Victoria Beach

We call it Pirate Tower Beach. The tower is fun to see. You can’t climb it or go in it, but it’s worth checking out. It’s to the right of the beach. You see tide pools and walk over rocks to get there. The beach is hard to find the first time you go there. Silver lining is that it keeps the beach less crowded. You park on PCH. You go in through the neighborhood, down stairs or a ramp. The ramp is pretty steep. I wouldn’t recommend bringing little kids/strollers. There are no bathrooms. We were there over Memorial Day weekend and there was a lifeguard. If you have little kids, better to go south to the beaches below The Montage. It has to be low tide to get to the tower. Definitely look up when low tide is before you go. There’s a pool on the way to the tower. I’ve only seen the pool filled with water once. Be careful of big waves because that’s how the pool gets filled. It’s a beautiful spot. I highly recommend checking it out if you’re in Laguna Beach.

Beatifull beach and acces to pirate cove. Its long beach BUT you cant walk acros and exit back to road. There is only one patch where you can come and get out. We walked to another side and there is privat community and gate so you cant exit there.

Victoria Beach – A Hidden Gem in Laguna Beach Victoria Beach is hands-down one of the most breathtaking spots in Laguna Beach and a must-visit for anyone who loves coastal views, hidden landmarks, and a bit of adventure. Tucked away from the more touristy areas, this beach feels like a secret escape—with its stunning blue waters, soft sand, and of course, the iconic Pirate Tower, a historic stone structure that looks like it was pulled from a fairytale. What makes Victoria Beach truly special is how secluded and peaceful it feels. Whether you’re there to take photos, relax by the tide pools, or just enjoy the sunset, the vibe is serene and magical. The view from the shore is incredible, especially during golden hour. Tip for Access: To get there, head to the intersection of Victoria Drive and Sunset Terrace. Parking can be tricky, so aim for early morning or late afternoon and park in the surrounding residential streets (be mindful of permit-only spots). You’ll find a staircase down to the beach near 2713 Victoria Dr—just follow the signs and be ready for a short walk. Highly recommend bringing a camera, water shoes for the rocks, and your sense of adventure. This spot is a local treasure you’ll be glad you discovered.

We heard about this beautiful beach and the historic castle nestled by the cliff, so we decided to check it out. We managed to find parking in the neighborhood, which was convenient. There are steps leading down to the beach, and reaching the castle requires some walking on loose rocks, so it's important to be cautious as they can be slippery. During high tide, the water and waves can reach quite high, so keep that in mind. The castle itself is stunning, and I wish there were more information available about its history. The beach is very clean, but the shallow waters are rocky and may not be safe for swimming. Overall, it was a lovely visit!

This is a must visit spot! Beach is very clean and there is always a guard. Pirate tower is an awesome photographic place. Take the stairway and keep walking to the right to find the spot. Note: Walk with caution there is algae on rocks and might be slippery

Beautiful, secluded beach. We saw a pod of dolphins in May 🐬 One downside is that the concrete hill down to the beach is VERY steep: makes it difficult if you're bringing a cooler.

Victoria Tower at beach in Laguna Beach was a hidden gem, not to be missed! Wear waterproof shoes or tennis shoes to climb over the rocks.

Beach is extraordinary . Very high tide pools . It’s visual feast to watch the waves 🌊. It’s so soothing and relaxing. All Laguna beaches are eye catching and bit crowded. And photo sections are happening in the beach view . I think Laguna beaches are popular for photo shoots . It’s good for surfing 🏄‍♀️ bcz of waves 🌊 . If you go to this beach , you will definitely enjoy , relax and most importantly will be continuously starring the beach beauty . It has both public and private access to enter , please carefully choose the public access

My boyfriend wanted to take me to Victoria Beach while we were wandering around PCH cause he knows I like good views. We initially tried to drive by and find parking but a majority of the area had no parking signs up, since it's a residential area. I actually didn't even see the entrance when we were driving around. It was later on when we were hanging out on the Laguna Beach Trolley that we decided to make another attempt at Victoria Beach. We walked down the slope into the residential area and suddenly a narrow stairway appears. Super hidden area. Your efforts would be rewarded if you make the trek down because it is a stunningggg beach with barely any other people there. If you're brave you can walk across these bumpy rocks and visit the Victoria Pirate Tower. It's closed off so you won't be able to enter the tower but it's still neat to see. It's a pretty small beach and is tricky to get to, but if you enjoy beach views and dislike crowds, this trek would be worth it for you. And please keep in mind this beach is a state marine reserve, so please don't take any animals, shells or rocks with you.

