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A Surfer Heads for the Water at Huntington Beach, California
Photo by Kodiak Greenwood

Huntington Beach

Huntington Beach
Catch a wave in Surf City, USA

The endless summer lives on in Huntington Beach. Southern California’s beach culture thrives along this city’s curving shoreline, where you can bicycle down an oceanfront path, play volleyball, and, of course, surf.

Go to the International Surfing Museum, and you’ll see up close how this Orange County town, with 10 miles of beaches and consistent swells, got its nickname of Surf City, USA (don’t miss the world’s largest surfboard on display). Surfing forefathers George Freeth and Duke Kahanamoku both surfed here in the early part of the 20th century, and the U.S Surfing Championship—now summer’s Vans U.S. Open of Surfing—was first held here in the late 1950s.

If you'd rather run than hit the waves, you can still get in the surfing spirit by racing the Surf City USA Marathon (which also includes a half marathon or 5K), held on the first Sunday of February every year. Finishers receive a surfboard-shaped medal after running the flat beachfront course throughout Huntington Beach.

Year round, surfing definitely sets the tone, and even if you never grab a board, there’s shopping at leading surf retailers and great viewing of some of the local dudes riding the waves alongside the landmark Huntington Beach Pier.

From the pier, it’s just a short walk to Main Street’s surf shops and restaurants, many with sidewalk tables or decks that let you bask in fresh ocean breezes and sun-soaked afternoons. Huntington’s newest outdoor mall, Pacific City, is where you’ll find one-of-a-kind artisanal eats and stylish boutiques—all with an ocean view.

You can get a taste of the Surf City life with stays at Huntington Beach's luxurious beach resorts—like the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach (known for its kid-magnet pool playground), Waterfront Beach Resort, and Paséa Hotel & Spa, opened in 2016. Check out Paséa’s Treehouse Bar for a rooftop cocktail at sunset. Or discover the more natural parts of town by trying horseback riding in the 354-acre Huntington Central Park, or by hiking and bird-watching in Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve, a restored wetlands and one of Southern California’s most vital coastal habitats.

Huntington Beach explore_califo_-_https_www.visitcalifornia.com_attraction_huntington-beach
WORLD'S LARGEST SURF BOARD MAKES WAVES IN HUNTINGTON BEACH
42 feet. 66 people. One world record. In Huntington Beach on International Surfing Day, 66 people climbed aboard the world’s largest surfboard and rode it to a new world record.
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Huntington Beach by Scott Mansfield

Southern California

Discover Orange County

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11
March
Average (°C)
Mar - May
26°
High
5°
Low
June - Aug
35°
High
11°
Low
Sept - Nov
31°
High
5°
Low
Mar - May
26°
High
5°
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From board shorts to mouse ears to designer clothes, what you wear in this sun-splashed corner of the state says everything about how you like to play. Whether it’s surf-perfect beaches or celebrated theme parks, all framed by oceanfront towns dotted with luxury yachts, “The O.C.” stands out as one of California’s—make that the country’s—most iconic destinations.

“Surfing is like golf. . . it keeps knocking you down. But when you stay with it and catch that wave. . . magic.”  --actor Dennis Quaid

Shop at spectacular South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, or get the surfer look in Huntington Beach, aka Surf City, USA. 

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Mission San Juan Capistrano, founded in 1776, was the first winery in California.
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John Lasseter
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Orange County is the cultural center of the surf world and Huntington Beach is like the heartbeat.
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Harriot Manley/Sunset Publishing

O.C. Shopping

Discover boutique brands and bargains

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July/August

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Courtesy of Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel

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Tee up at top courses, with some ocean views

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Courtesy of Orange County Great Park

Orange County Great Park

Explore an impressive urban park

Turning former military land into a roughly 1,300-acre green space, this Irvine park is as ambitious as it is beautiful. Though it...

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Every year, the Orange County Great Park Balloon dons a smiling jack-o-lantern mask, marking the unofficial start of fall in Orange County.
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Irvine

This centrally located Orange County city is the perfect home base for shopping, dining, and kid-friendly exploring

Irvine’s central location—45 miles from Los Angeles, 85 from San Diego, and 15 minutes from ...