If you find yourself in Los Angeles, Santa Monica beach through to Venice is a must-see. It might be the only two places you can walk between in the whole of LA which makes it that much more appealing (no uber fee!!!). It’s easily one of the most surreal places I’ve ever been, I felt like I was in a movie the whole time. Los Angeles is probably most known for Hollywood (which is actually pretty terrible but that’s for another post) but the coast line is the true gem of the Californian dream.

The Santa Monica Pier completely transforms from day to night and in itself can take up a whole evening. The famous Pacific Wheel lights up the entire pier which is basically a carnival all year round. The atmosphere is so positive and light that you can really forget the small things and live in the moment.

The first time I went to Venice Beach I felt a calmness I’ve seldom had while travelling. Maybe it was the sunset, or the waves, but there is a relaxing energy that is strangely therapeutic. If you’re looking for the typical Cali stereotype this is definitely the place to find it: surfers, beach yoga, “skaters”, fortune tellers… the whole catalogue. It comes to life in the late afternoon until the sun has gone down.

For anyone visiting California, or Los Angeles in particular, put Venice and Santa Monica on your list of must-see’s. You wont regret it, it’s everything you imagine when you think of California.