Malibu hugs the Pacific Ocean, north of Santa Monica in the Northwest corner of Los Angeles County.

Get in

Take Pacific Coast Highway north from Santa Monica.

Get around

The main (and pretty much only) route through Malibu is along the Pacific Coast Highway. It's the "main street" of Malibu. PCH runs the length of the town and is really the only way to get from one side of the 'bu to the other.

See

Pepperdine University boasts the best Ocean Views of any college campus in the United States. The University now also consistently ranks in the Top 40 academic programs in the United States. Pepperdine ascends up from Pacific Coast Highway on a huge piece of land, and the Pacific ocean feels part of this uniquely beautiful campus.

Do

For surfers you must check out the regional classic point break at the Malibu Lagoon. Contests are held throughout the year and surfers are crowding for the best waves at other times. Even if you don't surf it is worth checking out.

Head to famous Zuma or Westward Beach for a great day at the beach.

For a great coast view, head to Highlands Park. From PCH heading North, turn left on Heathercliff and left on Dume Drive. Take Dume drive as far as you can and turn right at the end of the road. There is a park on the cliff with a few trails where the locals like to jog. Follow a trail or two to the tip of the point. You'll know when you get there. There will be a bench and a wooden sort of deck in the middle of the trail. From here you can see all of the coast out to Palos Verdes, watch surfers below, and listen to the sounds of sea lions and dolphins.

Buy

Eat

• Duke's, 21150 Pacific Coast Highway, Ph: (310) 317-0777, Fax: (310)317-0677, [1]. A surfing themed restaurant and bar that is extremely popular.
• Coral Beach Cantina, 29350 Pacific Coast Highway, Ph: (310) 457-5503, [2]. An excellent Mexican restaurant offering tasty food in a relaxed sit-down environment. Entrees will cost between $6 and $12, and portion sizes are reasonable.

Drink

Sleep

Malibu Hotels

Malibu hotels span the spectrum from luxury to family motels. Most of the Malibu hotels are along the main coastal road, Pacific Coast Highway. Perhaps most notable among Malibu hotels are those located along the beach. Casa Malibu Inn (22752 Pacific Coast Highway) is one of the Malibu hotels along the coast. It is quaint among Malibu hotels, with only 21 rooms. Across from Surfrider Beach is Malibu Shores Motel (23033 Pacific Coast Highway). This motel is more well-suited for families than most Malibu hotels. One of the Malibu hotels that is close to popular Zuma Beach is Beaurivage (26025 Pacific Coast Highway).

Though many Malibu hotels can be expensive, among the cheaper Malibu hotels is Malibu Motel (22541 PCH). A few Malibu hotels are near the city's gorgeous canyons and hiking trails. One of these Malibu hotels is the Topanga Ranch Motel (18711 Pacific Coast Hwy). Another of these Malibu hotels is the Malibu Country Inn (6506 Westward Beach Rd).

Malibu Beach Inn (22878 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu, California, 90265) has perhaps the most central location of Malibu hotels, on PCH in the heart of Malibu. Other options among Malibu hotels include the Malibu Riviera Motel (28920 Pacific Coast Hwy) and the Malibu Surfer Motel (22541 Pacific Coast Hwy).

Further away than most Malibu hotels, but less expensive because of this, is the Good Night Inn (26557 Agoura Road, Calabasas). Another cheaper but more distant alternative to the Malibu hotels is the Hampton Inn (30255 Agoura Rd., Agoura). Other alternatives in case all the Malibu hotels are booked include the Hilton (6360 Canoga Avenue, Woodland Hills) and the Holiday Inn (120 Colorado Blvd., Santa Monica). If the summer season causes even the more distant Malibu hotels to be booked, even further options include the Holiday Inn (170 N. Church Lane, Los Angeles) and the Hyatt (880 S. Westlake Blvd., Westlake Village).

Get out

The Santa Monica Mountains are a National Recreation Area.

Following the Pacific Coast Highway to the East will take you to Santa Monica.

Further up Northwest are the cities of Ventura and Santa Barbara with the Channel Islands National Park.

• Malibu Creek State Park