Why you should experience The Strand in Los Angeles, California.
The Strand is a vibrant oceanfront promenade where Hermosa Beach's surfing culture, coastal recreation, civic traditions, and Pacific shoreline define one of Southern California's most celebrated public spaces.
Set along the Pacific Ocean near Pier Avenue and just steps from Hermosa Beach Pier, the promenade connects beaches, parks, restaurants, public art, neighborhood businesses, and adjacent coastal communities that collectively reflect the enduring identity of Hermosa Beach. Expansive ocean views, wide paved pathways, beachfront residences, volleyball courts, and uninterrupted coastal scenery preserve a setting shaped by public access, shoreline stewardship, and decades of community investment. Residents, businesses, civic organizations, and public agencies continue reinforcing the promenade's importance within Hermosa Beach while supporting recreation, cultural programming, and coastal conservation. The result is an experience defined by active recreation, oceanfront scenery, and the enduring character of Hermosa Beach.
What you should know about The Strand.
The Strand is best known for forming part of the Marvin Braude Bike Trail, the approximately 22-mile paved coastal route extending from Will Rogers State Beach to Torrance County Beach, providing continuous public access for cyclists, runners, walkers, and other recreational users along the Pacific shoreline. The promenade occupies coastline associated with the Rancho San Pedro land grant, the approximately 75,000-acre property awarded in 1784 to Juan José Domínguez, before subdivision and the incorporation of Hermosa Beach in 1907 established the community surrounding today's beachfront. Nearby Hermosa Beach Pier, completed in 1965, replaced earlier wooden structures dating to the opening decades of the twentieth century and continues serving as the city's principal public gathering place overlooking Santa Monica Bay. The Strand also benefits from continuing stewardship by the City of Hermosa Beach, the California Coastal Commission, the Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors, and the California Department of Parks and Recreation, supporting shoreline access, bicycle mobility, beach maintenance, coastal resource management, and environmental protection.
The International Surf Festival, inaugurated in 1962, brings athletic competitions, lifeguard championships, paddling events, and beach volleyball tournaments to communities along Santa Monica Bay, including Hermosa Beach. The AVP Hermosa Beach Open, first contested in 1969, has become one of the sport's longest-running professional beach volleyball tournaments, attracting many of the game's leading athletes. The Hermosa Beach Historical Society, established in 1984, preserves photographs, documents, oral histories, and exhibitions documenting the city's development as a seaside community. The Greenbelt, a linear park following the former Santa Fe Railway right-of-way, extends through Hermosa Beach with landscaped walking paths, native vegetation, and public open space connecting neighborhoods to the waterfront.
How to fold The Strand into your trip.
The Strand is best experienced as an exploration of Hermosa Beach's shoreline, recreation, and coastal culture.
Begin at Hermosa Beach Pier, where panoramic views of Santa Monica Bay, fishing areas, and the surrounding beachfront introduce the coastal setting before following The Strand along the oceanfront. Continue to South Park, where shaded lawns, ocean breezes, and public gathering areas deepen the story of community life while naturally leading toward one of the city's longest-standing cultural institutions. Conclude at Hermosa Beach Community Center, where galleries, local history exhibits, and civic programming provide a fitting finale celebrating the community traditions that continue shaping Hermosa Beach. The progression moves naturally from the waterfront to neighborhood green space before concluding with local history and cultural programming, revealing why The Strand continues expressing the enduring identity of Hermosa Beach.
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