Beautiful little spot in Laguna with an A+ rating from Heal The Bay beach report card. The entrance is off of Victoria Drive which starts and loops back up at PCH. You will end up needing to park along the highway and walk downhill through Victoria. There is some residential parking, but it's so narrow with no sidewalk. There will be stairs on the right between a couple of homes, and as you go down, you'll see the sign for the beach. It's one of the few beaches in this city that isn't completely rocky. The rocky parts are at both ends of this little beach, and one of the ends includes the Victorian high tower. Usually you can walk all around it, but some days at high tide, the surrounding area will be blocked off for safety. The waves can get big here, but it's a great spot to get in the water, snorkel, lay out, or walk along the sand. Whatever you end up doing, it's a gorgeous place to do it in.

Very beautiful beach-come early if you wanna check out the pirate lighthouse as the tides do get pretty high and they are really strong. There is no public restroom. Beware there are a lot of steps so some conserve some energy so that you can get back to your carx I recommend parking on PCH.

What a spectacular beach in Laguna and the sunsets here are beyond beautiful! Everyone brings their dogs and kids here and the weather is almost always perfect especially today, 1/28/24

I found this beach on Instagram. It did not disappoint. The steps leading to this beach are obscure and you need to google map the address 2705 Victoria Drive where the steps are located in a residential area. Parking is on PCH. There are lots of parking but beware of fast moving cars. Probably not a good thing with young kids. Also we thought we would have to cross the busy highway but a local pointed us to steps that are by the Trolley that lead down and under the highway! What a find! it led us directly to McCauley Place which hits Victoria place. The beach was not crowded in February. Most the people were climbing on the rocks to the pirate tower. You will need shoes. There are parts that are slimy and rocks are painful to walk barefoot on. There was one lifeguard watching the swimmers. There are no restrooms. But definitely worth visiting!

A must do while in Laguna! Check the tide schedule before you go so you have easy access to the tower and surrounding tide pools. Make sure you wear non slip shoes for the maximum exploring experience. Tips: Take the free Laguna Beach trolley to the Nyes street stop. From there walk down to the steps that take you to Victoria Beach. Bring a picnic and slip proof shoes. Check the tide schedule!

This beach is amazing. I can see why is it not crowded. The street parking feels dangerous and the trek down the hill, through the neighborhood, can be a little vigorous. We saw a lot of adults and not a lot of children as it would be extremely difficult to lug items down the steep incline and stairs. I would say this location is a cool adult resting spot. I did love all the quartz embedded in the rocks. They look like they could easily be picked up but they seem naturally fused. There are a few cool quartz veins that run through the rocks also. Check it out

Highly recommend checking this place out. We went on a Friday at low tide, perfect for tide pools and exploring. Definitely go during low-tide otherwise you won't be able to access most of the area.

Victoria Beach (aka The Pirate Tower) is a magical place, especially as the sun sets! - Go during low tide - Take grippy water shoes and a hat - Parking can be scarce, so plan accordingly - If you are hiring a professional photographer, you will need a permit from the city of Laguna ($100 for 2 hours) Happy exploring!

A wonderful experience! Our photographer suggested this place for family photos .. we were stunned by the beautiful view .. very very clean and the location is not far from eateries shops etc . Park on the Main Street and walk your day down. Be prepared to climb a flight of stairs on your way back. May be challenging with little ones .

Amazing beach with stunning scenery! To get to Victoria Beach, there are entrance ways through the neighborhood. One of the cool things about this beach is the Pirate Tower which stands at 60ft tall. It was built in 1926 which was used to go down to the beach from the house above the cliff. The waters here are clear and a beautiful hue of blues/greens. I loved seeing all of the interesting creatures like the small crabs, sea anemones and mussels. This beach does draw a good amount of people however, it was fairly peaceful and quiet. Because this beach has beautiful sceneries, there are usually photoshoots happening here. I went on a Sunday and while parking here is not the easiest, it wasn't as bad as I expected. I parked alongside of Victoria Drive and it took around 10 to 15 mins to get to the beach.

Don't follow the address listed here; it directed you to the laguna beach main beach area. This beach is way up on the hills about 15 mins away from the main beach and no parking around the area; linked street parking is available. I think the trolley also has a stop here. It's a very quiet and beautiful beach that has tie pools and an unique tower. Do not come too late like 5-6pm bc the tide started getting high and you might not be able to walk to the tower area.

