Cabrillo Beach Visitor Center — San Pedro, CA
Visitor guide

Cabrillo Beach

San Pedro, Los Angeles, CA

Cabrillo Beach–370 acres of photogenic, eclectic, sandy beachfront, that is actually two beaches in one: the calm harbor side and the sandy-rocky beachbreak. Stash this one in a tuck pocket; Cabrillo Beach is a hidden gem, stitched neatly into the southernmost hem of LA City's topographical tapestry. This beach, has dog-friendly areas, lots of parking and is easy to reach by auto, bike and public transportation.

Add your visit → New here? Start here
Photo: C. Zorotovich — San Pedro Education Ambassador · the Point Fermin bluffs, from the beach

Cabrillo Beach at a glance

Layout
Inner beach (calm, harbor-side) + outer beach (open ocean) — pick your side
Size
370 acres
Named for
Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo, first European to sail the California coast
History
Outer beach built from 1927 harbor-dredge sand; opened to the public in 1928
Fishing pier
1,200 ft, built 1969 — no license needed
Next door
Cabrillo Marine Aquarium (75+ years) & Point Fermin tide pools

Visit essentials

Cabrillo Beach
  • Address: 3720 Stephen M. White Dr, San Pedro, CA 90731
  • Coordinates: 33.7111°N, 118.2839°W (33°42′40″N 118°17′02″W)
  • Hours: 5:30 AM–10:30 PM, daily
  • Parking: $1/hr, $9/day max (main lot) · $2/hr, $15/day max (boat-trailer lot) · cards only, no cash
  • Admission: Free to the public. Welcome!
Getting there
  • By car: On-site parking lot, off Stephen M. White Dr — 3–5 minutes from anywhere else in San Pedro.
  • By bus: LADOT's DASH San Pedro loop connects Downtown San Pedro with White Point / Royal Palms; from Downtown, Metro Local 205 runs north through the South Bay. Check Metro's trip planner for the stop closest to the beach — the last-mile stop shifts occasionally.
  • By bike: A flat, easy ride connects Cabrillo Beach with Point Fermin and West Harbor along the waterfront — casual and scenic, though there's no dedicated path the whole way, so ride with normal street awareness.
Directions →

The reference facts

Straight from the source, not guesswork. Here's a quick, cited snapshot — always check Wikipedia directly for the most current version.

W
Wikipedia snapshot — Cabrillo Beach
"Cabrillo Beach is a 370-acre beach in San Pedro... named after Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo. Sand deposited in 1927 from harbor dredging created the outer beach, which opened to the public in 1928. The historic bathhouse, built in 1932, was restored in 2002 and is a designated historic landmark."

The beach is split by the San Pedro Breakwater into two very different swims: a calm inner beach protected inside the harbor, and an outer beach facing the open Pacific — plus the 1,200-foot fishing pier (1969) and the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, which has operated on site for more than 75 years.

Cabrillo named this bay Bahía de los Fumos ("Bay of Smokes") when he first sailed in on October 8, 1542 — the smoke came from Native American hunting fires on the surrounding hills.

Source: Wikipedia — Cabrillo Beach · Port of LA — Cabrillo's Legacy · content available under CC BY-SA · this is a point-in-time snapshot, not a live feed — verify current details before relying on them.

On screen, and in the record books

50 First Dates (2004)

The Cabrillo Beach Bathhouse played the hospital exterior in Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore's Hawaii-set rom-com.

The Fosters (2013–2018)

The bathhouse and the beach behind it are "Anchor Beach" in Freeform's The Fosters, appearing across multiple seasons.

1932 Olympic Games

The bathhouse was built in 1932 and used to host boating events at that year's Los Angeles Olympics — a designated Historic-Cultural Monument since.

LA28, coming back around

LA28 has confirmed Olympic sailing events for the 2028 Games will be split between Long Beach and the Port of LA / San Pedro waterfront, just across the harbor.

Sources: Historical Marker Database · LA Dreaming · Movie Maps · LA28 Newsroom

Beach Scene, 1986

Before West Harbor, before the aquarium expansion — Cabrillo Beach hosted one of the wildest concert bills in San Pedro history.

On August 2–3, 1986, the sand in front of the bathhouse became a stage for the Beach Scene Festival — a two-day concert built right on Cabrillo Beach. The bill mixed new wave, roots-rock, and the just-emerging South Bay funk-punk sound: Fishbone, fIREHOSE (with San Pedro's own Mike Watt), Missing Persons, Level 42, Lone Justice, The Long Ryders, Blood on the Saddle, Jan & Dean, Animotion, Nu Shooz, and Device all played across the two days.

