You’ve got one day in Santa Monica and no idea where to start. The pier looks packed, the beach stretches out in both directions, and every list you find online just repeats the same three photo spots. If you’re searching for santa monica beach activities, you want the real answer: what’s actually worth your limited time, not a generic roundup written by someone who’s never walked the sand at sunset.
This guide skips the filler. You’ll get a practical, ranked breakdown of what to actually do at Santa Monica Beach and the pier, from the classics everyone should try to the lesser-known spots locals actually recommend. No fluff about "stunning views" without telling you where to find them.
We’ve spent years guiding visitors through this exact stretch of coastline as part of our Santa Monica and Venice Beach tours, so we know which activities deliver and which ones eat your afternoon for nothing. Below, you’ll find seven activities worth your time, plus tips on timing, cost, and how to string them together into one solid day at the beach.
1. Take a guided bike or e-bike tour along the coast
Riding the coast is the single best way to get your bearings in Santa Monica, and it beats walking by a mile, literally. You cover more ground, catch the ocean breeze the whole way, and don’t burn your morning trudging through sand. If you’re only doing one organized activity on this list, make it this one.
A guided e-bike tour gets you more coastline, more context, and more photo stops than any walk ever will.
What it involves
A typical coastal bike tour runs 90 minutes to a few hours and takes you along the paved bike path that runs from Santa Monica down toward Venice Beach, sometimes further depending on the route. You’ll pass the pier, Muscle Beach, the Venice canals, and the boardwalk’s street performers, all while a local guide fills in the history and pointers you’d never get from a rental kiosk alone. E-bikes make the ride effortless even if you’re not in cycling shape, which matters if you’re trying to fit this in around other plans without wearing yourself out.
Where to do it
Most guided rides launch from a meeting point near the pier or a few blocks inland in Santa Monica, then head south along the Marvin Braude Bike Trail, the official name for the beachfront path that stretches roughly 22 miles from Pacific Palisades to Torrance. You don’t need to know the whole route. A good guide handles navigation, traffic gaps, and timing so you’re not stopping every five minutes to check a map. We run e-bike tours through this exact stretch as part of our Santa Monica and Venice Beach offerings, built specifically around this corridor.
Good to know
Book earlier in the day if you want fewer crowds on the path and softer light for photos. Expect to pay somewhere in the range of $75 to $150 per person for a guided group tour, with private options running higher. A few practical notes before you go:
- Bring sunscreen and a hat. There’s little shade along most of the path.
- Wear closed-toe shoes. Sandals aren’t ideal for pedaling or foot traffic near the pier.
- Ask about e-bike vs. standard bike options if you’re covering more than 5 miles.
- Check weather, since coastal fog can roll in during early morning hours in summer.
This one activity alone can eat two to three hours of your day, so plan it early if you’ve got other stops on your list.
2. Explore Santa Monica Pier and Pacific Park
Once you’re off the bike, the pier is the natural next stop. It’s the postcard image of Santa Monica, and it earns that reputation once you actually walk it. You get carnival rides, ocean views, and a straight shot to the beach below, all in one compact stretch.
The pier isn’t just a photo op, it’s the fastest way to see everything Santa Monica Beach offers in one walk.
What it involves
Walking the length of the pier takes maybe ten minutes, but Pacific Park is where you’ll want to linger. It’s a small amusement park built right on the pier, with a solar-powered Ferris wheel, a wooden roller coaster, and arcade games. Grab a corn dog or funnel cake from one of the food stands, watch the anglers cast lines off the railing, and take in the view of the Santa Monica Mountains behind you and open Pacific ahead.
Where to do it
The pier sits right at the foot of Colorado Avenue, easy to spot from almost anywhere on the beach. Pacific Park occupies the ocean-facing half, so keep walking past the shops and restaurants until you hit the rides.
Good to know
Ride tickets run individually or as unlimited-ride wristbands, generally cheaper on weekdays. Weekends and summer evenings draw heavy crowds, so arrive early or plan for a sunset visit instead. The pier itself is free to walk; you only pay for rides, games, or food.
3. Swim, surf, or paddleboard in the Pacific
Stepping into the water is where Santa Monica Beach stops being a backdrop and starts being an actual beach day. The Pacific here runs cooler than people expect, but that first splash wakes you up fast, and it’s the easiest way to cool off after biking or walking the pier in the sun.
Santa Monica’s water is calmer than Malibu’s, which makes it one of the better spots in LA for beginners to try surfing or paddleboarding.
What it involves
Swimming here is straightforward, with gentle, rolling waves that rarely intimidate casual swimmers. If you want to try surfing, this stretch is known for smaller, more forgiving breaks than what you’ll find up in Malibu, which makes it a solid spot for first-timers. Paddleboarding gives you a different angle entirely, letting you glide past swimmers and get a clean view back toward the pier and mountains.