This is a really great beach, not necessarily for the water but for the lighthouse, which is the main attraction. Yes, it is Orange County's oldest and only lighthouse that was made to look like a long castle tower. You aren't able to go up inside it, it has been blocked off likely for safety reasons but it's a great place to check out and take photos. If you are tying to do a modeling session or engagement photos are anything of the like, so is everyone else, so keep that in mind when you go. It's a hot spot and the secret is out.

It was cool to see the tower and the beach is beautiful. Parking can be difficult to find.

Stunning gorgeous beach w beautiful rock formations, tide pools, as well as open beach areas perfect for swimming. Waves here are more sizable than other Laguna beaches. It is quite secluded even during the summer. It's a perfect spot for pictures, star gazing, watching gorgeous waves crash against the rocks (esp. near sunset when the waves turn a breathtaking aquamarine) & sunset walks before grabbing dinner in downtown Laguna. It's also great for swimming, bodyboarding, volleyball & picnics but if you wanna spend the entire day here, there are no bathrooms. Victoria Beach is located about 1 mile south of the Main Beach. Park on PCH across from the Casa Laguna Hotel & walk south about 2 minutes to either Sunset Terrace or Victoria Drive to find the staircase leading down to the beach. Leave the beach as pristine as you found it. A note about the tower: It's not a lighthouse & it's not "part of a castle built into the rock." It was built by the homeowner of the house sitting above it on the cliff in 1926 as a unique way to enclose his staircase leading to the beach. Later the home was bought by a pirate-aficionado who was enchanted w the pirate-look of the tower & often hid "treasures" in it for local children to find. In this way locals began to refer to it as Pirate Tower.

We parked on the main coast highway as there were a lot of available spots this time of the day. We decided to visit Victoria Beach during its evening hour and enjoyed a completely different experience than seeing it during the day Despite the high tide, we were still able to walk along the rocks to see the tower and while we could have made closer to the tower, a lot of the path was already submerged in water so we decided otherwise. The beach is definitely less of a public beach and more of a neighborhood beach, which I appreciate. It almost feels as if the stairs leading down to it are apart of someone else's backyard. There's really beautiful houses right on the sand and a cute community that this beach belongs to. Very welcoming and kind The tower is mysterious and without much of a story provided, I think looking at it (especially in the evening) can make your imagination run wild. Definitely an inspiration spot that sparked our inner curiosity and adventure

Beautiful beach but no easy access. You have to park and walk through the neighborhoods. And like others have mentioned, GO DURING LOW TIDE. They do have lifeguards on duty as I have seen. Take your time walk around and enjoy the less busy beach. It is a smaller beach, but because it is not easily accessed, it sure is cleaner. The beach is clean and the water is so clear! I loved the color of the water when the sun hit it! The pirates tower is located here at the beach, the pathway from the beach to someone's house. People normally have stairs, but this person had a pirates castle, which made it very unique.

This is a gorgeous well hidden local beach, that we accessed by stairs from Victoria Drive. We found an empty parking spot in residential area for beach access 50 ft from the stairs access. Honestly, it looks somewhat confusing, since it's easy to miss if no open spots, so I would recommend parking on S Coast Hwy and Victoria Drive and simply walk 2 minutes to the stairs. Beach is nice, but we were more interested in the pirate tower and tidal pools. It is definitely the perfect backdrop for photo shoots.

Slightly difficult to get to. Parking is always difficult at the beach know that going in. Plan for a day when it won't be so busy. The day that I went I was able to find free parking on the south coast hwy. had to run across the street. Then you walk down a residential area to a long staircase in between two houses. Take that all the way down to the beach and you're there,the tower will be on your right You can't miss it.I would really recommend going on your maps app looking at the satellite view and getting a good idea of how to find this place. I'm including a screenshot of the route that I took. Good luck.

A gorgeous beach that was not too crowded on an overcast May gray day. Street parking was not too bad and we took the stairs down to the beach. What I loved most was the mossy green rocks that added a different color and environment to the traditional white sand beach. Not many people were laying out and most that visited were here for photography or to check out the tower. The pirate tower was cool but I thought it was a bit anticlimactic after marveling at the rocks. Lots of people were waiting around to take a picture by it.

Gorgeous beach and so relaxing. Came here on a Friday in the evening (5pm) and it was not that busy because people were already heading home. This would be a great time to come and relax or do a photoshoot. It was great seeing the pirate tower and being able to capture some photos with nobody there. I've heard of people having trouble finding the beach but it's actually pretty easy to get to. You have to park on the main road and walk down the stairs to go under the bridge into the residential area. The walk is not at all as far as it seems on the map so no worries! Just don't bring anything big or heavy. Victoria beach is a must visit!

