Corona Del Mar Beach and Tidepools
add photosFamily friendly beach that has tidepools that are exposed during low tide in the protected called Little Corona Marine life Refuge. This beach is just south of Newport Beach. Little Corona is a protected area and all rocks, shells and marine life must not be disturbed.
6 Reviews for Corona Del Mar Beach and Tidepools
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"inspired at 'inspiration point'"
Right above Corona Del Mar Beach is a small park called 'Inspiration Point'. We love sitting there on a cute little bench with views of the ocean as our boys chase the birds. If you are visiting CDM in the winter and think the water's too cold to get into, there still are plenty of walking paths (and scooter paths) above the beach to enjoy. Be on the lookout for dolphins. The are often spotted here!
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"Not my favorite"
Honestly, Corona Del Mar Beach is not my favorite Orange County Beach. I'm referring to what the locals call "Big Corona". Laguna Beach is much more beautiful and cheaper to visit. The price of parking in the large parking lot at Corona is near $15 and seems to go up each year. The plus side of this beach is parking close to the sand and water, restrooms, showers, and small waves that are nice for young kids. This beach can be very crowded on weekends and holidays.
"Little Corona" is a different story. This is one of the most beautiful beaches ever. Access this beach from the end of Poppy in CDM. Parking is free in the neighborhoods. Come early enough in the day to find a spot. Beautiful sand, rocks that frame the beach, tide pools and a bathroom (not so clean). The hike up the hill as you return from the beach can be exhausting so be sure to save energy for getting home!
1 family found this helpful
"Beautiful beach"
I went to the area called Little Corona, off Poppy. The tidepool is there for observation only. Because of the damage sustained by visitors, they have set up a protected area and volunteers watch for people reaching in and touching the marine life. It's still interesting for the little ones, especially because there is a little stream that runs into the ocean, but if your child likes to touch and poke around and pick up the marine life then you probably don't want to bring him or her here.
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"Beautiful beach in one of the most exclusive parts of the country"
Corona Del Mar is home to one of the most expensive zip codes in the country. It not hard to figure out why the wealthy want to live here. ITS GORGEOUS!!! The beach is pristine and the tide pools are great fun. They are off the beaten path so not alot of out of towners know about them. When we visited I saw one of the largest starfish I have ever seen! Corona Del Mar is a beautiful example of Orange County at its best.
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"Great Family Beach!"
This beach is definitely a very family-friendly beach. I love taking my family here. There is a giant parking lot at this beach which I consider to be very convenient! Much better than searching all over for a parking spot and then making sure you have enough quarters for the meter, running back to add more quarters to the meter......
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"Corona Del Mar Beach"
If you want to get away from the summer crowds and want a family friendly beach especially for younger children this is a great beach. There are a few sand volleyball courts and in the evening there are fire rings to cook smores over. In the day time a lot of local families (especially those with younger children) come here to get away from the crowds of Newport and the even more crowded Huntington Beach's. The Beach is clean and the water is usually vefry calm whcih is good for the young ones to play in but not much fun for body surfing, etc. The Beach si definately a little tricky to find if you are traveling from the PCH highway as you will be traveling through a couple of blocks of narrow streets in a residential neighborhood. Just looks for the sign that tells you where to turn once you are in Corona Del Mar and you should have no trouble finding it.
There is a fee to pay to park and it can fill up fast so I would reccommend in the summer on weekdays that you arrive by 11:00 am and by 10:00 am on weekends to be sure to get parking. Ther is some free street parking up above and it is a hike of a quarter of a mile or more if you choose this option. If you park on the road be aware that on certain days of the month there is street cleaning and if you are parked during certain hours you can be ticketed. The signs that tell the days and hours of street cleaning are clearly marked on the streets.
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