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One of the most beautiful drives through the Santa Monica Mountains starts right next to Pepperdine on Malibu Canyon Rd, which cuts through Malibu Creek State Park, bisects Mulholland Hwy (beyond which it’s called Las Virgenes Rd) and joins with the 101 (Ventura Fwy) near Agoura Hills. Tucked behind some trees about 11 miles north of Pepperdine is the enchanting Malibu Hindu Temple (Map; 818-880-5552; www.hindutemplemalibu.com; 1600 Las Virgenes Canyon Rd; admission free; 9am-noon & 5-8pm Mon-Fri, 9am-8pm Sat & Sun, closes 7pm Nov-Mar; ). Visitors are welcome, but should dress modestly. On weekends, the temple kitchen serves simple vegetarian meals ($5 donation) served from Styrofoam boxes.

Pacific Palisades

Pacific Palisades, founded by Methodists in the 1920s, is an upscale neighborhood with a small-town feel, high celebrity quotient and the Getty Villa blockbuster sight. Strolling along Sunset Blvd and its side streets you may well spot local residents Tom Hanks, Hillary Swank or Britney Spears picking up organic chocolates at Intemperantia (15324 Antioch St), a novel at the indie Village Books (1049 Swarthmore Ave) or a grilled veggie sandwich at Café Vida Popular (15317 Antioch St).

In the 1930s, the Palisades’ gorgeous setting and Mediterranean charm lured numerous European exiles, including writers Thomas Mann and Lion Feuchtwanger. High up in the hills above Sunset Blvd, Feuchtwanger’s old home, the Villa Aurora (Map; 310-456-4231; www.villa-aurora.org; 520 Paseo Miramar), is now a German-American art and cultural center.

GETTY VILLA

Although self-described as the Getty Villa Malibu (Map; 310-440-7300; www.getty.edu; 17985 Pacific Coast Hwy; admission free; ), this famous museum in a replica Roman villa is actually in Pacific Palisades. It’s a stunning showcase for exquisite Greek, Roman and Etruscan antiquities amassed by oil tycoon J Paul Getty. When it reopened in 2006 after a seven-year renovation, the institution immediately found egg on its face when allegations of illegally obtained treasures surfaced (see boxed text, opposite). Although dozens of items have since been returned to Italy, there’s plenty left, engagingly organized by themes such as ‘Gods and Goddesses’ and ‘Monsters and Deities’. The TimeScape Room lends historical context to the various periods of artistic development. Kids can learn about life in ancient times at the Family Forum and encounter heroes, gods and giants on a special audio tour. Upstairs galleries house temporary exhibits. The upper balcony also has the best view of the lovely courtyard garden and reflecting pool.

Admission is by timed ticket, available by phone or online. No walk-ins unless you arrive by public bus and ask the driver to hole-punch your villa ticket. Parking costs $8.

WILL ROGERS STATE HISTORIC PARK

Rugged but small, this park (Map; www.parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=626; 8am-sunset; wi-fi) sprawls across ranch land once owned by Will Rogers (1875–1935), an Oklahoma-born cowboy turned humorist, radio-show host and movie star. In the late ’20s he traded his Beverly Hills manse for a 31-room ranch house ( 310-454-8212; admission free; tours 11am, 1pm & 2pm Tue-Sun) and lived here until his tragic 1935 death by plane crash. Following extensive renovations, guided tours allow you to again nose around the Western art and Native American rugs and baskets and marvel at the porch swing right in the living room. Parking costs $7.

The park’s chaparral-cloaked hills, where Rogers used to ride his horses, are lined with trails and offer an easy escape from the LA hubbub. The best time for a ramble is late in the day when the setting sun delivers golden views of the mountains, city and ocean from Inspiration Point, reached after an easy-to-moderate 1.5 miles trek. Trails continue along the Backbone Trail into Topanga State Park, if you’re feeling ambitious.

A big polo fan, Rogers built his own field to yee-haw it with such famous buddies as Spencer Tracy, Gary Cooper and Walt Disney. The Will Rogers Polo