Super fun, super clean and a small beach part of Laguna. It has a pirate tower and many rocks to climb. Overall, it is one of those fun beaches that everyone should visit.

Definitely a stunning beach near Laguna Beach. It has a very quaint vibe that showcases the beautiful ocean and awesome beach homes. A very cool landmark is definitely pirate tower as it is basically built parallel to the cliff side. It makes for a great backdrop, which is why you see photographers, videographers, and couples there. I even saw a proposal while there. It may be cliche, but there's a reason the spot is popular. Parking could be a little tricky as we parked on the street and walked through a neighborhood. Seeing the houses makes you wonder who these lucky individuals are to get to wake up to the beautiful pacific! If you're ever in Laguna or south OC, make the trek to this beach and pirate tower!

Epic photo spot! I brought my daughter here to "Rapunzel's Tower" as a surprise and we couldn't ask for a better time! It was low tide when we got there so we had to climb some rocks to find the Tower but 1,000% worth getting scratched up to get there. Life guard said on most days we can walk across the same to get there. Super beautiful!

Best beach I've ever been to. I just can't get enough of this beach. Secluded, quiet, and very peaceful. Low tide or high tide either has gorgeous scenery here with the rocks. Kid friendly and very clean beach. I love how there is a hidden tower on site to add to the uniqueness of the beach. Steps are definitely doable and safe for any age. Whether your a local or like me taking the drive to see this serene place it's a absolute hard yes to come here.

One of the most gorgeous beaches in Laguna. Words won't really do it justice. It's a great sight all day but it especially beams at sunset. Make sure to check the tides before going over to the pirate's tower, or you may get stuck in the water on the way out.

I am giving this beach only 4 stars for the simple fact that the website said dogs allowed but once we got there with our pups this very friendly lifeguard let us know that they are unfortunately not from the hours of 9am-6pm mon-sun for the summer. My friend, son and I had gone there to go check out the area called pirate cove beach where there is a piece of a castle in the rocks. After chatting with the lifeguard for a bit and letting him know we were just there to see the castle he advised us to be quick, be careful, and absolutely do NOT let our dogs off leash. He advised us that beach patrol is actually handing out fines for dogs off leash right now. The beach itself was super clean and well kept. Hardly any people when we went early Monday. We did have to park along the PCH but it was super close to where the beach entrance actually is. There is another review where a guy gives two streets that you want to park between and that was perfect directions! The water was so beautiful and clean compared to Huntington where we normally take the dogs. It was such a nice change of scenery. Will definitely be going back even though we can't take the pups just yet, the water conditions alone are worth it.

Beautiful gem hidden behind the cliffs in Victoria Beach! [ Direction ] 1. Getting here was slightly tricky, but easiest way is to map "La Tour" or "Pirate Tower." Go down South Coast Hwy 1 and try to park along the street near Victoria Dr or Sunset Terrace. Your best bet is honestly parking by the main street. 2. Walk to the intersection of Victoria Drive with Sunset Terrace to find the staircase down. 3. Walk to the right over some rocks 4. Voila! You'll see the magnificent "Pirate tower" 5. Climb as far as you like, but beware of the tide!

Such a dog friendly beach! It was very clean and there weren't that many people during the weekend. Parking is nonexistent because it's like a neighborhood beach. You'll have to find parking on the main street and walk a few blocks down to find the discrete opening.

Amazing spot to relax by the clear water, very amazing historic point and monument, it was a long drive but it was worth it every minute. Make sure bring your swimsuit and towel to relax by the beach. Parking is very limited to find a spot.

This is a cool little beach! a little difficult to find, but once u do it's totally worth it. Just pay attention to the land Mark's on the gos on the beach and park near by as close as you can. The view here is amazing and especially for sunset and golden hour. Make sure you bring a camera and be careful when walking over here, it's pretty simple for the most part and totally worth the scenery of the southern California Pacific coast!

Beautiful place to go and spend your day We went there last week and I definitely go back again. The only downside is that you can't find parking easily. We parked on the street and walk couple of blocks to get down to the beach.

