California Beaches: Corona Del Mar-Newport Beach

The streets of Corona del Mar, part of Newport Beach, have a sweet street-naming pattern: tree-lined byways are named for flowers, from Acacia to Poppy. Beaches run from spectacular sandy strips to rugged cliffs and lookouts.

Corona del Mar State Beach at Iris Street and Ocean Boulevard is a half-mile stretch that’s good for swimming and surfing.

For more in this series exploring Southern California’s beaches, visit our Cruising the Coast page. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Sept. 16, 2014 10:01 AM PT

Corona del Mar State Beach at Iris Street and Ocean Boulevard is a half-mile stretch that’s good for swimming and surfing.
Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times

Southern California beaches: Corona del Mar-Newport Beach

A surfer emerges from the sea, silhouetted by misty beams of golden light at sunset near the Newport Beach Pier. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

A woman dressed in a colorful sarong carries a child’s bucket at Crystal Cove State Park at the end of Crescent Bay Drive on the north side of Laguna Beach. There’s a 1,140-acre underwater park offshore for scuba divers. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

A young boy plays in the water at Pirate’s Cove, part of Corona del Mar State Beach. The TV show “Giligan’s Island” was sometimes filmed at this beach. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

The tide rolls in over a rocky coastline (caught in a long photo exposure) above cliff-top homes and rocky shoreline near Inspiration Point, south of Corona del Mar State Beach. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Mason Dupont, 6, of Huntington Beach takes in the sights at sunset from a cliff above Pirate’s Cove, part of Corona del Mar State Beach. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Clifton Huang, left, Eric Cheng, Jason House and Brandon Huang are part of the dedicated wave crowd at Crystal Cove State Park. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Some folks just kick back at the area beaches. Matt and Sharon Sloan of Long Beach celebrate their 47th wedding anniversary -- with matching shirts, champagne, flowers and truffels-- and watch a beautiful sunset over the ocean at Inspiration Point, Corona del Mar State Beach. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Flowers line a shaded path that provides a view of a sailboat gliding along Lido Island in Newport Beach. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

A California sea lion basks in the early morning sun after taking over a small boat in the waters off Newport Beach.

For more in this series exploring Southern California’s beaches, visit our Cruising the Coast page. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)