The crowds were big enough that the show is still archived today — the LA Times photographed it from the stage, and bootleg tape traders still pass around a Mike Watt / fIREHOSE set from that weekend.

A local remembers it

"I remember moshing — we called it slamming, or slam-dancing back then — to Fishbone, right there on the sand. A world-class pit, at the beach, for one of the most iconic punk/reggae/funk bands to ever do it. Parking was a different animal, too — San Pedro was so packed that people left their cars up by the freeway and walked in. Shout out to Ted Riederer for putting me onto Fishbone at Tufts University in 1988."

— Kip, on Beach Scene '86

Sources: Calisphere / LA Times Photographic Archive, UCLA · setlist.fm venue archive

The basics, for a first-time visitor

Never been to a California beach? Start here.
  • The water is cold. The Pacific here runs cool year-round — a wetsuit is normal for swimming or surfing, even in August.
  • Mornings are often gray. A marine layer of fog and low cloud ("May Gray," "June Gloom") is common, especially late spring through summer, and usually burns off by early afternoon.
  • Check the tide before tide-pooling. Low tide uncovers the pools; high tide covers them completely. Look up the day's tide chart before you go.
  • Sun protection matters even when it's overcast. UV comes through the marine layer more than people expect.
  • Parking is on-site, 5:30am–10:30pm daily: $1/hour (max $9/day) in the main lot, $2/hour (max $15/day) for boat-trailer parking. Cards only — no cash accepted.
  • Pick your beach on purpose: inner (calm, harbor-side, best for families and first-timers) vs. outer (open ocean, real surf, stronger currents).

Quick answers before you go

The questions people actually ask

The website says no dogs — but I've seen people walking dogs near the aquarium. Can I bring mine?
Dogs are allowed in the park areas. Not on the sand.

Are the bonfire pits coming back?
No — they were removed in 2020 during the pandemic, and fires have been banned on the beach since.

What are the parking lot hours?
5:30am–10:30pm daily. $1/hour (max $9/day) in the main lot; $2/hour (max $15/day) for boat-trailer parking. Cards only, no cash.

Wildlife you might actually see

This stretch of coast is more alive than it looks from the parking lot. Reported sightings around Cabrillo Beach and the surrounding Point Fermin / San Pedro coastline include:

🦊

Native red foxes

A small population of native red foxes has been documented denning along this stretch of the Palos Verdes / San Pedro coastline.Verify current status before publishing — populations and sightings shift year to year.

🦝

Raccoons

Common after dark around the picnic areas and bathhouse — as with any coastal park, never feed them.

Gleaming, a great horned owl, perched on a wire near Cabrillo Beach

Owls, hawks & shorebirds

Gleaming and other great horned owls, hawks, and a wide range of shorebirds work the bluffs and shoreline at dusk, especially around Point Fermin just up the coast. (Real photo, taken on site.)

🐋

Whales

Gray whales migrate past this coastline seasonally (roughly December–April) — whale-watching boats run out of the nearby harbor.

🐬

Dolphins

Pods of dolphins are a regular sight just offshore, sometimes visible right from the beach.

🦭

Seals & sea lions

Both haul out and swim around the harbor breakwater and fishing pier area — a favorite for kids watching from the pier.

🐦

California brown pelicans

A common, unmistakable sight gliding low over the waves in tight formation along this coast.

🦀

Tide pool life

Low tide reveals sea anemones, crabs, small fish, and — for the sharp-eyed — spiny lobsters tucked in the rocks. The Cabrillo Marine Aquarium runs guided tide pool walks.

Surf & safety — know before you go

Inner beach — calm, harbor-side

A visual homage to a era when Los Angeles dredged and funneled more than one million cubic yards sand to create Cabrillo Beach. It is a great place for family fun! Visit the Cabrillo Marine Aquariam. Then walk right over to the relaxing, sandy, waveless, shoreline of LA's working harbor. Watch shipping and cargo operations. See historic maritime vessels. Kids can climb and play on the playground. Be sure to grab a delicious hot dog from The Hot Dog Guy!

Outer beach — open ocean

Historic Cabrillo Beach Bathouse cues us. Looking north fron there reveals the conspiracy enacted by the Cabrillo cliffs, the breakwater, and tidepools to form a secret society of boastfully idyllic, postcard-vistas hiding plainly, in public view. The cliff, the horizon, the sunsets are just golden…and pink, and orange, and orange, and…golden!