Where to do it
Lifeguard-patrolled sections near the pier are your safest bet for swimming, and they’re marked clearly with tower numbers. Surf and paddleboard rentals cluster around the same area, usually within a short walk of the lifeguard stations.
Good to know
Check flag warnings before you go in. Rentals typically run $15 to $30 an hour for a board, and lessons cost more if you want a quick primer. Rip currents do happen, so stick close to a lifeguard tower and never swim alone if you’re not a confident swimmer.
4. Work out at the Original Muscle Beach
Muscle Beach isn’t a metaphor. It’s an actual outdoor gym on the sand, and it’s where California’s fitness culture basically started back in the 1930s. You don’t need to lift a single weight to enjoy it, but watching the regulars swing through the rings and bars is part of the Santa Monica experience whether you planned for it or not.
Muscle Beach turned bodybuilding into a spectator sport decades before Instagram made fitness content a thing.
What it involves
The setup includes rings, parallel bars, a high bar, and a climbing rope, all set on a sand-covered outdoor platform open to the public. Bodybuilders, gymnasts, and calisthenics athletes train here daily, and weekends bring bigger crowds and more advanced moves. You can join in if you know what you’re doing, or just grab a spot on the sand nearby and watch. Either way, it’s worth the five-minute detour.
Where to do it
You’ll find the original Muscle Beach just south of the pier, right along the boardwalk, easy to spot from the equipment alone. It sits close enough to the bike path that you can swing by mid-ride without adding much time to your route.
Good to know
Access is free and open to the public, no membership or reservation needed. Morning and early evening tend to draw the most serious athletes, so that’s your best window for photos or people-watching. Bring water; there’s no shade on the platform itself.
5. Fish off the pier or visit the aquarium
Santa Monica Pier gives you two very different ways to slow down and get close to marine life, one with a fishing rod, the other through glass. Both fit easily into an afternoon if you’ve already knocked out the bigger activities on this list and want something lower-key before dinner.
What it involves
Pier fishing is open to anyone, no boat required, and you’ll see regulars casting for mackerel, halibut, and the occasional bat ray right off the railing. If fishing isn’t your thing, head underneath the pier to the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium, a small, hands-on space run by Heal the Bay that focuses on local sea life pulled straight from the bay outside. Kids especially like the touch tanks, where you can handle sea stars and small sharks under staff supervision.
Where to do it
Fishing happens along the pier’s outer railings, closer to the end for better luck. The aquarium sits tucked beneath the pier deck near the carousel, easy to miss if you’re not looking for the entrance stairs.
The aquarium takes ten minutes to find and an hour to fully enjoy, and it’s one of the least crowded spots on the pier.
Good to know
A California fishing license is required for anyone 16 and older, though pier fishing in Santa Monica is exempt from that requirement under state rules, per the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. The aquarium charges a small suggested donation, usually under $5, and closes earlier than most beach activities, so check hours before you plan your visit around it.
6. Watch the sunset and picnic on the sand
End your day the way most locals do, sitting on the sand with a snack and a view instead of rushing off to dinner somewhere else. Sunset over the Pacific is the one moment that ties everything else on this list together, and it costs nothing to enjoy.
The best part of a Santa Monica beach day is free, and it happens right at the end of it.
What it involves
Grab a spot on the sand an hour before sunset and just settle in. Bring a blanket, some food from one of the stands near the pier, or better yet, pack a simple picnic ahead of time so you’re not stuck in a line while the light is fading. The sky here tends to go orange and pink fast, with the pier’s Ferris wheel lighting up right as the sun drops, which makes for one of the better photo moments of the whole trip.
Where to do it
Any stretch of sand south of the pier gives you an unobstructed view west, no buildings or piers blocking the horizon. If you want the Ferris wheel in your shot, stay north of the lifeguard towers closest to the pier itself.
Good to know
Arrive early for a good spot, especially in summer when the beach stays busy past 7 p.m. Alcohol is prohibited on Santa Monica’s public beaches, so stick to food and soft drinks unless you’re at a permitted restaurant patio nearby. Bring a light jacket too, since the temperature drops fast once the sun’s gone.
Planning your perfect beach day
Seven activities, one stretch of coastline, and more than enough to fill a full day if you pace it right. Start with the bike ride while the morning light is soft and the path is empty, work through the pier and the water when the sun’s high, then let the evening slow down with Muscle Beach, fishing, or the aquarium before you settle into the sand for sunset. Santa Monica beach activities don’t need to feel rushed if you build your day around a logical route instead of bouncing back and forth.
If you’d rather skip the guesswork and let someone who knows this coastline handle the route, timing, and stories, that’s exactly what we do. Check out our electric bike tours for a guided ride down this same stretch, pier included, no planning required on your end.
