ‘Private Beach’ or ‘No Trespassing’ signs; don’t be deterred. For the full scoop and ‘secret’ access points, download the handy