What's nearby

Cabrillo Beach sits right in the middle of San Pedro's waterfront — these are the local landmarks people combine with a beach day.

3–5 min drive

West Harbor LA

A 42-acre waterfront dining, shopping, and entertainment district on the Port of LA, built on the former Ports O' Call site — home to San Pedro Fish Market, a 6,200-seat amphitheater, whale-watching cruises, and new restaurants continuing to open in phases. Berth 77 Park and a waterfront Starbucks are the newest pieces now open.

3–5 min drive

Battleship USS Iowa Museum

The "Battleship of Presidents," docked at the Port of Los Angeles since 2012 — the only battleship museum open to the public on the West Coast, with tours through the gun turrets, crew quarters, and engine rooms.

3–5 min drive

Fort MacArthur

A coastal-defense fort established in 1914. Its Upper Reservation is now the public Angels Gate Park, and the Fort MacArthur Military Museum sits inside a preserved gun battery nearby.

Visible from the beach

Vincent Thomas Bridge

The only suspension bridge in greater Los Angeles, opened in 1963, lit blue at night, spanning the harbor to connect San Pedro with Terminal Island.

Next door

Cabrillo Marine Aquarium

Right on site — 75+ years old, with local tide pool and kelp forest exhibits and guided beach walks.

3–5 min drive

Point Fermin

A coastal bluff-top park and lighthouse with its own tide pools and a walking trail along the cliffs above the ocean.

3–5 min drive

Korean Friendship Bell

A massive bronze bell pavilion at Angels Gate Park with sweeping ocean views — one of the most photographed spots in San Pedro.

3–5 min drive

Sunken City

The fenced-off, graffiti-covered remains of a neighborhood that slid into the ocean in 1929 — a strange, photogenic local curiosity near Point Fermin.

San Pedro's waterfront is mid-transformation

The biggest reason Cabrillo Beach feels different every year: West Harbor, the Port of LA's $200M+ redevelopment of the old Ports O' Call site, a few minutes up the road. Building A opened in 2022; Building B and the rest of the 42-acre site are opening in phases through 2026, eventually adding a mile-long waterfront promenade, a 1,200-foot public dock, and a 6,200-seat amphitheater. Roughly 5,000 housing units are also moving through planning and construction in downtown San Pedro right now, a few minutes inland.

It's not just local money, either: LA28 has confirmed that 2028 Olympic sailing events will be split between Long Beach and the Port of LA / San Pedro waterfront — a rerun of sorts, since the Cabrillo Beach Bathhouse itself was built in 1932 and used for Olympic boating events that same year.

Visitors relaxing in lounge chairs at West Harbor with Port of LA cranes visible across the water
Photo & venue: West Harbor LA — a few minutes from Cabrillo Beach
West Harbor events → Aquarium calendar → Growth report → LA28 sailing plan →

Local eateries (starter list)

San Pedro Fish Market and Restaurant
San Pedro institution, now part of West Harbor's waterfront dining lineup.
Seafood
22nd St. Landing Seafood Grill & Bar
Harbor-view seafood spot near the marina.
Seafood
West Harbor dining district
New restaurants opening in phases along the waterfront — worth checking for current tenants before you go.
Multiple
Beach City Market
Deli sandwiches and a well-stocked market a few minutes away, with easy parking — a smart stop on the way in or out.
Deli
The Hot Dog Guy
A Cabrillo Beach fixture — the beach's own hot dog cart, famous and friendly with regulars.
Cart
A working directory — hours and tenants shift as West Harbor's dining lineup keeps opening in phases. Beach City Market and the Hot Dog Guy are steady, reliable picks in the meantime.
Visitor Reviews

What people remember about this beach.

Every card below is a real visitor's own words — posted directly through the box beneath it.

★★★★★

"Took the kids for tide pools in the morning, then straight to the aquarium. Whole day sorted." (sample)

— J. Alvarez, Long Beach
★★★★★

"The harbor side is so much calmer than people expect — perfect for a first open-water swim." (sample)

— Priya N., Torrance
★★★★★

"Underrated compared to the bigger LA beaches. Way less crowded, just as pretty at sunset." (sample)

— Marcus D., San Pedro
Leave a review →Opens Cabrillo Beach Public Posts in a new tab — register once to post.
More public posts are added every week — see them all and leave your own →

Plan the visit

Directions → Parking info → Aquarium hours → Tide pool guide → YouTube → TikTok → Leave a review →
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