For as long as I had lived in Southern California, it wasn't until this past visit back that I had discovered Victoria Beach. Tucked between Laguna Beach and Laguna Niguel along Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) is where you'll find Victoria Beach. More specifically, we had turned onto Nyles from PCH going away from the beach and found some street parking then trekked our way down to the beach using the PCH underpass on Victoria Dr to get to Dumond Dr and take the street entry way into Victoria Beach. First off, this beach is much cleaner than any beach in Newport or Huntington. With the nice 70 degree weather in December, we did happen to see some people out there in the middle of the week. In all, we probably spent close to 3 hours wandering around looking at the old abandoned light house, rock climbing, taking photos, looking at tide pools, and trekking our way along numerous coves. Plenty of beautiful views and definitely worth a stop. I'll probably recommend this beach to anyone visiting Orange County from here on out strictly on how clean it is and how beautiful the views are. 'Til next time, cheers! 5/365

Love this beach!! Make sure to get there before high tide tho life guard's will let you know when it's not safe.. my kids loved the Pirate Tower!!

We visited this little beach specifically to check out the tower at Laguna Beach. Google "La Tour - Mysterious Tower of Laguna Beach" if you don't know about it. Apparently it was built in 1926 and has somehow lasted all these years standing solid against the wind and waves. There are tide pools around the base of the tower that we enjoyed checking out. And if you're into southern California sandy beaches there's one of those there as well. Parking can be difficult. We ended parking quite a ways away and walking about a mile round trip.

I was a little foolish and didn't read up on the directions when I went to check this area out. I prompted my GPS to head to the address that is on this Yelp page, which leads to a parking lot 10 minutes away from the actual location. I then just google mapped "Victoria Beach" and then found by way. I briefly saw someone's review that said to park on PCH as close as you can to Sunset, and that's what helped me find my way. Luckily there were a handful of other patrons that parked near me and were walking that way so I felt assured that we were all generally heading to the same place. From there all you do is walk down sunset and keep on going downhill until you reach the hidden entrance to the beach. It's a small little inclined trek (residential), but the beach is beautiful! I'd definitely come back (maybe not on a crowded weekend). Highly recommend everyone to check it out.

Decided to come here for a mini photoshoot, as I've heard great things about it. We specifically wanted to see the Pirate Tower, but the tide was a bit high and my model and I didn't feel comfortable climbing over the rocks. Others were doing it, though, so I feel like next time we should just go for it. Parking here was atrocious. It's all residential with no street parking. We managed to squeeze in to a spot on a steep hill between two other cars. I doubt we'd get lucky again. Getting down to the beach was easy; we walked down a slab of concrete and jumped on to the sand. We walked to the right towards the rocks and began our shoot. It was a fairly quite afternoon, which was nice. We stayed through sunset, which was beautiful, but the tide had gotten so high that the waves were practically covering the whole lot of sand. At least we weren't afraid of any water! When it came time to leave, we headed up the staircase and it let us out between two homes. We then had to walk up and around another street to get back to my car. We were a little tired after that, but it was manageable. Overall, this was a beautiful spot for photos, but I'm apprehensive about coming back, due to parking.

It's a "not so tourist" beach and I hope it stays that way. I visit from San Diego and stay at the Ranch at Laguna Beach. I try to visit as many beaches as possible in the four days I am here. It's the trolley stop 22 or 23 if going south. I recommend stop 22 and walk down the long street then the stairs down to the beach. If you get off at stop 23, you will have to go to the crosswalk, cross PCH and then go down stairs to get to the tunnel under PCH, then the long ramp down to the beach. Be careful if taking the ramp down. It can be sandy and very slippery if you walk too fast. If going North take stop 47 and get to the tunnel. I body surf, so this is a good beach for it when the swells are there; mostly shore break waves. Like alot of the smaller beaches, there are no bathrooms or drinking water. There is a small shower on the south side of the second lifeguard tower. I saw the pirate tower from a distance but didnt make it there this time. Next trip for sure. Enjoy!

This picturesque beach with pristine, aqua water is tucked away in a residential neighborhood. It's an ideal location for photo opportunities and tide pool exploration. We mainly observed sea anemones because the tide was already rising when we arrived around 10am. Beach goers were dipping their feet in the water, but the current was way too strong for safe swimming. The waves crash pretty violently against the rocks, but there are a couple of clearings where young children can enjoy the shore. I appreciated the beauty and serenity of Victoria Beach; however, it didn't provide the greatest conditions for taking a dip in the ocean. Maybe visiting during a different season would be best. It's fairly easy to get to if you're lucky enough to find parking near PCH and Sunset Terrace (small side street). We arrived at 10am and found plenty of unmetered spots along PCH. After a short walk down the hill on Sunset, you'll arrive at the intersection of Victoria and Sunset. Look immediately to your left, and you'll see an unmarked staircase/ramp leading down to the beach. The walk down is easy, but the walk back up is moderate/difficult. I've attached photos that may be helpful in finding the beach. It's worth the trip!

