Santa Monica
Santa Monica: the back story
The back story
About Santa Monica: the back story
Santa Monica is a beach city on the west edge of Los Angeles, with its famous Pier, wide sandy beach and a walkable downtown.
The Pier and the beach
Santa Monica Pier, with Pacific Park’s rides, stands over a wide beach; Palisades Park runs along the bluff above.
Downtown
The Third Street Promenade and the streets around it have shops and restaurants, a few blocks from the sand.
The beach path runs from Santa Monica Pier south to Venice.
Getting there
The Metro E Line runs from downtown LA to Downtown Santa Monica station, close to the Pier.
Our advice: walk or cycle the beach path to Venice and back.
Why it's on our list
- The Pier and the beach
- Downtown
- Getting there
Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Santa Monica: the back story before you go.
What’s nearby
Distances from Santa Monica: the back story are approximate, measured in a straight line (as the crow flies). Times are approximate too: walking at about 80 metres a minute, cycling at about 15 km/h and driving at typical city-traffic speeds. Traffic and routes vary.
Key sights
- Santa Monica Pier0.6 miWalk 13 minCycle 4 minCar or taxi 7 min
- Venice Beach Boardwalk2.2 miWalk 45 minCycle 14 minCar or taxi 12 min
- Getty Center4.1 miCycle 26 minCar or taxi 18 min
- Rodeo Drive6.1 miCycle 39 minCar or taxi 25 min
- LACMA8.1 miCar or taxi 31 min
- The Grove8.5 miCar or taxi 32 min
- TCL Chinese Theatre10 miCar or taxi 38 min
- Hollywood Bowl11 miCar or taxi 40 min
- Griffith Observatory13 miCar or taxi 46 min
- Walt Disney Concert Hall14 miCar or taxi 50 min