What makes Victoria Beach so great is that it is hard to park. That means it is never to crowded and most of the people live near by There are two ways to get there. Either walk down a steep incline or down lots of stairs. But once there you will love the crescent cove of a deep sand beach with rock formations on each end creating an awesome beach environment When low tide you can walk south to Treasure Island where the Montage Hotel is or you can walk north across rock formations and see a castle and other cool things During holidays there is always a volleyball tournament This beach is the bomb and best of all- it is only steps from my beach house !!!!!!!

A bit crowded when we visited, but we headed straight to see the Pirate Tower. Lots of people were crowding the lower tower area so we didn't bother getting up close. We just saw it from 100 yards back and it was pretty cool. Found free parking in the area. Made our day!

Finding the tower was so easy thanks to Yelp! My friend and I parked along the road and hiked our way down Victoria Drive. Hopped on the beach and started walking towards the right til we found the tower. What I did not see in the pictures was the rocks you had to climb through. I hate sand so I wasn't barefoot but after the sand you'll have to climb across some rocks if you want to get closer to the tower. It was a great view!

We came here to see the pirate tower - the usual beach access to the tower is closed (looks like construction) - use the dumond drive beach access (a ramp down to the beach). Beach itself is nice but very crowded with wedding and engagement photoshoots on the weekend (at least when we went). The pirate tower was cool and the beach seems nice but it was crowded with minimal mask compliance (which made us wary and want to leave quickly). Go during low tide. Park on US 1 and walk down to the beach. Don't be those people that just put the location into your GPS and go barreling down very narrow neighborhood streets trying to park in an area with little/no street parking.

Ahh, I think I found Rapunzel's fairytale tower =D This is one of Southern California's jaw-dropping hidden prized gem that stands at the cliff of Laguna Beach. All the OC-goers are so lucky to have this unique landmark nearby! The beach tower is private property and so you're only allowed to walk up to it so NO climbing! Now to find this, you have to walk to the north end of Victoria Beach. This isn't an easy find but use 2713 Victoria Drive on your GPS which will lead you to a stairway down to the far north and hang right. As you walk out to the rocks, you'll encounter a beautiful circular concrete pool filled with sand and a collection of water from high tide that eventually created a small pool. I recommend coming by during sunset. Mark this place as a must see, you'll be AMAZED!

Oh, that peace may come - Queen Victoria Come to this beach and peace you will have. Plus beauty, spectacular waves, gorgeous sunsets, and a Pirate Tower. I find the best entrance is with parking meters in front of The Montage. Walk through resort, great people watching, then walk the entire stretch of beach for the magnificent waves and views. Parking in the neighborhood on Victoria is too much of a hassle but each to his own Highly recommended!

Park on PCH! There is barely any parking in the neighborhood. The stairs that lead down to the beach is right where sunset and Victoria st meet Great place to take kids. There's a lighthouse looking tower and a man made pool. The pool is perfect for little kids!

Arggg mateys! I'm going to let you in on a secret, Victoria Beach is one of the best 'hidden' gems along the coast of OC. Tucked away into the hillside of Laguna, Victoria Beach hosts million-dollar dream homes, clear blue water, and the iconic Pirates Tower. A small history lesson on the tower: Pirates Tower was built in 1926 by a state senator as a direct stairway from his home at the top of the cliff to the beach. While the entry at the bottom is gated and locked, if you look inside you can still see the spiral staircase! The house has changed ownership multiple times since then, but the tower gains its name from a past owner who used to dress as a pirate and hide gold coins for kids along the bottom of the tower. While it's a bit of a hike, and your thighs will be steel by the time you return to your car, this beach is definitely worth the trek!

OC beaches are my favorite in So Cal, especially those in Laguna Beach. This one is especially unique because of its Pirate Tower, which looks to be straight out of a fairy tale. In fact, the tower doesn't look pirate-y at all. It's definitely got more of a Rapunzel/Tangled vibe. Go take a look at low tide so you can get close to the tower and explore the tide pools surrounding it. Best to wear hard-soled shoes since the rocks are uneven and jagged in some sections. Park along PCH; don't bother trying to find parking in the residential area by the beach.

Beach is clean. Avoid going during the weekend because of the crowd visiting, too many people taking pictures.